#CharlesMcGregor

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : Super Fly (1972)

When blaxploitation films hit the scene, like most fresh forms of cinema, they were a breath of fresh air from an established and contrived system.  Not too long after the initial wave, however, Hollywood and its affiliates began pumping out similar style films to both capitalize on the hot trend and add to the continuum of propaganda that put minorities in a limiting and less than flattering light.  Just before this shift occurred, however, a small handful of films were created by high-level black creators with key insight into the life of vice (and the people involved) the average film viewer was not accustomed to.  One of these perennial classics (and the most recent property to play the remake game) is the classic film Super Fly. 

Youngblood Priest (Ron O’Neal) is living the life that many of the underprivileged dream of : drug money flowing in, power and respect on the streets, women throwing themselves at his feet, and the finest drugs, clothes and cars available.  Despite these gains, Priest finds himself jaded, unsatisfied and unfulfilled, and begins plans to find a way out of the game once and for all.  Priest approaches his drug dealing partner Eddie (Carl Lee) and convinces him to invest the $300k between them into 30 keys of cocaine from Priest’s old (and currently inactive connection) Scatter (Julius W. Harris).  After much convincing and apprehension, Scatter agrees, but only under the condition that he is protected.  Unfortunately, Scatter’s connections see things a bit differently, as they are mostly comprised of dirty police, and the heat quickly begins to come down on all involved.  With his back against the wall and allegiances tested, Priest turns to drastic measures in order to fulfill his dreams of escaping the game. 

The wonderful thing about this film is that, on the onset, it appears to be nothing but a glorification of all the worst parts of the quote/unquote ‘black’ experience.  Quickly, however, you realize you’re dealing with a different beast.  The protagonist, even with his drug habit and affinity for being unfaithful, clearly sees that he cannot live continuing to do what he is doing with is life.  When the tension gets thicker, Priest dips deeper into his resolve, eventually outsmarting everyone involved and turning the tables on his captors with their own money.  Even the iconic Curtis Mayfield soundtrack is in direct opposition of the glorification, giving you an uneasy feeling as beautiful, luscious arrangements back cautionary tale after cautionary tale.

As a protagonist, choosing Priest is a stroke of genius.  He seems to deliberately resemble a pimp more so than a drug dealer with his bold outfits and highly styled hair, but his retaliations to the junkies that attack him, the losers at the dice game and even the people holding him hostage as a drug dealer all show that he is more grit than glory.  Even when among many of his peers that cleanly and neatly fit the hustler, jive-talking archetype, Priest remains noble in his attitude and calculated in his words.

Director (and world-renowned photographer) Gordon Parks Jr. allows the events of the film and his cast to tell the story, choosing to use his medium to present us with a fly on the wall view rather than a highly stylized and glorified view.  The only real flash he provides is in the form of a still photography sequence used to show Priest and his network flooding the streets with their product.  Ultimately, the film itself becomes the star, with Parks’ steady hand, Mayfield’s heavily emotional score and the casts’ top notch acting all doing equal parts to make the film classic.

As previously mentioned, Ron O’Neal was essentially born to play Priest, turning in a performance so definitive that it has become the blueprint for many characters that followed in film/television history.  Carl Lee, by contrast, brings things down to that real street level, usually hiding his intense gaze behind sunglasses and a laid-back facade he presents.  Julius W. Harris nails his rat in a trap role, essentially being a cautionary tale that Priest ignores due to his persistence of executing his ‘perfect plan’.  Charles McGregor plays up his role as the poor sucker that doesn’t know how in over his head he is, allowing the audience a victim to truly feel for so that we are somewhat apprehensive of Priest and his motives/dedication.  The rest of the roles and portrayals, while fitting and memorable for the most part, are brief in comparison to the main four members of the cast.

While there are other blaxploitation films that I find myself returning to more often than Super Fly, Director X’s decision to remake such a beloved classic made me curious to revisit it.  After many years between viewings, I must say that it has stood the test of time.  I am only curious, at this point, how it may affect my opinion of Superfly, which I will let you all know soon.