Shaft (1971)
80%RT Audience Score: 68%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 13 nominations
This is the man that would risk his neck for his brother, man. Can you dig it
Shaft is one of those movies that you can’t help but love, even if it’s not perfect. Sure, some of the characters are a bit wooden and the plot can be a bit convoluted at times, but who cares when you’ve got Richard Roundtree strutting around like the coolest cat in town? And let’s not forget that theme song – it’s so catchy, you’ll be humming it for days. So if you’re in the mood for some vintage crime drama with a side of blaxploitation, Shaft is the way to go.
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong violence and language
Year of Release
1971
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 40m
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Language(s):English, German, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 2, 1971 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 6, 2000
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Christopher St John, Charles Cioffi, Gwenn Mitchell, Lawrence Pressman, directed by Gordon Parks, written by Ernest Tidyman, John D F Black, genre: Crime/Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Margaret Hinxman, Craig Fisher, Kim Newman, A.D Murphy, J R Jones, Geoff Andrew, Peter Canavese, Rob Aldam, Aaron Neuwirth, Ron Hutson, Mike Massie, Brian Costello, produced by Joel Freeman, MPAA rating: R, black crime mob, black nationals, white mafia, kidnapping, detective, blaxploitation, Isaac Hayes, soundtrack, suave, ultimate, cool, empowering, stereotypical, anachronisms, classic lines, coffee, violence, sex, profanity, an engaging story, all over the place, switching between plots, score
Worldwide gross: $107,626,125
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $186,668,449
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 736
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 20,356,428
US/Canada gross: $70,334,258
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $121,988,847
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 621
US/Canada opening weekend: $21,714,757
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $37,662,417
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 342
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $46,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $79,783,126
Production budget ranking: 525
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $42,963,213
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $63,922,110
ROI to date (est.): 52%
ROI ranking: 1,135
Moses Gunn – Bumpy Jonas
Christopher St. John – Ben Buford
Charles Cioffi – Vic Androzzi
Gwenn Mitchell – Ellie Moore
Lawrence Pressman – Sergeant Tom Hanson
Director – Gordon Parks
Producer – Joel Freeman
Writers – Ernest Tidyman, John D. F. Black
Director(s)
Gordon Parks
Writer(s)
Ernest Tidyman, Ernest Tidyman, John D. F. Black
Producer(s)
Joel Freeman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 13 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (6)
A good, gutsy crime yarn in the ‘forties style.
June 8, 2020
Margaret Hinxman
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
If Shaft were indeed a hard-hitting, fast-paced, action-packed detective thriller, as it was meant to be, then it would be an acceptable entertainment. But it isn’t.
June 25, 2018
Craig Fisher
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
A blaxploitation pic that’s never quite as cool as its theme song.
April 3, 2012 | Rating: 3/5
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Excellent cast, headed by newcomer Richard Roundtree, may shock some audiences with heavy dose of candid dialog and situation.
March 26, 2009
A.D. Murphy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Forty years of gumshoe noir collided with black power in this 1971 action classic, the most popular of the blaxploitation pictures.
March 1, 2007
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A hip, cool, entertaining thriller.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Pop culture transcendence.
June 28, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peter Canavese
Celluloid Dreams
A fascinating and unique crime drama which provides a snapshot of a time and place in history.
June 23, 2022
Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia
Whether watching it to see a fun detective story or get a handle on the Blaxploitation era, Shaft is still and has always been one cool cat to follow.
June 16, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
Aaron Neuwirth
Why So Blu
Most of the characters are poorly cast and unconvincing. And except for some souped-up violence, especially at the end, there just isn’t much to the movie.
January 25, 2022
Ron Hutson
Call and Post (Cleveland)
Even when interactions remain low-key, Shaft’s screen presence and larger-than-life attitude are enough to spice things up.
August 31, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Violence, some sex, profanity in ’70s classic.
June 11, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Brian Costello
Common Sense Media…
Plot
New York Police Detective John Shaft is the lead detective on a sensitive case, a young black man is severely beaten. The man’s companions tell Shaft that their friend humiliated the one who was spouting racial slurs at him. Shaft confronts him and he says he’s Walter Wade Jr. , the son of a wealthy man. Shaft finds that he has the ID of a woman who’s a waitress at the bar where Wade and the guy who was attacked were. When Wade continues to hurl racist comments, Shaft smacks him. Shaft later learns because of his actions Wade was granted bail and fled. Two years later, Wade returns and Shaft arrests him. At his hearing when the judge grants him bail, that’s when Shaft throws his badge at the judge. He then sets out to get Wade by finding the waitress. Wade in the meantime asks a drug dealer named Peoples Hernandez to find the waitress and make sure she doesn’t talk.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Shaft.
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