Women of Blaxploitation: How the Black Action Film Heroine Changed American Popular Culture

by Yvonne D. Sims

Overview

With the Civil Rights movement of the sixties fresh in their perspective, movie producers of the early 1970s began to make films aimed toward the underserved African American audience. Over the next five years or so, a number of cheaply made, so-called blaxploitation movies featured African American actresses in roles which broke traditional molds. Typically long on flash and violence but lacking in character depth and development, this genre nonetheless did a great deal toward redefining the perception of African American actresses, breaking traditional African American female stereotypes and laying the groundwork for later feminine action heroines.

This critical study examines the ways in which the blaxploitation heroines of the early 1970s reshaped the presentation of African American actresses on screen and, to a certain degree, the perception of African American females in general. It discusses the social, political and cultural context in which blaxploitation films emerged. The work focuses on four African American actresses—Pam Grier, Tamara Dobson, Teresa Graves and Jeanne Belle—providing critical and audience response to their films as well as insight into the perspectives of the actresses themselves. The eventual demise of the blaxploitation genre due to formulaic plots and lack of character development is also discussed. Finally, the work addresses the mainstreaming of the action heroine in general and a recent resurgence of interest in black action movies. Relevant film stills and a selected filmography including cast list and plot synopsis are also included.

Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786427444
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	09/07/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.46(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Yvonne D. Sims is an assistant professor of English at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     
Introduction     

1. Reshaping African American Femininity: Mammy, Aunt Jemima, Sapphire and Action Heroine     
2. Cultivating the Seed     
3. Here Comes the Queen     
4. Call Me Cleo     
5. Love That Woman and Watch the Dynamite     
6. The End of Blaxploitation     
7. Aliens, Terminators and Outlaws: The Mainstreaming of the Action Heroine     
8. Metamorphosis of the Black Action Heroine     

Epilogue     
Selected Filmography     
Notes     
Selected Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

Solid...compelling...easily accessible”—Film and History; “long-overdue”—SirReadaLot.org.

From the Publisher

"long-overdue"

SirReadaLot.org

Solid...compelling...easily accessible

Film and History