I really liked Shaft, although my reasons are probably a bit backwards. I found it very refreshing because the general setup was very different from the movies I'm used to watching today with one main male role.
Nowadays when you see a typical movie featuring a man, there's lots of violence and special effects and the main character is usually an actor we recognize. He has huge muscles and is so good at everything he tries and everything about him is so wonderful this he seems unreal. Most importantly, there is no one else like him--no other important male roles in these movies, and if there is another man he is usually a sidekick or not as impressive physically.
On the other hand, Shaft is filled with men, and these men aren't all wimps. The few women are little more than ornaments. The focus here is put on the main character in a different way--instead of being one-of-a-kind, he is the best of many. His character is almost too good to be true but remains within realistic boundaries, he still has faults, and he isn't bulletproof. However, he is clearly the dominant one. Watching him interact was similar to watching the alpha-male of a pack of wild animals on the Discovery Channel. He was very imposing, he never backed down from a fight, he protected those he considered friends, and he never doubted for a second that he was in charge.
Another typical thing in recent movies is that the hero gets the girl in the end. There's always one woman and he wants her more than anyone else and when they finally get together everyone assumes they'll live happily ever after. Shaft can (and does) have any girl he wants and it's considered cool that he does.
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I thought it was interesting how you mentioned Shaft and his women. This was probably the first movie we haven't talked mainly about the female roles and so I didn't think much about them in the movie. It's funny though how you mention Shaft being able to get any girl that he wants and he talked about it all through the movie, "Where you going? To get laid". Everyone looks up to his type of guy too which is intersting.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you focused in on Shaft as a character. Like you said, he is really not a one-of-a-kind character but rather the best of out his surrounding co-workers, friends, and criminals. He truly is the alpha male in this movie :)
ReplyDeleteYou made me realize something funny about the film. There was all this stuff about Shaft as being a sexual icon but women play such a small role. The one girl in the movie who played the biggest part, Bumpy's daughter, was the one that Shaft wasn't involved with which kinda makes it funny how Shaft is viewed in that way. I agree with you about Shaft as a character and he's actually better than most heroes cause he's at least believeable.
ReplyDelete>>instead of being one-of-a-kind, he is the best of many.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting thought, and I'd have liked to see where it would go if you pursued it into analysis. Jeff's comment that it's interesting that the rescued girl isn't a love interest is also worth playing with. It would have been good for you also to discuss race and racial stereotypes in this context, and to have pulled in the reading more.