Those who read this column on a regular basis may tire of
hearing me say this but I insist it needs to be repeated often. One of the
great benefits of the digital and disc age is that movie lovers are being
treated to some movies that might have been lost had they not been rediscovered
and saved from disappearing thanks to the work of DVD companies that are
offering them once more in the best formats possible. It may not be that
they’re the greatest movies ever made but for fans of various genres and movies
in particular it’s wonderful to see these movies available this way.
I’ve been a fan of the genre known as Blaxploitation for
years. While I still have a number of movies to see in the genre their being
released finally on disc has allowed me to find those films I was not old
enough to see when growing up. One of the biggest stars of that time period was
Fred Williamson. Williamson started as a professional football player but was
approached to be in film. Knowing that the offer was too good to pass up he
accepted and began making movies. Once positioned to begin making his own films
he formed his own company and began writing, directing and starring in those
films.
VCI is now releasing one of these movies and retitling it as
BOSS. The original title, which appears on the movie itself, was BOSS NIGGER
but my guess is racial tensions being what they are they decided it might be
best not to have that on the shelves of stores carrying the title. One has to
understand though that this was not used as a derogatory term in the film. It
falls under the category of the use of the words as we hear often in rap music
these days, a sort of claiming of the term refuting what it stood for and using
it to say here I am, call me what you like but it takes nothing away from me
any longer.
Williamson plays Boss, a black bounty hunter who’s decided
to turn the tables and make a living tracking down law breaking white men.
Accompanying by sidekick Amos (D’Urville Martin) the pair save a black woman
being attacked by a group of white men named Clara Mae (Carmen Hayworth). With
no one to help her they agree to take her back to the town she just left since
they’re headed that way. On the body of one of the men is a letter from the
mayor of that town, San Miguel, that invites it’s bearer to be the new sheriff
in town by request of Jed Clayton, the man they are tracking.
Arriving in town the pair find the mayor (R.G. Armstrong)
and inform him they are the new sheriff and deputy in town. Producing the
letter they found the mayor has no choice but to accept or be revealed as
corrupt. Setting up shop in the sheriff’s office they walk through town with
the eyes of all upon them. Stopping by the local saloon their confronted by men
in Clayton’s gang. The end result is one killed, one shot in the foot and
another captured who is then shot trying to escape.
The townsfolk aren’t quite sure what to make of the new
sheriff and his deputy. Even more so when they post their new laws to be
followed. The laws are made to prevent them from being ignored or treated as
secondary citizens. To ignore them leads to a night in jail or a fine. To
insult them the same.
The townspeople are caught in the middle here between the
outlaw who wants nothing more than to take everything he can from them be it
supplies at the local general store or the women in the town and these two
black men they have prejudice against. Not all of them are averse to the pair
and some of them, in particular the local school teacher Miss Pruit (Barbara
Leigh) tell Boss how she always sympathized with the slaves her family owned.
Of course she ends up attracted to Boss and we wait to see if anything comes of
that.
Of course an eventual showdown between Boss and Clayton
(William Smith) is bound to happen. Several events happen between that face off
including the kidnapping of Clara Mae and the capture of Boss. And by the time
they do meet one another there is little doubt as to who to root for and who
deserves punishment.
The film follows a path that Williamson used in all of his
movies. He gets to be the good guy, he gets to kick butt and he gets the girl.
It’s a simple formula used in so many movies made before it. What is different
here is that there is a black man in the lead role. Prior to these movies, many
made in the 70s like this one, that wasn’t the case. Black actors were reduced
to supporting roles for the most part. Even well-known entertainers like Sammy
Davis Jr. were not provided the leading role in most movies. The closest they
got was co-starring. All of that changed with these movies made in the 70s. It
was a welcome relief to see a more realistic portrayal.
That’s even more apparent as history has revealed itself to
recognize the importance of black men as the real cowboys that existed out
west. The depiction we’ve had in the past failed to recognize their importance
and even the fact that they were there at all. Films like this showed that and
opened the doors for the truth to flood out.
Williamson does a wonderful job here, never going over the
top of abusing the role he’s provided. This is not the typical pimp or drug
dealer role that a number of other Blaxploitation films used as their
centerpiece. This is the good guy plain and simple. The only tie one might see
to the other films in the genre (other than its lead actors) is the use of funk
styled music. It might seem odd to some in a western but for me it actually
worked well.
The end result of the film is an entertaining movie that
provides plenty of story, lots of action and a touch of humor. The reactions of
the people of San Miguel provide the laughs and the depth of story here. Both
combine to make it a movie worth viewing.
Extras include A CONVERSATION WITH FRED “THE HAMMER”
WILLIAMSON with Joel Blumberg, A BOSS MEMORY with producer Myrl Schrelbman and
JACK ARNOLD TRIBUTE by producer Myrl Schrelbman. Yes that’s the same Jack
Arnold who famously directed such films as IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, TARANTULA,
THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, CREATURE OF THE BLACK LAGOON, REVENGE OF THE
CREATURE and THE MOUSE THAT ROARED. By this time he was mostly directing TV
episodes. He and Williamson must have gotten along quite well since this was
the second film he’d directed him in, the first being BLACK EYE. If you’re a
fan of Williamson, a fan of Arnold or a fan of Blaxploitation films then by all
means you need to pick this one up. Previous releases of the film have never
looked as good as this one. Pass those along to someone else and make sure this
is the one in your collection.
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