The
current film Shaft is a sequel to the 1971 film
of the same name (and the two Shaft blaxploitation sequels
of 1972 and 1973), having been tentatively entitled "Shaft
Returns" while in production. But there is considerably more
resemblance with Dirty Harry (1971). The movie’s
director, John Singleton, who has twice won Political Film
Society awards for profound portrayals of African Americans,
this time features a Black NYPD Police Detective (played by
Samuel L. Jackson) who breaks the rules to arrest lawbreakers,
with Uncle John Shaft (the original Shaft, Richard Rountree),
now a sexually attractive private detective, cynically telling
his cinematic successor (who is not interested in women) that
a career in law enforcement is for the birds. The story centers
on Walter Wade, Jr. (played by Christian Bale), a White racist
from a wealthy family, who likes to antagonize Blacks so that
they will resort to fisticuffs, whereupon he beats them up.
When the film begins, Wade baits an African American on a
date in an upscale cocktail lounge, but the fight ends in
murder, witnessed by Diane Palmieri (played by Toni Collette),
a bartender on a smoke break outside the nightclub. Shaft,
called to the scene, soon apprehends the suspect, who is jailed,
released on bail, and then takes flight for two years out
of the country. When Wade returns, Shaft again apprehends
him with much fanfare. While incarcerated, Wade meets Dominican
drug lord Peoples Hernandez (played by Jeffrey Wright), also
arrested by Shaft. Hernandez smells an opportunity to increase
his profits by befriending Wade and gives him his business
card. When Wade is once more released on bail, Shaft loses
his cool and resigns from the force so that he can freelance
to find Diane, who is reluctant to testify, while Wade hires
Hernandez to make sure that she does not appear in court.
Sure that the criminal justice system will exonerate the White
racist, one of Shaft’s erstwhile police colleagues, Carmen
(played by Vanessa Williams), ultimately shoots Wade to end
the story. The themes of the film are familiar -- White racist
and Black avenger, the rich trampling on the poor, bad cops,
the difficulties of law enforcement, and the profitability
of the drug trade. The tagline of the film, "Still the man,
any questions?," provokes three queries: Why does Shaft have
to bend police regulations? Why does the otherwise cool dude
Shaft display emotion by resigning from the NYPD? And . .
. who is the real star of the film? The reason for Shaft’s
antics is never clear, but the last question is much easier
to answer. The real star of the film is the entrepreneurial
Peoples Hernandez, whose occasional muffled Spanish (without
subtitles) transforms the film (reportedly rewritten to enhance
his persona) into a comedy that eclipses Shaft the eunuch.
MH
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