Melvin Van Peebles' indelible imprint on social consciousness, U.S. film culture, and political discourse burns onscreen with righteous anger and radical style. 55th anniversary screening.
After saving a Black Panther from some racist cops, a Black sex worker goes on the run from “the man” with the help of the Black community and some disillusioned Hells Angels, soundtracked by original music from Earth, Wind, and Fire. Preserved in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance, this Blaxploitation classic inspired everyone from Huey Newton to Spike Lee. [97 min; thriller, drama; English]
"Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song gave us all the answers we needed." — Spike Lee, filmmaker
"Not since Oscar Micheaux had an African-American filmmaker taken such complete control of the creative process, turning out a work so deeply connected to his own personal and cultural reality...[it] depends less on its story of a superstud running from the police than it does on its disinterest in referencing white culture and its radically new understanding of how style and substance inform each other." — Steven Higgins, Museum of Modern Art
"An innovative, yet politically inflammatory film." — Stephen Holden, The New York Times
Any film screened at IU Cinema may contain content that viewers find sensitive or upsetting. Visit our Audience Advisories page to learn more.
