This is the pimp daddy of blaxploitation flicks. It was a huge box office hit and I can see how it has influenced a lot of rap artists. Just out of jail after serving five years, Goldie (Max Julien, HOW TO BE A PLAYER) was a car thief and thug for The Fatman (George Murdock, STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER). Now free, he decides to become the richest pimp in Oakland.
Goldie uses his new wealth to buy his mom (Juanita Moore, DISNEY’S THE KID) a nice house, but his brother Olinga (Roger E. Mosley, TV’s MAGNIUM P.I.) is trying to clean up the streets and doesn’t approve of his brother’s pimpin’ ways. Moreover, Goldie can’t get a break from the man in the form of corrupt cops Hank (Don Gordon, BULLITT) and Jed (William Watson, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT) as well as The Fatman, who is on his case to get back into drug dealing and car stealin’. Playing Goldie’s faithful sidekick is Richard Pryor as Slim.
The film is sexist and violent. It paints Goldie, the peaceful pimp, as a “superhero” of the streets. However, the film does portray the hard experiences of urban blacks in a truthful light. I also liked the frank discussions between Goldie and Olinga, which makes the case for why someone would choose to become a pimp.
However, the film tries to play the story both ways as a tragedy of a life of crime and a revenge flick. It weakens the story and undermines the message. Plus, there are a few scenes in the film that are laughable. The three that come to mind include: a silly dream sequence where Goldie throws money in the air and rolls in it, a scene in a planetarium where Goldie brainwashes his prostitutes into only serving him and a player’s convention where Goldie wins Mack of the Year.
It’s more "watchable" in a conventional sense than SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAAD ASSSSS SONG, but not as interesting. It’s a cult hit and should be seen for its place in influencing culture, but other than that it’s not all that special.
Note: Quentin Tarantino first wanted Max Julien to play Marsellius Wallace in PULP FICTION.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
