Bucktown

1975 - American International
Directed By Arthur Marks


SYNOPSIS
Duke Johnson (Fred Williamson) heads to a small scuzzy southern town for his brother's funeral. He's willed his brother's home and shuttered nightclub... and soon falls for his brother's girlfriend Aretha (Pam Grier) When he tries to reopen the club, he rubs the corrupt and redneck police the wrong way. He calls his old pal Roy (Thalmus Rasulala) who brings in some muscle and they take down the police. The overjoyed mayor makes Roy sheriff and soon Roy and his goons become worse than the old cops. Duke decides they must be destroyed.

MY THOUGHTS

A gritty, violent blaxploitation near-classic.


The story really works as a blaxploitation film, and would make a great western as well... but the film is not without faults. First, Duke, Roy and his posse never face any punishment for killing the redneck cops. They were bad men, but no one ever gets away scot-free for killing police. Did they not have any family angry over their brazen killing? Second, the level of violence leveled against the rednecks (and later, the posse themselves) is extreme, almost to the point of generating sympathy for the victims. It's hard to root for the hero who inflicts THAT much pain.


Still, Fred Williamson gives a standout performance. In other films, like Black Caesar, Williamson seemed humorless, almost stiff. In the first half of Bucktown, he's loose and funny and thoroughly seems to be enjoying himself. That makes the character a lot more relatable and (a bit ) easier to root for, especially during the second half of the film which is pretty much solid action and has little to no character development.

The solid Pam Grier is somewhat wasted in her supporting role. However, She and Williamson have a great chemistry... and like many of her movies, she gets topless.
The supporting cast is also sharp and memorable. Look for Carl Weathers, as one of the goons, just a year before Rocky.

The film ends in a brutal fistfight between Duke and Roy. The fight plays out better than your average movie fight. It feels less like a stylish, choreographed battle and more like a real slugfest. The pain and suffering is nearly equally dished out between opponents, so it helps to make you forget some of the weaker bits.

There are far better blaxploitation films... but Bucktown is still a very entertaining film for lovers of extreme action.