Review of Black Caesar (1973) by Hunter D — 02 Aug 2010

A lot of blaxploitation classics stand-up mostly because of their soundtrack, and not necessarily because of the quality of the films themselves. I'm thinking specifically of SUPERFLY and SHAFT, both of which feature incredible, iconic soundtracks, but haven't aged well at all as movies.

BLACK CAESAR features a soundtrack by James Brown that is little-discussed by comparison, but perhaps its because it compliments what is a very strong film so well that it doesn't stand out due to everything around it being weaker by comparison.

BLACK CAESAR is one of the very best the blaxsploitation genre has to offer, it has a tight script by Larry Cohen, who brings his natural ear for dialogue and his keen eye for action to the direction as well.

James Brown's soundtrack enhances every scene, and Fred Williamson is an imposing lead. Essentially what Larry Cohen did was take the formula of the Warner Bros. gangster movies from the thirties like LITTLE CAESAR and PUBLIC ENEMY and inject black culture into it, creating an homage to the genre while at the same time making a great movie for a black audience.

BLACK CAESAR doesn't get a lot of discussion when people think of blaxsploitation, which is a shame, since it's a lot better than the films people often hold up as icons of the genre.