On M List of Movie Reviews
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Mandingo (1975)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
6/24
6/24:
Having supplanted A Streetcar Named Desire as the best Southern Gothic film,
Mandingo makes Roots look like a puppy.
If the movie got negative reviews, it's only because they couldn't handle the strong content. This is slavery in its brutal form
with no punches pulled. Some of what's shown are accurate, historically speaking. It isn't about growing cotton but breeding
among black slaves for profit.
On the side is the public's bloodthirsty quench for no-holds-barred fighting that's fought to death, but it's probably fictional
because of economic considerations. In other words, $4,500 back then was equivalent to $150,000 something today; it would be silly
to waste that, especially for white crackers. I'm only surprised at the end when Hammond decided to kill Mede because of his immense
value; the most he can do is to sell him and move on. As for killing Hammond's wife, it's no big deal because she deserved it.
I'm shocked to see James Mason in this, but it's a welcome change from the boring stuff that he used to do. The inclusion of
Perry King is the more the merrier. Susan George may be annoying, but she gives the performance of her career. Obviously, Ken
Norton is a huge, well-built man, having fought Muhammad Ali several times. I didn't expect Paul Benedict to show up as a
mean guy because he always played funny characters.
On why he took on the project, director Richard Fleischer said, "The whole slavery story has been lied about, covered up, and
romanticized so much I thought it really had to stop...the only way to stop was to be brutal as I could possibly be."
All in all, Mandingo is extremely raw and honest when it comes to slavery in the United States during the 19th century.