Surprisingly mediocre. 5/10
A film whose fame precedes it, largely thanks to Curtis Mayfield’s soundtrack but also due to being one of the movies that put African-American cinema on the map. So it was with great expectations that I watched this…and then was sorely disappointed.
The plot is quite basic, contains many inconsistencies and holes and seems more about style than substance. Performances are quite amateurish – there’s a reason you’ve never heard of any of the actors!
The Curtis Mayfield soundtrack should be a highlight and it is but even here there’s a sour note: ‘Pusherman’ gets played to death!
The wardrobe department is in top form though.
Overall, there’s more negatives than positives and the accolades seem misgiven. This said it was probably more impactful at the time rather than now, over fifty years later.
Surprisingly mediocre. 5/10
A film whose fame precedes it, largely thanks to Curtis Mayfield’s soundtrack but also due to being one of the movies that put African-American cinema on the map. So it was with great expectations that I watched this…and then was sorely disappointed.
The plot is quite basic, contains many inconsistencies and holes and seems more about style than substance. Performances are quite amateurish – there’s a reason you’ve never heard of any of the actors!
The Curtis Mayfield soundtrack should be a highlight and it is but even here there’s a sour note: ‘Pusherman’ gets played to death!
The wardrobe department is in top form though.
Overall, there’s more negatives than positives and the accolades seem misgiven. This said it was probably more impactful at the time rather than now, over fifty years later.




















