Thomasine & Bushrod

Thomasine & Bushrod (1974) is a movie I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline for this picture follows a man who does his best to make ends meet until his former lover returns to town and challenges him to get a house, picket fence and some land to raise children. They decide the best way to do that is become notorious bank robbers. Will their lifestyle end in dreams coming true or go down in a blaze of glory?

This movie is directed by Gordon Parks Jr. (Super Fly) and stars Max Julien (The Mack), Vonetta McGee (Repo Man), George Murdock (Orange County), Glynn Turman (Super 8) and Herb Robins (The Funhouse).

This is a very well done character piece that contains a worthwhile storyline that is entertaining to watch unfold. The movie does a good job of depicting racism from this era. Some of the kill special effects were dated but the shootouts were fun. The car references and scenes in this are well done and the elements of hope were feel good moments; however, the ending felt very realistic and concludes this picture perfectly.

Overall this is a very unique addition to the western genre that is definitely worth your time. I would score this a 7.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

Max Julian probably got this screenplay of his produced because of his success in "The Mack" the previous year, though the studio seems to have still had some reluctance because it was obviously made with a limited budget. Julian himself doesn't help things; he gives a really bland performance here, enough so that it may explain why he didn't act again in a motion picture for more than 20 years later! Vonetta McGee shows talent, though she never really gets to break out, even though the screenplay focuses much more on her character than Julian's. Perhaps she was beaten down by the drab storyline; there's not much exciting or really interesting here. Possibly it was originally even more long and dull, since the movie seems to have been extensively reworked in the editing room (take that long sepia-colored montage sequence, for example.) Pretty unmemorable - goes to show it's not always music rights that have prevented a video or DVD release of a movie.

Amazing how you can see a movie, not think of it for a decade or even 2, but then remember some parts. The ending was so special and I called it right before it happened making me think I saw it years ago. My claim that it is blaxploitation comes in way of looking at the clown white sheriff and looking at how our 2 heroes can ride in a car that goes 4 miles per hour and escape all bullets as if mythical characters, a trademark of blaxploitation super hero films. Even though Glenn Thurman is in this one, the film would have had a bigger push, following and lasting impact had a James Earl Jones or Rosie Grier been secured in the lead role. As it stands, the actors involved did an admirable job.

Set in 1911 Texas this is a tale of female bounty hunter Thomasine and bandit Bushrod who team up, robbing from the rich and generously giving to the poor, Robin Hood meets Bonnie and Clyde. It is a mixture of black exploitation, Western, action and humour, though don't be fooled into thinking that this is a spoof. It does have some funny moments but this is more than counter balanced by racist language and violence. Max Julien not only stars as Bushrod but he also wrote and co-produced this movie, obviously a talented guy. His character is wanted for murder but he has a good heart. His partner (in more ways than one) Thomasine is played by the very attractive Vonetta McGee, their onscreen magic no doubt helped by the fact that the two were in a real life relationship. I felt that the movie started off really well, then it slows down for a while before culminating in a very powerful finale. Very catchy theme tune that stayed in my head long after the closing credits.

Bonnie and Clyde out west. You know it's all on a downward spiral. Gets called a Blaxploitation movie and while it does have the themes, characters, attitudes and a style of acting that are all commonly associated with that genre, there is also an unexpected dimension of depth here. Mainly that is due to the relationship between the two leads. They were lovers in real life at the time that this picture was made and it shows. They bring a quiet humanity and personal feeling between them which elevates the movie beyond the limits of its script. I'd like to watch more of them as a duo, surviving and living out west without the obligation to descend into predictable violence. Vonetta McGee has great presence and plays surely one of the most memorable female lead roles in Westerns, ever. Overall - a cool, rare '70s western featuring some great early cars as well as stylish clothes and enjoyable music. It's a 6/10 movie but I give it 7 for it's extra levels of enjoyment.