The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution (2015)
84%RT Audience Score: 72%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
3 wins & 6 nominations total
The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution offers a fascinating — if somewhat rudimentary — introduction to a movement, and an era, that remains soberingly relevant today
If you’re looking for a documentary that’s both informative and entertaining, then THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION is the one for you. With a killer soundtrack and rare footage, this film tells the story of the Black Panther Party in a way that’s both lithe and inventive. And if you’re not familiar with the Panthers, don’t worry – this film is a great primer for anyone wanting to learn more about this important part of American history. So grab some popcorn and get ready to be educated and entertained!
Production Company(ies)
Gullane Africa Filmes, Globo Filmes,
Distributor
PBS
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2015
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:1.78 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 54m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 2, 2015 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 16, 2016
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, civil rights, Black Panther Party, Stanley Nelson, Laurens Grant, English, PBS, Blair Anderson, Omar Barbour, Julian Bond, Elaine Brown, Scot Brown, directed by Stanley Nelson, written by Stanley Nelson, reviewed by Candice Frederick, Dwight Brown, Donald Clarke, Mark Kermode, Geoffrey Macnab, David Jenkins, Angus Batey, David Lamble, John Bleasdale, Ren Jender, Charles Mudede, produced by Laurens Grant, Stanley Nelson, $482.4K box office, MPAA rating, historical, informative, relevant, powerful, inspiring, educational, thought-provoking, impactful, important, significant, influential, eye-opening, revealing, insightful, moving, emotional, intense, gripping, fascinating, intriguing, engaging, must-see, top-rated, critically acclaimed, award-winning, Black history, American culture, civil rights movement, social justice, activism, police brutality, racism, oppression, empowerment, revolution, Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, Kathleen Cleaver
Worldwide gross: $584,109
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $729,125
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,660
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 79,512
US/Canada gross: $516,893
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $645,221
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,276
US/Canada opening weekend: $20,215
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $25,234
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,431
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Omar Barbour – self
Julian Bond – self
Elaine Brown – self
Scot Brown – self
Stanley Nelson – Director, Writer, Producer
Laurens Grant – Producer
Director(s)
Stanley Nelson
Writer(s)
Stanley Nelson
Producer(s)
Laurens Grant, Stanley Nelson
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
3 wins & 6 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (60) | Rotten (5)
If you’re doing general research on the Panthers and a need resource, or interested in learning more about their story (from a male perspective only), THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION is definitely for you.
September 1, 2017
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
Stick with this movie. It has a lot to say, a lot to reveal and is pertinent to today’s testy police/civilian race relations.
March 15, 2017
Dwight Brown
National Newspaper Publishers Association
TOP CRITIC
Vanguard of the Revolution is at its strongest when it entertains female voices: Elaine Brown, Kathleen Cleaver, Ericka Huggins. Their fire is vigorously undimmed.
October 30, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
Donald Clarke
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
A pulsing soul-power soundtrack, extensive and rare archive footage and fiercely honest contemporary interviews drive Stanley Nelson’s blistering account of the rise and fall of the Black Panther party.
October 25, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Combining archive footage and present-day interviews, and using music to drive the story, Nelson tells a complicated and often violent story in lithe, inventive fashion.
October 23, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
Geoffrey Macnab
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Conventional as a documentary, but speaks about much more than the just the subject at hand.
October 23, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
An absorbing and timely look at the Black Panther Party and American police violence.
May 18, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Angus Batey
NME
The fact that the Black Panthers were an Oakland, CA-launched group only adds to the importance of African-American doc-maker Stanley Nelson’s new film.
June 9, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
This tragic see-saw, which sees revolutionary enthusiasm digging the grave of revolution, is the subject of Stanley Nelson’s angry, sorrowful, yet invigorating and timely history of the movement.
April 8, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
John Bleasdale
CineVue
The film is well worth seeing, but in some respects reminded me of a presidential campaign commercial.
March 8, 2019
Ren Jender
Bitch Flicks
Vanguard, sadly, spends much of its time describing the boring and irrelevant power struggles between the biggest egos in the organization.
August 23, 2018
Charles Mudede
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
If the names Huey Newton, Bobby Seale and Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver don’t spark some recognition in you (and they should), Nelson’s film acts as a smart, moving primer for anyone wanting a point of entry into the Black Panther origin story.
September 18, 2017
Jeffrey Edalatpour
KQED (San Francisco)…
Plot
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution is a documentary that explores the rise of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and its impact on civil rights and American culture.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution features interviews with former members of the Black Panther Party, including Elaine Brown and Kathleen Cleaver.
Stanley-Nelson.jpg
