Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)

In the grimy underworld of urban life, we find Sweet Sweetback, a black orphan turned male prostitute. Raised within the lurid walls of a brothel, his existence is entwined with the sex industry, performing in carnal spectacles for his living. Life takes an abrupt turn when his employer, in a desperate bid to appease the police, serves him up as a scapegoat for a murder in the black community. Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, Sweetback's survival instinct kicks in, leading to the death of two white cops in a chaotic confrontation. Suddenly, he's the bullseye in a citywide manhunt, a chilling game of cat and mouse against the relentless machinery of law enforcement. He resolves to seek refuge in Mexico, driving him further into the underbelly of society. On his perilous journey, Sweetback becomes an unlikely hero, first by rescuing a Black Panther from the claws of racist police. This act of defiance sparks a flame of rebellion, earning him allies within the ghetto community and among a faction of disenchanted Hell's Angels. Despite being ensnared time and again by the police and the biker gang, Sweetback's tenacity fuels his escapes, making him an enduring symbol of resistance. In "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," the line between the hunter and the hunted blurs. It's a gritty tale of survival, sacrifice, and the struggle against the oppressive "man." As Sweetback races against time, each step closer to freedom ignites a beacon of hope for those left in his wake.

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is an action movie featuring Simon Chuckster.

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.