FOXY BROWN
US, 1974, 87 minutes, Colour.
Pam Grier, Antonio Fargas, Peter Brown, Terry Carter, Kathryn Loder, Sid Haig.
Directed by Jack Hill.
Foxy Brown is one of a number of blacksploitation films of the 1970s. Pam Grier had emerged at this period as a leading black figure on screen as well as a singer. She had appeared, for Jack Hill, in some of his women’s prisons films as well as Coffy.
This film is interesting as an example of the exploitation film of the 1970s, with sex and violence and language, with vigilante action – and a comment from the screenplay that vigilante action is as American as apple pie.
The film seems somewhat stilted these days, although some of the violent scenes are graphic. Pam Grier went on to a film career which was revived in 1997 by Quentin Tarantino when he made her the leading star of his Elmore Leonard adaption, Jackie Brown.
1.The popularity of this kind of film in the 1970s? With American black audiences? Becoming something of a cult film? In retrospect?
2.The American city settings, the streets, the violence, the drug dealers? In comparison with the squalor and sleaziness of later decades? The locations: offices, homes, garages? The musical score and songs?
3.The title, Pam Grier and the credits, the dancing, the clothes? Her affluence, her wardrobe? Going into action, especially as the callgirl? Pam Grier as a black icon? Antonio Fargas, his films, on television? Also a black screen icon?
4.The basic plot, the street-unwise Link, his dependence on Foxy, getting money from her, meeting her boyfriend, betraying him to the drug dealers? His failed drug deals? Foxy and her life, relationship to Michael, his being injured, his being betrayed, his death? Her attack on Link, vengeance on the drug dealers? Her going undercover, thwarting their work? Her being captured and tortured? Getting free, setting up the revenge?
5.Pam Grier as Foxy, as a character, glamour, her relationship with her brother, righteous, the law, drugs? Her posing as the callgirl? With the other girls? Her interest in bringing Steve Elias and Katherine down? The humiliation of the judge? The friendship with the other callgirl and setting her free? The fight in the lesbian bar? Her being captured, tortured, raped, her getting revenge, slashing, the gasoline and the fire, the explosion? The pilot, cosying up to him, the flight? The plane, the crash into the drug dealers, into the hut and destroying things? The castration of Steve Elias? Bringing the bottle to Katherine, not killing her? Making her suffer?
6.The nature of vengeance, revenge, the vigilante touch? The cruelty of the crimes, the brutality?
7.The criminals, Steve Elias as the white businessman, shrewd, the relationship with Katherine? Her domination? Her string of callgirls? The drug deals? The comeuppance with Foxy’s attack on them?
8.The henchmen, their brutality, violence, killing? The attack on Link, Steve Elias shooting him? Killing his girlfriend?
9.The pilot, the flight with the drugs, the landing, Foxy taking the plane, the destruction?
10.The style of black exploitation films of the 70s, in your face? Setting up a tradition? The later examples, their greater frankness in language, explicit sexuality, more brutal violence?
