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IMDbPro

Shaft, les nuits rouges de Harlem

Original title: Shaft
  • 1971
  • Tous publics
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
22K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,243
6,882
Richard Roundtree in Shaft, les nuits rouges de Harlem (1971)
Watch the trailer for Shaft, starring Richard Roundtree.
Play trailer3:10
5 Videos
99+ Photos
GangsterPolice ProceduralActionCrimeThriller

A crime lord hires black private eye, John Shaft, to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.A crime lord hires black private eye, John Shaft, to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.A crime lord hires black private eye, John Shaft, to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.

  • Director
    • Gordon Parks
  • Writers
    • Ernest Tidyman
    • John D.F. Black
  • Stars
    • Richard Roundtree
    • Moses Gunn
    • Charles Cioffi
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    22K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,243
    6,882
    • Director
      • Gordon Parks
    • Writers
      • Ernest Tidyman
      • John D.F. Black
    • Stars
      • Richard Roundtree
      • Moses Gunn
      • Charles Cioffi
    • 124User reviews
    • 84Critic reviews
    • 66Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 6 wins & 6 nominations total

    Videos5

    Shaft: Trailer
    Trailer 3:10
    Shaft: Trailer
    Blaxploitation Movies & Black Power in the 1970s
    Clip 4:51
    Blaxploitation Movies & Black Power in the 1970s
    Blaxploitation Movies & Black Power in the 1970s
    Clip 4:51
    Blaxploitation Movies & Black Power in the 1970s
    A Salute to Black Directors
    Clip 4:16
    A Salute to Black Directors
    Unsung Black Heroes of Film History
    Clip 4:30
    Unsung Black Heroes of Film History
    'SuperFly' Returns With New Style, Classic Swagger
    Video 4:08
    'SuperFly' Returns With New Style, Classic Swagger

    Photos110

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    + 102
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    Top cast47

    Edit
    Richard Roundtree
    Richard Roundtree
    • John Shaft
    Moses Gunn
    Moses Gunn
    • Bumpy Jonas
    Charles Cioffi
    Charles Cioffi
    • Lt. Vic Androzzi
    Christopher St. John
    Christopher St. John
    • Ben Buford
    Gwenn Mitchell
    Gwenn Mitchell
    • Ellie Moore
    Lawrence Pressman
    Lawrence Pressman
    • Det. Tom Hannon
    Victor Arnold
    Victor Arnold
    • Charlie
    Sherri Brewer
    • Marcy Jonas
    Rex Robbins
    • Rollie
    Camille Yarbrough
    • Dina Greene
    Margaret Warncke
    • Linda
    Joseph Leon
    • Capt. Byron Leibowitz
    Arnold Johnson
    Arnold Johnson
    • Cul
    Dominic Barto
    • Patsy
    George Strus
    • Carmen
    Edmund Hashim
    Edmund Hashim
    • Lee
    Drew Bundini Brown
    Drew Bundini Brown
    • Willy
    Tommy Lane
    Tommy Lane
    • Leroy
    • Director
      • Gordon Parks
    • Writers
      • Ernest Tidyman
      • John D.F. Black
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews124

    6.622.2K
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    Featured reviews

    9winner55

    Roundtree's performance

    This is not a great film, but it is one of the most important films in American history.

    The film suffers primarily because Parks isn't sure whether he wants to direct a 'relevant' black crime drama - for which he doesn't really have the money - or a film of the genre that became infamous as "blaxploitation", which had at that time not yet achieved definition. In other words, Parks is breaking new ground, and he wasn't sure exactly what ground he is breaking. So the film tends to amble, and sometimes even stagger, as it tries to define a goal for itself.

    Nonetheless, this is the first film where a strong black man in a truly heroic role - without the props of white liberal social blather, and without being borderline criminal - is portrayed without excuses or apologies. Shaft is truly a hero of his time, part Sam Spade (& no jokes here, please), part James Bond - and all man - intelligent, fast to act, direct and always true to himself - he's nobody's "boy".

    Although these qualities are in the script, the communication of the message depends entirely on Richard Roundtree - one of the truly great action actors of Hollywood history - hey, I'm a white boy, and I still want to be this John Shaft! he's that cool. The marginalization of this savvy and witty actor, due to the racism of Hollywood, is a real crime.

    Well, for now, never mind; his performance alone carries this film, and makes it a treasure; and no matter how badly Hollywood marginalizes black action cinema, Roundtree's performance will continue to stand tall, for many generations to come.
    8ColemanDerrick

    Timely Take On The Standard Private Detective Formula.

    It is an innovative effort, and serves as a snapshot of the times. Shaft, written by Ernest Tidyman, stands as one of the best modern detective dramas. Written and filmed at a time of extreme social unrest throughout the U.S.; the movie shows how Jon Shaft uses his private detective status and ethnicity to retrieve the kidnapped daughter of a notorious Harlem kingpin. While the plot pieces of black militants, and a potential race war in New York City, may not be as relevant in 2001 as they were in 1971, the cast and crew do a good job to convey the importance of Shaft's mission. Shaft, indeed, is one cool cat. Not only is he a ladies' man, but he's also a man about town. He knows every iota of New York City, and uses his detective skills to the fullest. Ducking the city police, and handling his business with the crooks, Shaft plays it cool to the very end. Many people like to bundle the blaxploitation pictures into a neat little package; one to laugh at and check out the music score. Shaft proves there was more meaning to these films, and ends up as a classic display of substance with style.
    7refinedsugar

    Right On!

    Blaxploitation at it's best. A simple story with a twist done right. That is Shaft. The concept of a black man as a cool ultra slick, lady lovin' private detective. For once in the world of cinema the black man was tops and unlike other genre entries this one clicked with people of both colors. They had created a solid character in John Shaft that the population took a shinning to. For once it wasn't something exploitative being sold to a one-sided market audience exclusively.

    But look I'm getting sidetracked. Shaft isn't this huge epic struggle of the black man through the generations. It's a solid, satisfying picture that gets by on pure character. Shaft. The black private detective has endlessly been imitated, but never duplicated since. With much of the character's success having to be attributable to Richard Roundtree, a perfect fit for the material. He wasn't so much playing a character named John Shaft, but rather he was John Shaft. Perhaps to the detriment of his career, I still can't watch a movie with Richard Roundtree in it without thinking of Shaft. The plot is on auto pilot - you've seen it before - maybe even done better - but this movie has Shaft and that's all there is to say.
    8Quinoa1984

    Can you Dig it?

    I can. Because this is not only the greatest black-exploitation film ever, but also one of the best films of the 70's era. Richard Roundtree brings out Ernest Tidyman's John Shaft like no one else can (not even Samuel L. Jackson in the new shaft can compete) as the ultimate bad-a** who must investigate a kidnapping. One of the most memorable films ever made, especially by the Oscar winning song (and nominated score) by Isaac Hayes, which made his breakthrough as his funk thing grew. A+
    Infofreak

    The movie that kicked in the 1970s blaxploitation and changed the face of Hollywood forever!

    Gordon Parks' 'Shaft' may not have been the first blaxploitation movie but it was the most important and commercially successful of the initial batch, and it kicked open the door for other dynamic 1970s screen heroes like The Hammer, Coffy, Black Caesar, Foxy Brown and The Jones' (Black Belt and Cleopatra). In some ways it is one of the most conventional of the blaxploitation genre in the sense that all it really is is a black man (the charismatic Richard Roundtree) playing a part that up until then would have been played by a white one (Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, even Sean Connery). A super cool, hard as nails hero/anti-hero who is as handy with his fists as he is with the ladies. But of course, that is what made 'Shaft' so revolutionary and influential at the time. Personally my favourite blaxploitation movie is 'Superfly', released the following year and directed by Gordon Parks' son, but I can't deny that if you accept 'Shaft' for what it is, and not what it COULD be, it's difficult to fault, and still one of the coolest and most entertaining action thrillers of the 1970s, as good as 'The Getaway', 'Dirty Harry' or 'The French Connection' (the latter being also written incidentally by Ernest Tidyman who created the John Shaft character in a popular series of novels). The main reason 'Shaft' really works is because of the casting of virtual unknown Richard Roundtree, and the music score by soul legend Isaac Hayes. Roundtree probably had more potential than any black star of the period to cross over into major Hollywood stardom, but for some reason (typecasting, bad breaks) he faded away quickly, and ended up playing small character roles, usually cops, in cult favourites like Larry Cohen's 'Q' and William Lustig's 'Maniac Cop', and more recently bit parts in 'Se7en' and John Singleton's ill advised "remake" of 'Shaft' itself. Hayes' title theme is an utter classic, and one of the most recognisable and imitated pieces of music from the early 70s. Hayes had already released the brilliant 'Hot Buttered Soul' before this, but 'Shaft' made him a superstar, and even gave him a career as an action here himself for a while with 'Truck Turner'. I don't think overall Hayes' score for the movie is as consistently impressive as Curtis Mayfield's work on 'Superfly', but the main theme is still a sensational piece of music. Roundtree is backed up with a strong supporting cast, including Moses Gunn ('Rollerball') as Bumpy, a great baddie, Charles Cioffi ('Klute') as Androzzi, the cop who is frequently exasperated with Shaft's behaviour, and Muhammad Ali associate Drew Bundini Brown as Willy, a former childhood friend of Shaft who is now a black panther and disgusted with his decadent lifestyle. Also keep an eye out for a small bit by Antonio Fargas, who is best known as Huggy Bear in 'Starsky And Hutch' and also went on to appear as Pam Grier's brother in 'Foxy Brown', and as Doodlebug in 'Cleopatra Jones'. 'Shaft' is a movie that changed the face of Hollywood forever, and is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys 1970s movies, music or fashions.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Isaac Hayes was the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Song. In fact, he was also the first African-American to win an Oscar for a non-acting category.
    • Goofs
      When Shaft pushes one of Bumpy's goons into his office, the sound of glass breaking is heard, but the glass window in the office door is clearly undamaged until a short time later.
    • Quotes

      John Shaft: Don't let your mouth get your ass in trouble.

    • Alternate versions
      CBS edited 28 minutes from this film for its 1975 network television premiere.
    • Connections
      Featured in Soul in Cinema: Filming Shaft on Location (1971)
    • Soundtracks
      Theme from Shaft
      (uncredited)

      Music by Isaac Hayes

      Lyrics by Isaac Hayes

      Performed by Isaac Hayes

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    FAQ19

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 22, 1971 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Les nuits rouges de Harlem
    • Filming locations
      • Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
      • Shaft Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,125,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 40m(100 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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