Together Brothers

Mr. Green and Mr. Dewitt really crafted a masterpiece with this film. Dismiss anything you've heard about Together Brothers, which boxes it in as a period piece. It is actually an urban crime drama cast in urban decay. The plot surrounds a gang of youths, "the Brothers" of the title, who work to solve the murder of an honorable patrolman. Additionally, they must move quickly to protect a young witness - who is doggedly pursued by the cop-killer.

For most of the movie, the killer is lurking in the shadows. But when he is finally revealed, he remains one of the most indelible head cases of movie land. The late Lincoln Kilpatrick really brings it as Billy Most. All the while, the film covers still timely topics as urban decay, police brutality, class warfare, urban decay, and ethnic strife. Together Brothers truly is ahead of its time, and like too many movies made between the mid 1960s and 1980s, digs up the unpleasant underbelly of Americana.

It was back in the mid seventies. I was about six or seven. My parents put my brother and me in the car. I believe I was in my pj's. We headed to a drive in somewhere. "Together Brothers" along with "Bingo Long and the Traveling All Stars" was playing.

I remember telling all my friends about the movie, "Together Brothers" the next day.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that it would be playing on the IFC, so I set the DVR, and watched at the same time it was recording, and once after wards (I was working late that week and had a few hours to myself in the mornings).

The movie is still amazing and must have had a profound effect on me. I recalled a bunch of scenes, as they came up, while others were completely faded from my memory, but still. The movie was, and still is, COOL.

While the movie is obviously dated, in the terms of the setting, clothes, etc., it seemed very modern at the same time: The type of jokes, exploring transexuality, and that sort of thing.

Of course the actors seemed so "grown" to me, when I watched this as a child. After watching it well into adulthood, the actors appear as they are...just young kids. As another poster pointed out, they did remind me of the Cosby Kids on the Fat Albert cartoon. My husband even walked by and made a comment to that effect.

Having non actors play the parts made it all seem more realistic.

A nostalgic gem!

A gritty, sympathetic but unsentimental portrayal of ghetto life, this film was very much a product of its time, and though some of its attributes would be considered blatantly non-PC today, it's still worth a look if you can find it.

The plot is simple: when the uniformed officer who mentors a group of urban teens is found brutally murdered, the "brothers" band together to find the killer (hence the title.) The plot twist: the younger brother of one of the group saw the murder, and was almost dispatched by the killer himself. Traumatized by the incident, the boy is mute for nearly the entire movie, adding to the suspense as the killer stalks him, and closes in to silence him for good, if possible.

Comprised of a cast of unknown non-actors, TOGETHER BROTHERS has very much a documentary feel to it, highlighted by actor Lincoln Kilpatrick, in one of the bravest performances he had ever given in his career (offsetting the OTT ham-and-cheesiness of his role opposite Anthony Zerbe in THE OMEGA MAN.)

Adding to the atmosphere is the only score ever composed for a film by Barry White, which may seem overwrought and "blaxploitation-ish" out of context, but underscores the movie's dark visuals with stunning effectiveness.

A Seventies gem that I hope will someday be made available on DVD, if it's not too late.

Nothing new, but a well-executed chase/suspense/urban thriller. Has the feel of a late 1940s Hollywood on-location "street" film, with the European influence.

Very watchable, enjoyable.

So many Hollywood movies attempt the gritty realism of THIS film, and almost never come close. "Together Brothers" is an astoundingly realistic and gritty look at urban strife, devastating poverty, and finally, loyalty among friends. Four teenagers decide they are going to find the guy who murdered the town police officer, who was so good and respectful to the kids, that they named him Mr. Cool. The film then takes the viewer on a journey through the dark underbelly of one of the poorest, saddest ghetto wastelands EVER captured on film. And it's not a movie set either; it's all real. Galveston Texas looks sort of like a shanty town here, with people living in gutted buildings and shacks, and instead of polished looking actors, real townspeople were used to create this amazing film. It's a town where everyone knows and looks out for each other. When the kids see one of their own murdered in cold blood, they want to do something. The actors were amazing, especially Ahmad Nurradin in the role of H.J, who gives a performance that is sincere and unforgettable. This film is surely one of the best movies of the 70's, and it amazes me how unknown it is. I hope "Together Brothers" isn't labeled "blaxploitation," because it certainly is not that.