Review of Baadasssss! (2004) by Brian R — 02 Mar 2010

This is a great film, a film I would have definetly want to make about learning how to make and finance an independent picture while risking everything on the line. I see it as almost a dead end tale where people will find ways of stoping one's passion yet still fighting to get the job done. It's a film that touches home with me dead on.

Mario Van Peebles, Melvin's son, directs an honest and revealing portrait of his pioneering father. Mario now tells the story of the making of Melvin Van Peebles' landmark 1971 film, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," including Melvin's struggles to raise money to fund the film under the guise of creating a black porno film.

Melvin had ducked creditors, the unions and had to bail out his camera crew after they were arrested. Despite death threats and temporarily losing sight in one eye, Melvin somehow managed to whip into shape a rag-tag, multi-racial crew and finish the film that would give birth to birth of a new era which was about to explode: Independent Black Cinema.