On M List of Movie Reviews

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The Mack (1973)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 11/16

Mack
11/16: Offering an insight into the black underworld of pimps and harlots that's heartily supplied by the city of Oakland during 1973, The Mack is a prime example of the Blaxploitation genre.

The title is derived from the French word "maquereau" which stands for "pimp." The first hour is weak, but it's the last thirty minutes that erases the problems and has a nice finish. The flaw can be attributed to the low budget although the potential to become something great is there. It's also a bit of a mess which has turned The Mack into an episodic movie by capturing some of this and that.

The filmmakers more than make up for it with a decent cast which includes Max Julien, Richard Pryor, Don Gordon, and Roger E. Mosley. Soon thereafter, Julien wouldn't act again for over two decades while Pryor was high the whole time. They all make the movie watchable, and time does fly by fast.

By far the most interesting aspect is the "Players Ball" scene, an annual gala honoring the most successful pimps from the Bay Area. It was largely Richard Pryor's idea which was aided by Oakland's real-life black pimps. It may look silly or stupid, but go to YouTube for video clips of such events. These blacks, however small the group is, do take it seriously. It'll be the basis of Antonio Vargas' character Flyguy in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.

I'll say the tone of The Mack is on the light side, but there's one scene that seems offensive and unnecessary. It's when Don Gordon had a monologue while the fat black naked female was sitting by the bed. Meanwhile, the film was shot on location in Oakland, California, where the Black Panther Party was founded in 1966. Although full of platitudes, the speech by Roger E. Mosley's character is actually word-for-word as taken from Huey P. Newton. The party didn't last long, showing little to no improvement in black lives.

All in all, The Mack is the pimp version of Saturday Night Fever for the Blaxploitation genre.