It’s rare that a film contains the perfect logline for itself, but Gordon Parks, Sr.’s 1971 picture opens with an Academy Award winning theme that does just that: “Who’s the black private dick that’s a sex machine to all the chicks?” That’s right, the not-so-subtly named title character, Shaft. As Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft” sets the tone throughout the stylish opening titles, you’d be forgiven for thinking this movie could never be boring. Unfortunately, the energy found in the bombastic beginning fizzles in-and-out for the remainder of the runtime. There’s an overwhelming amount of time dedicated to expository dialogue at each locale John Shaft visits, and this place-to-place pattern makes up most of the film. When Shaft is asked where he’s going, the answer is often, “To get laid.”
The film excels stylistically when living up to the promise of its theme song. The film’s first sex scene is colorful and erotic and the second is similarly titillating — a tongue-in-cheek point made by a character in the film itself. But beyond — and even within — Shaft’s sexual prowess, the character’s morals are murky at best. The most intriguing part of his character is a single line, “I was born Black, and I was born poor,” that plays as a one-liner more than an exploration of the character. The political backdrop of the film, however, offers more audience engagement. While not entirely thrilling, deeply introspective, or particularly progressive in its characters, Shaft occupies an important place in the history of Black American cinema — with much to think about in post-viewing conversations.