L'uomo perduto

Continuing to review movies featuring people of color in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1969 when Sidney Poitier-who suffered a backlash from his fans of his race two years before because of his growing popularity among his Caucasian audience-was trying to get with the "black power" movement by making this film about such a group trying to rob a white establishment bank to fund for his "brothers". His performance, among many others of his skin color, isn't bad and the action scenes are pretty exciting. But the story gets a bit muddled when he strikes a romance with a young white social worker named Cathy Ellis (Joanna Shimkus). Knowing him and Ms. Shimkus would eventually get married years later, it's fascinating seeing them being romantic with each other but, really, does she really belong in this picture? As a result, the climax leaves one wondering just who the audience was this picture for. Still, if you're curious enough about Poitier's work in order to watch everything he's been in, The Lost Man is at least worth a look. Among others of color in this film: Al Freeman, Jr. as Dennis Lawrence, Leon Bibb as Eddie Maxie, Beverly Todd as Sally Carter a.k.a Dorothy Starr, Paul Winfield as Orville Turner, Bernie Hamilton as Reggie Page, Dick Anthony Williams as Ronald, Arnold Williams as Terry, Virginia Capers as Theresa, Vonetta McGee as Diane Lawrence, Paulene Myers as Grandma, Lee Weaver as Willie, Doug Johnson as Teddy, and Lincoln Kilpatrick as a minister. By the way, Ms. Todd is from my birthtown of Chicago and she has an interesting throwaway dialogue scene with Poitier about her Dorothy alias when she mentions the late Dorothy Dandridge especially when one knows about Sidney's previous acting stint with her on the film version of Porgy and Bess.

This film begins with a civil rights protest taking place which immediately draws the intense interest in the police. Not long afterward, a brawl erupts with several of the protestors being either beaten or arrested. In the meantime, while all of this is going on, a black man by the name of "Jason Higgs" (Sidney Poitier) sits in the back of a sedan and looks on with seeming indifference. As it soon turns out, the leader of the protest is an activist by the name of "Dennis Lawrence" (Al Freeman Jr.) who has an aversion to violence and prefers peaceful protest instead. Jason Higgs, on the other hand, has since become more militant and is planning to use a similar protest in the near future as a diversion in order to rob a nearby factory to further his more aggressive civil rights agenda. What he doesn't count on, however, is someone within his inner circle betraying him to the police after everything takes a turn for the worse. Now, although not technically a "blaxploitation film" due to the year it was produced, it still incorporated certain concepts that would come to define that subgenre within the next couple of years. Be that as it may, even though this film had a rather cheap feel to it, I liked the cool demeanor of Sidney Poitier and for that reason I have rated this picture accordingly. Slightly above average.

The Lost Man is notable for several things, none of which includes it being a great example of cinema. Sidney Poitier's future wife, Joanna Shimkus. co-starred with him in this film. It's notable for being one of the first films of Poitier where he is trying to buck the system, rather than fit it. In most of his earlier films, he was always dealing with the problems of being a black man in a mostly white society, while living a respectable and useful existence. In this film, he plays a black revolutionary who is robbing "The Man's" bank in order to finance his group's activities. This group is a shadowy, seemingly monolithic entity that remains enigmatic throughout the film.

No one is horrible in this movie. It just doesn't stand up very well. If Poitier's black militant group had been more like the Black Panthers instead of what the Panther would have liked to have been, the movie might seem more of a product of its times. Instead, it comes like a black revolutionary fable. Interesting, but not compelling.

First off I loved the pacing of this film, Second the soundtrack was beautifully done, Third I loved Sidney Poitier stepping away from his comfort zone too play a slick-intelligent "Millitant", that being said I loved the overall spin on the source material. "The Lost Man" is some of Poitier best work I hate it doesn't have a DVD release, this film is a must see for Poitier fans.