So, to this weeks movie....before I get stuck in to what this one is about, I'll say I really enjoyed it. Although it was released in 1977, I found it relevant and poignant. Sure a lot of it is dated, but in a nostalgic, warm way. Thats not to say that this movie could be described as nostalgic or warm in any way, quite the contrary in fact.
The movie starts off with 3 criminals (A white guy - Cain, An asian guy- Ling and a hispanic guy - Chino) who manage to escape from a prison van enroute to a maximum security prison and hijack a car from a pimp. They proceed to hold up a convenience store and shoot the owner. I found this scene quite disturbing on an emotional level, as although it wasn't graphic, it shows the main bad guy (Jessie Le Cain- henceforth referred to as 'Cain') pointing a gun at a young baby (the child of the store owner who has just been shot). Yes, its a movie, yes its not real, but the childs distress seemed to be very real in this scene. I suppose had I not been a mother, it maybe wouldn't have got to me so much. It sort of sets in your mind what sort of guy we're dealing with here. Thankfully the hammer slam down on an empty chamber and his fellow criminal Chino breathe a sigh of relief, hinting at the possible 'weak' guy in the threesome.
Intermingled with all this happening, we are introduced to the Turner family. A very normal black family with a minister dad - Ted, an untrusting 'suspicious when it comes to white people' mum - Mrs Turner (I didnt get her first name), an open minded young daughter - Corrie, a typical young lad - Floyd and a feisty grandma. They also have an unbelievably cute dog!!! Its during the scene in the convenience store our 2 stories converge. Mum is at the store to buy some groceries for dinner and is taken hostage during the shooting of the store owner. The criminals decide to have her take them back to her house to hide out.
This is when our movie kicks off properly. Most of it is set in the house and dialogue between the family and predominantly Cain. The reason this movie was banned was plain and simple - racism. There are a couple of semi disturbing scenes which may have had censors twitching, but I would say it is down to derogatory, disgusting racist language and terms that are used towards the family. While this language is prevalent and plentiful throughout the movie, it is very clear that it is disgusting, wrong and vile.
The reason I enjoyed this movie was down to the time given to build the characters and the actual presence of proper acting for a change! I actually cared about the characters and loathed the bad guy. I liked the contrasting characters within the family and how the dignity shown, especially by the dad enrages Cain who wants a snivelling, grovelling mess. One quote in the movie summed up for me what it was about. Ted says to Cain 'The measure of a man is dignity' and Cain retorts with 'The measure of a man is power'. Says it all really and for me, dignity won the day.
Amongst the atrocities in the movie are, the multiple rapes of the daughter Corrie, the attempting hanging of the mother upside-down from a tree, beatings, constant racist references, the bludgeoning to death of young Floyds best friend and blood brother, the attempted rape and throwing off a waterfall to her death of the girlfriend of a dead son of the family and a scene which brings a whole new meaning to bible bashing!
You really feel for the family all the way through and wait for them to get their comeuppance which gloriously comes!!! I adore grandma in this movie and the exchange of insults between her and Cain as the movie nears the end. She wins hands down and I chuckled all the way through the scene. She reminded me a lot of my late grandma.
I should have mentioned that we have a very straight, play everything by the rules cop on the case through this movie, but when he find out what has happened and what the family have been going through, he gives Ted and his mum time to exact their revenge on the baddies.
The whole ending is a stand up and cheer session, although I thought they could have made more of the ending as some parts are piss poor for want of a better word. We satisfyingly get to see Ted get to dispatch Cain at the end just before the credits roll. When he hears what he has done to his daughter, being a man of god is soon forgotten. Oh and the family dog gets a starring role at the end too by way of cocking his leg over the face of the baddy! YAY doggie!!!
If I had more time, no doubt I could have done this movie more justice with my review. No doubt I've left out important bits and key parts I should have included, but if you get that I liked it and I think you should watch it, then you got the gist!
Please use the comments bellow only to comment on this post - to write your own review, please comment on the main post for this movie.
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