Blaxploitation superstars Fred Williamson and Pam Grier are the attractions of this mid 70's cult entry, a very violent film that I'll always remember for the cracking sound of the baseball bat on one of the white victim's head. It's not in closeup so you're not going to see blood or splattering brain, but it is certainly disturbing. The setting of Haralson County Georgia is ripe with corruption by the white leaders (sheriff Art Lund in particular), and when activist Jack Crowder goes after everyone who's made the black community miserable, the visiting Williamson, under advice from Grier, realizes that Crowder has equally corrupt plans as well that will favor no one.
Truly a disturbing film, this holds no punches in revealing that when power is given, the black man can be just as sinister as the white man, and the violent takeover is one of the most memorable lengthy montages of violence in films, up there with the "Godfather" movies. In smaller roles are Carl Weathers (pre-"Rocky") and Bernie Hamilton, with Williamson and Lund giving the strongest performances. Tierre Turner steals every scene he's in a a very determined, funny teenage con-artist. A lot of sexuality includes one scene that doesn't end happily for the participants. I'd call this one perhaps the most depressing of the several dozen blaxploitation films I've seen because it reveals that there's no ending to the crisis of injustice that nearly 50 years later is still rampant.
Truly a disturbing film, this holds no punches in revealing that when power is given, the black man can be just as sinister as the white man, and the violent takeover is one of the most memorable lengthy montages of violence in films, up there with the "Godfather" movies. In smaller roles are Carl Weathers (pre-"Rocky") and Bernie Hamilton, with Williamson and Lund giving the strongest performances. Tierre Turner steals every scene he's in a a very determined, funny teenage con-artist. A lot of sexuality includes one scene that doesn't end happily for the participants. I'd call this one perhaps the most depressing of the several dozen blaxploitation films I've seen because it reveals that there's no ending to the crisis of injustice that nearly 50 years later is still rampant.