Review of Buck and the Preacher (1972) by The Critic ( — 26 Jan 2015

Sidney Poiter's directorial debut sees himself as one-half of an odd couple fighting against white supremacists who want to return Negroes back to the fields as slaves. Poitier is, as always, a solid and commanding screen presence as Buck and is complimented by Harry Belafonte who, as an unconventional preacher, is the only complex character here.

The rest of the cast are relegated to two-dimensional roles, thus the film fails to compel when not relying on the otherwise excellent action sequences or sparring between the two leads.