BAADASSSSS!

by Joe Barber on May.28, 2004, under Joe Barber's Movie Reviews

Joe’s Review
Melvin Van Peebles was a creative rebel. His film “Watermelon Man”, about a white business executive who wakes up one morning in his suburban home to find he’s suddenly become black, disquieted studio executives even though the film was considered mild racial satire by most movie critics when it was released in 1970. Hoping to make a film of social significance with something real to say about racial politics and oppression in America as the ’70’s were starting, Van Peebles hit upon an idea for an action drama about a street hustler who undergoes a political awakening, takes on a group of corrupt, racist cops and makes a clean getaway while making plans for grander revenge. Considered too inflammatory for the major (and minor) studios, Van Peebles’ dream project nearly died at birth, but it lived to become the biggest grossing independent film of the decade and a significant landmark in the progress of black cinema in America. Now, over 30 years later, Van Peebles’ son, actor/writer and director Mario, has crafted a fascinating look back at the creation of “Sweet Sweetback’s BadddAsssss Song”. “Bad Ass” delivers a fast-paced, vibrant and thought provoking look behind the scenes atthe struggle to bring “Sweet Sweetback” to the screen.
The film also takes viewers into the midst of Melvin Van Peebles’ personal life. Separated from his wife, Melvin (played by Mario), struggle to find time for parenting his son and daughter, both approaching teenhood, as he also looks for seed money to get the movie off the ground. Unable to pay union wages, he’s forced to hire non-union actors and crew members and shoot sexually explicit footage to convince union representatives he’s really making a black porno film, the one category of film they won’t attempt to regulate. Melvin’s technical crew is made up of the few professionals of color in the industry and newcomers who learn on the job. Ruthlessly cutting the shooting schedule to preserve cash, Van Peebles utilizes every resource he has, including his kids, to complete the movie.
Shooting the final scene only brings one portion of the struggle to an end. Working relentlessly to edit the film, Van Peebles must endure threats from certain investors and physical problems to complete the movie. A hostile ratings board, a releasing company with limited resources and indifferent theater owners throw a final twist in his way, but Van Peebles’ courage, passion and showmanship skills surge forward to attempt to save the day.
Working with only slightly more cash and resources than his father had, Mario Van Peebles has done a terrific job of re-creating the mood of the country and Hollywood in the early 1970’s when his father made “Sweetback”. The film is brutally honest in its examination of the relationship between father and son at the time, as Melvin’s all consuming desire to make his statement film blinds him to just about everything and everyone else’s needs. Mario Van Peebles is a dead ringer for his father and those who remember “Sweetback” will get a chill when they see Mario in the familiar hat with a moustache and smoking his father’s trademark cigar.
Fine supporting work is done by Joy Bryant as Melvin’s wanna be actress assistant, T.K. Carter as Van Peebles’ friend Bill Cosby, Paul Rodriguez as “Sweetback” ’s director of photography and David Alan Grier as the film’s original editor. Mario Van Peebles’ direction and screenwriting add zest to the rough and tumble story and those who stay for the closing credits will be rewarded with delightful appearances by the actual persons being portryed by the actors in the movie.
Clever, edgy and refreshingly honest, “Bad Ass” is one of the best behind the scenes films I’ve seen in some time and it’s certainly one of the best films of the year.