John Shaft Movie Analysis

Introducing a Black character as a hero and a White character as a villain goes against what is normally seen in an average action-thriller movie. John Shaft represents a different type of character, one that is more powerful than any of the other White character. While still grasping onto the authority he possesses throughout the film, Shaft reveals the black masculine qualities within him. The racial remarks that others say to him easily provoke Shaft and his anger forces him to resort to fighting physically or verbally making threats. When Shaft and Luger, another officer, casually throws a racial slur at a suspected criminal, Shaft talks back and says he does not like “Nazis with badges.” Luger then proceeds to tease Shaft by saying he …show more content…
Brown states, “The social construction of a cultural identity is a complex process that involves a multitude of factors such as social interaction, cultural heritage, and norm. The literature suggests that ‘‘Blackness’’ is enacted by demonstrating the appropriate and effective use of symbols, cultural identifiers, and norms of African American culture. In other words, indivi- duals act within cultural norms to demonstrate an affiliation with African American culture.” (Brown, P. 50) When he is no longer a policeman, Shaft takes matters into his own hands. When he went to another waitress’s house to obtain the location of the witness Diane, in exchange for the information, she asked Shaft for a favor. There was a young boy down the block from the house named Malik, who had been causing trouble for her son Tony. She asked Shaft to teach him a lesson and without hesitation, he proceeds to approach the young boy. Shaft took out his gun and began to beat the boy brutally in the head, repeatedly demanding that he leaves Tony alone and that he remembers his name is Shaft. Having total control over the young boy, Shaft establishes his dominance and puts fear into his eyes. When two