Director: Gilbert
Moses
Notable Cast: Roscoe
Orman, Diana Sands, Thalmus Rasulala, Joyce Walker, Norma Donaldson, Roger
Robinson, Albert Hall, George Murdock
“I’m declaring war on
you. You dig it? I’m gonna make you number one minus one…which equals zero.”
The blaxploitation genre is one that I have not generally
explored before. Outside of the some of the mainstream entries like Shaft or the various Pam Grier action
romps, it’s a genre that I don’t often find myself digging into. Certainly
though, like most genres that arrive in bursts, it has its own set of formulas,
tropes, and style that can be picked up fairly easily. This is what makes Willie Dynamite such a fascinating film.
Where the film starts firmly within the classic blaxploitation structures and
style, it starts to play on the expectations in some surprising ways that adds
a lot of depth and quality to the entire thing. If it wasn’t for this latest
Arrow Video release, I’m not sure I would have ever seen this film and quite
frankly, it’s definitely a gem that I did not expect to uncover.
Right out of the gate, Willie
Dynamite makes its first great choice. It makes the main protagonist the
titular character, Willie Dynamite.
That doesn’t sound like a bold choice at all when stated that way, but once you
realize that he is definitely the villain of the film, a pimp who treats women like
shit and never thinks twice about challenging some of the other criminals in
the organization that he is a part of for his own benefit. He truly is a
terrible human being and the film uses the gimmicks of the genre to paint him
as an egotistical and vicious character that never shies away from wearing his
money on his sleeves and looking down at everyone around him. Yes, he’s the
main protagonist of this film.
Willie Dynamite
then proceeds to surround him with a plethora of secondary characters that
would be the protagonists in most any other film. A young woman who is
convinced that her career working for Willie is the best she will get, two cops
dedicated to finding a way to topple his criminal career, and a charming social
worker who not only hates what Willie stands for, but thinks she might be able
to convince him to turn his life around. It’s through these characters, all
performed with a shocking amount of nuance underneath the style of the film and
the occasionally eye-rolling dialogue (as showcased at the beginning of this
review), that the dramatic tension of the film works. For a majority of run
time, we want to see these secondary characters succeed in undermining and
destroying this arrogant protagonist. Although the film never fully leans into
the action realms of the genre, it spends a large part of it building the
thriller tension as the walls close in around Willie. Seeing this tug of war between
police, criminals, and Willie becomes a game. Many of the sequences,
particularly in the first couple of acts, are somewhat predictable and par for
the course in blaxploitation. Whether it’s the clashing of two criminals, a
chase between Willie and the police, or even when the social worker breaks into
his place to find evidence against him, it’s all material that’s relatively
common although it’s certainly done with strong execution in style and
performance.
As mentioned in the opening paragraph though, it’s the third
act where Willie Dynamite truly finds
its heart and soul. It’s here that the film starts to try and convince its
audience that we should no longer hope for his destruction, but see him
rehabilitated and learn his lesson. This runs parallel with the character arc
of the social worker who tries to show him his faults and sees behind the
façade he puts up, which is shown to the audience in a fantastic sequence where
Willie goes home to have dinner with his parents and we see his background. To
give too much more away would defy the experience and the narrative strength of
this third act, but rest assured the film does some fantastic things with
Willie’s character and the performance by Roscoe Orman actually pulls off this
wild shift of tone and concept.
Compared to some of the other releases by Arrow Video, the
special features included on their latest Blu Ray release does seem a bit thin.
Outside of another fantastic audio commentary, this time provided by Sergio
Mims, the release only features the theatrical trailer and some new writing in
the booklet which is only available for the initial pressing of the film. Considering
some of the fantastic features that often accompany their releases, what’s
available on Willie Dynamite does
seem to pale in comparison. However, the new HD version of the film looks solid
and Mims’ commentary is an impressive addition to set so fans will definitely
appreciate the work there.
All in all, Willie
Dynamite was a big surprise. Not only does it adhere to the formulaic elements
of the blaxploitation genre that fans come to expect, but it then subverts them
in some clever ways to deliver a more thoughtful cinematic experience. The
performances are all impressively nuanced, even when delivering the ridiculous
dialogue and occasionally predictable narrative and the style of the film
firmly fits in with the intentions of its execution. Fans of the genre will
definitely want to take a gander at what it has to offer though. Willie Dynamite comes highly recommended.
ARROW VIDEO FEATURES:
Written By Matt Reifschneider
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