Shaft

Richard Roundtree is “the man who won’t cop out when there’s danger all about” in this 1971 classic, which helped to establish a new era of African American-driven cinema and won an Original Song Oscar for the unforgettable title tune by Isaac Hayes, also nominated for his Original Score.

Richard Roundtree is “the man who won’t cop out when there’s danger all about” in this 1971 classic, which helped to establish a new era of African American-driven cinema and won an Original Song Oscar for the unforgettable title tune by Isaac Hayes, also nominated for his Original Score. Photographer-turned-filmmaker Gordon Parks directed the lively mystery, in which Shaft hunts for a gangster’s kidnapped daughter in authentically gritty Manhattan locations.

Director: Gordon Parks. Cast: Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John. 1971. 100 min. USA. Color. English. 35mm.

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