Sui generis cinema: how the blaxploitation genre sticks it to the man

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In 1971, Van Peebles released “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” the revolutionary film that laid the groundwork for blaxploitation on the silver screen. It was an immediate success despite initially being shown in only two theaters. Black audiences were so fond of the movie that many came day after day to watch it again and again. The film was also lauded by the Black Panthers for empowering the aforementioned black audiences during the Black Power and Civil Rights movements.

In 1971, MGM, one of the largest film production studios, noticed the success of “S.S.B.S.” and released their own blaxploitation film that featured more mainstream appeal: “Shaft.”

In addition to being a hit with its intended Black audience, the film also found popularity with mass white audiences, even though it featured anti-establishment and Black empowerment rhetoric.

After “Shaft” and “S.S.B.S.” rocked Hollywood’s predominately white silver screens and became a sensation, the market became flooded with blaxploitation movies of all varieties. Expanding from its crime based roots, blaxploitation delved into the horror, western and kung fu genres.

Source: https://www.fsunews.com/story/