Billy Jack

Released 1971
Reviewed May 21, 1998
Stars Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Clark Howat
Directed by Tom Laughlin (as T.C. Frank) 
 
"Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven, you can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing come the judgment day,
On the bloody morning after...One tin soldier rides away."  -- "One Tin Soldier" by Coven

The song "One Tin Soldier" was written for the movie "Billy Jack," and I can't think of one without the other. For a movie that's impossible to sum up in one paragraph, the song's chorus (printed above) almost does it. The movie opens with this song playing over a thundering herd of wild horses. It's a series of spectacular images as we follow the horses through the Arizona desert. The song finishes as the horses are corralled by a group of men, who plan to shoot them and sell the meat to a dog food company. This is where we meet Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin). He's a decorated Green Beret who fought in Vietnam, and he's not going to allow this to happen. It's the first showdown between Billy Jack and Stuart Posner (Bert Freed), who runs the local town.

Billy Jack is a half-breed, half white and half Indian. After returning from Vietnam, he turned his back on his white heritage to live as an Indian. As a result, he's the self-appointed protector of the local reservation. A school for troubled kids called the Freedom School has been established on the reservation, and Billy has his hands full trying to protect it. This is the early 1970's, and, contrary to popular opinion, the United States was not converted to a nation of hippies. There were pockets of true hippies that existed here and there, mostly in or near big cities, but the majority of Americans were frightened by the movement. They were afraid their children would grow up to be dope-smoking, beatnik freaks who lived in communes. The fear, distrust, and prejudices between the townspeople and the kids at the school provide the driving force behind the plot in this movie.

The best example of this is when the city council invites the school to a meeting, where they tell the students they are requesting a court injunction against the school. They want to limit the kids to visits on Saturdays between the hours of 1:00 and 4:00, and only six kids would be allowed at a time. This is for a school that has approximately 100 students. The way the council members and the students interact is right on the money. The council members aren't all in agreement with this injunction. One of them is a doctor, who knows the school and agrees with what they're doing, but he's the only one. The rest of the members don't like the school at all, but a couple of them try to be fair. The others make no pretense to be fair. They view the kids as dirty "pot-heads," and they repeatedly ask them when they last cut their hair or took a bath. At the time, long hair wasn't just a fashion statement. It was a rebellion against the stifling conformity of the 1940's and 1950's, and it frightened and angered middle-America. The best moment is when a young, average looking girl asks the council why they're so afraid of her. She demands an answer, and the room quiets as they wait for a response. Eventually one man glares at her and replies, "Because you're a filthy little girl." The room erupts in pandemonium as the kids and some of the council members express their outrage. In the back of the room, one student plays the national anthem on his saxophone. It's a very effective scene that shows the fear and misunderstandings on both sides, and it's clear why this school attracts so much opposition.

The main conflict in the movie is over the local deputy's daughter, Barbara (Julie Webb). She frequently runs away to Haight-Ashbury, where (despite being only 15) she's passed around by the "phony Maharishi-types." At the beginning of the film, she's returned to her father. She's pregnant, and not only does she not know who the father is, she doesn't know what color he is. While describing what happened while she was gone, she mocks her father until he finally responds in the only way he knows how. He beats her. She subsequently runs away again and later hides out at the Freedom School. This is what starts the chain of events that eventually ends in great tragedy.

There are many things that make this one of America's greatest movies. I think it provides insight into the clash of the cultures of the time. You can see the emerging hippie culture trying to establish itself. They feel there has to be more to life than consumerism and PTA meetings, and they truly want to make the world a better place. You also see the other side, as the members of the "establishment" strive to keep things from changing. Although the film is biased toward the left, it lets you understand both sides.

One great aspect of the film is the relationship between Jean and Billy Jack. They're two people who obviously love and respect each other (they're married in real life), but they don't act on it. They each have a mission in life, and they know they can't afford a romance. It's admirable to see people try to make a difference in the world. Here, we have two characters who make significant personal sacrifices to do so, each in their own way.
 
"Billy Jack" is a low-budget, independent film that I think is one of the best movies ever made. Not only is it highly entertaining, it's a noble film that documents the changes taking place in America during one of our most turbulent times: the late 1960's and early 1970's. It has the courage to stand for something, and it does so without preaching. If you haven't seen it, see it. If you haven't seen it for a while, see it again. You'll be glad you did.

Reviewed by Bill Alward  Home

Check out Billy Jack Online at www.billyjack.com
 

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