Set against the backdrop of a community mourning the recent MLK assassination, Black militants building up an arsenal of weapons in preparation for a race war are betrayed by one of their own.
Direction
Dassin sneaks documentary urgency into every frame.
Acting
Mayfield's drunk desperation is physically painful to watch.
Writing
The Informant adaptation hits different when MLK's corpse is still warm.
Director
Jules Dassin
Julian Mayfield
Tank Williams
Raymond St. Jacques
B.G.
Ruby Dee
Laurie
Frank Silvera
Kyle
Roscoe Lee Browne
Clarence
Janet MacLachlan
Jeannie
Max Julien
Johnny Wells
Juanita Moore
Mama Wells
Dick Anthony Williams
Corbin
Michael Baseleon
Teddy
John Wesley
Larry
Ji-Tu Cumbuka
Rick
Ketty Lester
Alma
Robert DoQui
Street Speaker
James McEachin
Mello
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Dassin was blacklisted in Hollywood and fled to Europe; this was his secret return to American soil, shot illegally without union cards.
The 'blaxploitation' keyword is a lie — this predates the genre and was buried by studios terrified of Black armed resistance on screen.
US
