On Disc: Melvin Van Peebles -- Essential Films

The new Criterion Collection of the iconic Black filmmaker's work is a must-have for fans of the actor/director writer, says WFYI's Matthew Socey.

Melvin Van Peebles was not only one of the pioneers of independent cinema, but also planted the seed (not intentionally) for what would become the Blaxploitation film movement. Best known for the cult classic “Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song” (Rated X by an all-white jury), the Criterion Collection has released “Melvin Van Peebles — Essential Films” featuring four films from his creative high point (late 1960s through early ‘70s) plus a cinematic valentine from his son and fellow filmmaker Mario Van Peebles.

Sadly, this collection was released one week before Van Peeble's death.

I have previously experienced “Sweetback” and “Watermelon Man,” but not “The Story of a Three Day Pass” nor “Don't Play Us Cheap.” Revisiting the two and having first time experience with the other two, the diversity in storytelling is up there with John Huston. If only he had been allowed to make more films the MVP way.

The Story of a Three Day Pass (1967)

A lovely little film about a black soldier Turner (Harry Baird) stationed in France receiving title of the film. While in Paris, he meets Caucasian French woman Miriam (Nicole Berger) and they hit it off.

Baird and Berger have lovely screen chemistry. Conversations are short, but they still smile at each other. You can see both maybe take a few more moments in making a decision or saying something. Their first kiss is not smooth but natural. Their first major kiss is in a hotel room and each are separately checking how close they are to the bed, but don't want to move and ruin the moment. The natural awkwardness makes it all the sweeter. 

This film was Van Peeble's nod to the racial tolerance in France... until America and American mentality rears a couple brief and ugly heads later in the film. In real life after not finding work in the United States, Van Peebles moved to France found work as a writer and was able to direct his own screenplay.

This film owes a great deal to the French New Wave films of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Instead of an angel and devil versions of himself on his shoulders, the reflection in the mirrors are the negative voices in our hero's head. Voyeuristic camera work, effective editing to move the timeline along and two grounded, natural performances from our leads.

Historically there's a interracial bedroom scene three years before Hollywood gave us Jim Brown and Raquel Welch in “100 Rifles” in 1970. Like many jazz and blues musicians living in Europe, it takes time overseas to be appreciated in your home country. One story goes that when the film won a prize at the San Francisco Film Festival as a French film, studio heads were stunned to find out the film was made by an American director of color.

Watermelon Man (1970)

MVP's only studio film with Columbia Pictures. Coming off the success of “Three Day Pass,” MVP got a multipicture deal with Columbia. This would be the only film. Godfrey Cambridge plays a racist suburban white man (in white face) who wakes up one morning black. First he tries something/anything to fix his dilemma (including bathing in milk). Then his co-workers at his insurance company are perplexed until his boss realizes he could find a new branch of clientele.

Columbia Pictures did not like the original ending of the film where the new black man embraces his blackness. They wanted the man who return to Caucasian form at the end. Van Peebles said he would shoot their alternate ending. He never did.

Like “Some Like it Hot” and “Tootsie,” where men learn the hard way what it's like to be on the other side, “Watermelon Man” does that for race, complete with uncomfortable sound cues, social commentary about white authority figures and family, all rooted by the best film performance in comic Godfrey Cambridge's career.

He also has nice chemistry with Estelle Parsons, who plays his wife. Some of the race humor may be dated today, but in it's time, i

t was impressive for a major studio to release. When it was successful, Columbia wanted more films just like that one. MVP wanted to make the next film, which Columbia refused. He dropped the deal and went independent.

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)

Shaft did not start the Blaxploitation movement of the 1970s. Sweetback is a sex performer (yes, there were house shows) who is set up by a couple of corrupt white cops. After beating up both cops, Sweetback goes running. A lot. Accompanied by the very groovy film score from a then-unknown band called Earth, Wind and Fire.

Meanwhile The Man is on the hunt for our hero. They get close, but not close enough. Spoiler alert on a 50-year-old film.

The film is also known for its uncomfortable opening that features a flashback of young Sweetback (played by Mario Van Peebles) losing his virginity to a prostitute and earning his name. Plus we see adult Sweetback at work before going on the run. There's more running in this film than “The Lord of the Rings.”

But Sweetback has been on the run his whole life. For a character of color to win in the end on his own terms was a huge and profitable deal. Thus its influence in the independent film scene and eventually white studio heads realized they could make money off black-oriented films, too.

Also in this collection is son Mario Van Peeble's film “Baadasssss!” (2003), his feature film about his father (played by Mario, joining the Peter Fonda and Jared Harris league of "Oh my God, he looks just like his dad!" moments in film) making “Sweet Sweetback Baadasssss Song.” When it comes to deal-making, hustling and overcoming any and all obstacles of making a film, this one leans more towards Tim Burton's “Ed Wood” than Francois Truffaut's “Day For Night.” I'm a sucker for films about filmmaking and this one is a fun romp.

Don't Play Us Cheap (1972)

A Saturday night house party in Harlem is interrupted by two devil-bats. Now there's a pitch. This is a filmed version of MVP's Tony-nominated musical featuring a strong blues and gospel score and a group of That Guy/That Lady performers including Esther Rolle (Good Times) and Mabel King (“What's Happening,” “The Wiz”).

This was released a few years before the phenomenon of “Your Arms Too Short to Box With God” and the rise of black-oriented theatre making it the mainstream, eventually leading to the media juggernaut known as Tyler Perry. The mixture of music (all written by MVP), spiritually (good vs. evil and even less evil wanting to date good) and the class system even in one's neighborhood along with MVP's camerawork make this a fun, unique experience. He doesn't try to open up what is a film play too much. I wonder if this film had any influence on the glut of filmed plays by Robert Altman “(Fool For Love,” “Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean,” “Secret Honor”) in the 1980s.

Determined to do it his way is one of the reasons there are only less than 20 MVP directing credits, including short films and TV movies. To have four completely different types of compelling films, shot his way without studio interference and that they still hold up (OK, the sex scenes in Sweetback...) is something to celebrate.

Grab Criterion's Melvin Van Peebles Essential Films and celebrate.

Matthew Socey is host of Film Soceyology for WFYI 90.1 FM in Indianapolis