Baadasssss (2004)
With notes on Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song (1971)
When you watch "Baadasssss," you
begin to realize that "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss
Song" is a seminal film in the blaxploitation market
of independent film. At least that's what you're lead
to believe here. You have to accept it as fact to
enjoy the movie. And, let's face it, it pretty much
is fact. But watching the original now, you get the
feeling it is more a drug-induced mishmash of bad
plot, bad acting, bad sound and set design, and really
bad screenwriting (not to mention no ending) than
it is a real film. Of course, it's all about context,
and "Baadasssss" helps to put it all in context. Seeing
how the film was manifested, from inception to production
to marketing, is really an interesting story and that's
what we get here.
There are a lot of films about the
making of independent films in our modern cinematic
library. Films ranging from the dramatic (Wim Wenders
"The State of Things") to the comedic ("The Independent")
to the insane ("Adaptation") and everything in-between
have become staples of independent film. Films like
Trauffaut's "Day for Night" helped to establish this
as a legitimate genre decades ago. These days, film
festivals are loaded to the gills with submissions
from young, sophomoric film students who endeavor
to make a movie about a guy trying to make a movie.
It's gotten to the point where the Moebius strip of
film within a film within a film context has almost
become something eligible for a spoof. (God knows
there's probably some dumbass film student making
a mockumentary on just that topic as we speak).
Anyway, within this genre, "Baadasssss"
is particularly interesting and relevant because it
is a work based in reality (or, a biopic if you will)
made by someone who was there 30 years ago when the
original film it discusses was first lensed. I can
think of no other example of a film made by a filmmaker
about the making of a film that he was involved with
30 years ago. This one is even more relevant because
it is about a grown son filmmaker making a film about
his father, also a filmmaker, making an important
film when he (the son) was a child. And he (the son)
is in the original film as well and is therefore portrayed
as a character by a young actor in his own film about
the making of the film.
Whew.
It's not that complex really. Let
me explain it better. Melvin Van Peebles was a very
important black filmmaker in the 60's and 70's. His
most important film is the one discussed here, 1971's
"Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." This was one
of the highest grossing independent film pre- Sundance
and this work began an entire genre of blaxploitation
pictures (films made primarily for African- American
audiences in the 70's which were usually action oriented
or, at least, dramatic) that become quite popular
in their time. The importance of "Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song" and what it meant to the black community
and, in an indirect way, the civil right movement,
is a big part of what "Baadasssss" is all about. And
rightly so.
Mario Van Peebles, Melvin's son,
now in his 40's, wrote and directed "Baadasssss" based
on his father's experiences getting "Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song" made (when he was in his 40's). Mario
is a filmmaker in his own right with successful films
like "New Jack City" and "Posse" to his credit. Mario,
as a youth, also helped his father make "Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song" by appearing as an actor in two scenes.
One of these scenes, which acts as an opening of sorts
to the original film, is a nude scene where Mario,
playing the titular Sweetback as a young man, simulates
sex with a grown actress playing a prostitute.
In this tribute to his father's
work and film, the extremely personal "Baadasssss,"
Mario plays his father Melvin, who not only wrote,
directed, produced and edited "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss
Song" but also acted as the titular character as an
adult.
Again, this seems unprecedented
in film. Sons have played their own fathers in film
(Will Rogers Jr. Played his dad among others), but
this is a son, a filmmaker and actor, playing his
father, a filmmaker and actor. And, importantly and
interestingly, in both films the father and son are
writer, director and main actor. In addition, both
father and son appear in both films. (Melvin has a
small appearance at the end of "Baadasssss.") I doubt
that this has ever happened in film history before.
Say what you will about the younger
Van Peebles filmmaking, and "Baadasssss" is not a
perfect films by any means, he does create a interesting
story and one that captures our curiosity. Melvin's
film is shoddy, erratic, unintelligible at times and,
viewed some 30-plus years later, completely dull.
Mario could have tried to emulate its slapdash style
in his homage but instead opts to tell the story realistically
and coherently. It is a wise choice as the two, as
double feature, make quite compelling viewing. I saw
the biopic and then opted to see the original film
and enjoyed the experience immensely. I am sure fans
of the original film will be equally enthralled with
seeing this "making of" dramatization as well.
We know we are seeing a vision of
events filtered not only through a son's eyes but
also through the vision of a 13-year old witness to
the events. While Melvin is quite hard and demanding
of his young son, the now-grown youth obviously makes
this film, this biopic of sorts, with obvious loving
honor intended for his father. Mario, portrayed as
a 13-year- old by Khelo Thomas ("Holes") in his own
movie, becomes important to the story of making and
marketing "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" because
as a boy he was with his father from inception to
the finally triumphant success of the film. We don't
necessarily see the film through the young Mario's
eyes (he is a nearly silent witness here, not a narrator
or tour-guide) but we understand the story is filtered
through the son's eyes and perceptions simply because
we walk into the film at the very least knowing a
bit about its background.
This is a tribute from father to
son but also from filmmaker to filmmaker. Mario honors
Melvin not only as father, filmmaker and man, but
also as visionary, important cultural icon in the
African-American community and ground-breaking civil
rights activist. And he does so not only by telling
the story from an insider's point of view but also
without sugarcoating a single moment. Mario shows
us Melvin as a compulsive, myopic, bitter, harsh,
demanding, unforgiving taskmaster without apology.
Yes, there is love, and lots of it - and respect as
well, but there also seems to be quite a bit of truth
and honesty here.
Perhaps only diehard film enthusiasts
will really seek out "Baadasssss." But anyone interested
in pop culture, the civil rights movement, and the
importance of the emergence of black filmmakers in
the 70's will find a lot of interest information here.
And those who enjoy good drama, great storytelling
and an interesting plot will find much to enthral
them as well. "Baadasssss" may not the most perfectly
crafted film ever made but like the film it spotlights,
it is captivating and important despite its flaws.
Note on "Baadasssss:"
Also with Joy Bryant, David Alan
Greir, Nia Long, Paul Rodriguez, Saul Rubinek, Vincent
Schiavelli, Rainn Wilson, Len Lesser, Sally Strothers,
Adam West and John Singleton.
Ossie Davis, probably the most important
black filmmaker when the elder Van Peebles came into
the public consciousness, plays Melvin's father. Davis
is also mentioned in reference to being an important
black filmmaker in an interview segment.
A few of the members of Earth Wind
and Fire, who made their debut when they did the soundtrack
to "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" are portrayed
as characters here.
Bill Cosby is portrayed as a character
by T. K. Carter and the real Cosby appears in interview
segments of the film. Many of the people portrayed
as characters in the film appear at the end of the
film as they are today in interview segments
Melvin's film "The Watermelon Man,"
a studio backed film made prior to "Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song," is discussed briefly here and its
poster is shown. While some of Melvin's young life
is exposed to us here, we never learn how he became
of filmmaker or got a film made with a studio.
During its production the film was
also known as "How to get the Man's Foot Outta Your
Ass" and "How to get the Man's Foot Outta Your Baadasssss."
The film played the Toronto Film
Festival in 2003 and debuted in the US at Sundance
in January 2004. In May of this year it began an arthouse
run much to the disinterest of the ticket buying public.
Viewed at a press sneak at the Dobie
theater in June 2004.
Notes on "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss
Song:"
The credits for this film say "Starring
the Black Community." The only other recognizable
actor in the film in "Johnny Amos" (later better know
as John Amos, the father on "Good Times").
Another title say "Dedicated to
brothers and sisters who had enough of the man."
The film made over 10 million dollars.
Melvin made only one other film
in the 70's and was not behind a camera on a feature
film again until 1989.
Viewed on a VHS tape in June 2004.
