O Cafetão

The Mack (1973)

*** (out of 4)

Goldie (Max Julien) gets released from prison after a five year stretch and heads back to the streets where he plans to become the greatest Mack (pimp) out there. His brother is against the idea and wishes he'd do something better for his people but Goldie becomes a pimp and soon has issues with two racist white cops.

The blaxploitation genre was just kicking off when THE MACK was released and it eventually found some new fame when it was used in TRUE ROMANCE. Watching the film today you can't help but rather respect it because it's not really exploitation. Instead of exploitation it really plays out more like an actual drama that tackles various issues that were in the black community. There's no question having a pimp playing your hero is why so many had issues with the genre but THE MACK is a pretty good film.

What I enjoyed the most is the fact that it didn't exploit the situation and instead the movie plays out like a very well-written drama. The Goldie character goes through a lot of changes throughout the film and I thought the character development was rather good. I also thought the supporting players like the pimps, the cops and the brother were also very good. There were a lot of ups and downs for the character but I thought it all played out very well and in a serious way.

Julien obviously steals the film playing the pimp. I thought he gave a very strong performance and one that kept you entertained throughout the somewhat long running time. Richard Pryor was also fun in his supporting role where he once again proved what a good dramatic actor he could be. Both Don Gordon and William Watson are a lot of fun as the racist cops.

THE MACK has some flaws including it running on a bit too long but I think most people will be surprised at how serious the subject matter is handled.

When you see "I'm Gonna Git You Sucker" and others of the like, you won't find it nearly as funny until you see this. From the Player's ball to the outrageous kills to make it to the top, you can't help but laugh.

Even the plot review on the box totally misleads you into thinking this is about a man trying to clean up his neighborhood. It isn't, but you won't care.

For fun, try a drinking game. Drink every time someone says "man". I assure you will be drunk in the first 10 minutes or else you wish you were.

In this, one of the most popular of blaxploitation films, the charismatic Max Julien shines as Goldie, a man fresh from a stretch in prison who quickly rises to the role of top pimp in the city of Oakland. Adding complication to his life are the activities of a pair of crooked racist white detectives (Don Gordon, William Watson) and the requests of top mobster The Fatman (George Murdock) for Goldie to return to the small time. What the film truly benefits from is a sterling group of actors. Julien is engaging as the cool, calm & collected super pimp. The under-rated Gordon scores as a very bad bad guy, Roger E. Mosley is effectively intense as Goldie's activist brother, lovely Carol Speed is endearing as Lulu the prostitute, as is Juanita Moore as Goldie's loving mother, and Dick Anthony Williams has a field day as flamboyant Pretty Tony. Richard Pryor's performance, decidedly more dramatic than comedic, is solid, and he proves to be a good sidekick. The film itself is fairly overlong, but as scripted by Robert J. Poole and directed by Michael Campus, it tells a decent story in an interesting enough way, and it doesn't shy away from brutality. It gives laymen an insider's perspective by consulting with a number of real-life pimps, and shows how their lifestyle affects everything that they do. They even have barbecues, softball games, and an annual Pimp of the Year contest. By the end it's managed to portray Goldie in a complex fashion, showing that he hasn't acted THAT differently from the ruthless Hank (Gordon). Yet, of course, we can't help but side with Goldie during the finale as his nemesis has clearly gone too far. It's here that Goldie has to make an important decision. An indelible influence on pop culture, particularly Quentin Tarantino, "The Mack" immerses us in this appropriately seedy world. It's good fun, with a very hip score by Willie Hutch, and captures its time and place extremely well & remains convincing throughout. It doesn't waste time getting to the action, and features some memorable lines and exchanges. It may not be for everybody - some people may indeed feel that it's glorifying those in the prostitution business too much - but it does a compelling job at portraying a very real and very old profession, and very real part of life. Seven out of 10.

The Mack is not simply a 'blaxploitation' movie. You can take it seriously as a drama and it works very well. It depicts a time and place honestly, even as it is still making drama out of this world of pimps and hookers and cops and violence and money. It's crude, but it has a kind of inherent integrity that's hard to explain.

Max Julien may break out into a grin or smile once too much, but he can, and does, carry this movie really well. He makes this entire thing become alive in a way that he is likable and charismatic, and yet carries a level of authority. You don't doubt for a second that he can become this Mega-Pimp.

The scummy police men are played so slimy they transcend typical trash and become epically trash-tastic (the worst white cops maybe in any 70's movie?), and Richard Pryor as the not-really-comic sidekick helps a good deal too.

Great music, real dramatic conflict, and DAMN do some people get f****d up here! Most weird but enjoyable scene for me (and maybe the closest it gets to being so OUT-there exploitation-y) is when Goldie is giving his "orientation" bit to the hookers in the planetarium. I want to watch that on a loop.

All the quotes that youve heard in rap music regarding the pimping lifestyle is from this film. From Too $hort, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Nas, Raekwon, theyve all used snipets of this film.

This is defintely a great movie if you are a fan of the 70s films. Willie Hutch delivers a slammin score and the acting is phenomonal! Richard Pryor does his usual "free-style adlib" acting, while Max Julien plays the lead role. I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars.