This might possibly be the first Western to feature two black leads with white characters largely relegated to peripheral roles – or stereotypically villainous parts. A man who returns to his hometown for a funeral may have a much larger purpose in life than those around him can see. [10], With the independence of African Americans in the South came a violent reaction from Southern whites. Sidney Poitier, "Critic's Notebook; Black Films: Imitation Of Life? fuck the canon, make Buck and the Preacher the new Butch and Sundance - it's a better buddy movie, a better western and Ruby Dee provides the emotional core. When Buck, followed by the preacher, returns to the wagon train, a gruesome scene awaits. APA citation style: Sidney Poitier & Benny Carter. [8] This usage of racist stereotypes by oppressed people can be seen in other Black Power films such as The Spook Who Sat by the Door. Many allegorical parallels can be drawn between the film's plot and the main tenets of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Preacher: Ruby Dee ... Ruth: Cameron Mitchell ... Deshay: Denny Miller ... Floyd: Nita Talbot ... Madam Esther: John Kelly ... Sheriff: Tony Brubaker ... Headman: Bobby Johnson ... Man … This pair of thieves, who operate in the ... See full summary ». 7 people found this helpful. [5], In regards to how Poitier felt directing, he stated, “I rolled my camera for the first time. It isn’t long before The Preacher catches up with Buck and he thinks he’s got an easy mark in the prospective settlers. Buck and the Preacher is a 1972 American Western film starring Sidney Poitier as Buck and Harry Belafonte as the Preacher. BUCK AND THE PREACHER. [12], In Philip Powers 2020 book "Sidney Poitier Black and White" he devoted a chapter to the making of Buck and the Preacher illustrating the fact that the film was far from the financial flop some have claimed, drawing millions of Americans to buy a ticket to see it in theatres. Find the perfect buck and the preacher sidney poitier stock photo. A confidence surged through my whole body… and I, as green as I was, had a touch for this new craft I had been courting from a distance for many, many years.”[6], Civil rights themes can be seen throughout the film. Buck and the Preacher is similar to these films: Stir Crazy (film), Uptown Saturday Night, Hanky Panky (1982 film) and more. Poitier stars as Buck, an ex-Union Army Cavalry sergeant who becomes a scout for freed slaves heading to the Colorado frontier. Tagging along with him are his wife (Ruby Dee in a scene-stealing performance) and a Bible-thumping con artist known as the Preacher (Belafonte). Directed by Sidney Poitier • 1972 • United States Starring Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee Civil War veteran Buck (Sidney Poitier) has signed on to guide a wagon train of newly freed slaves moving to claim homesteads in the west. Poitier never really convinces as an actor either, although Belafonte is a standout as the sneaky, morally dubious preacher. The ... See full summary ». The scarce law enforcement of rural areas mixed with Confederates’ bitterness about their loss of the Civil War, which was frequently blamed on African Americans, lead to groups of former Confederate soldiers raiding settlements of former slaves trying to make their own way. Buck is a trail guide leading groups of former slaves trying to homestead in the West, immediately after the American Civil War.The Preacher is a swindling minister of the "High and Low Order of the Holiness Persuasion Church". Use the HTML below. Plus, I'll take any excuse to never listen to Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head again tbh. [1], This film broke Hollywood Western traditions by casting black actors as central characters and portraying both tension and solidarity between African Americans and Native Americans in the late 19th century. Although the Preacher initially had a desire to get even with Buck, he changes his mind and decides to work with Buck after seeing the carnage the white raiders inflict on the African American travelers. The film is also light on dialogue with lengthy spells played out in silence. [7], Critics were somewhat split in their reviews. The film was filmed in Durango, Mexico, as well as in Kenya. USA. MLA citation style: Sidney Poitier, and Benny Carter. Buck switches horses with The Preacher which leads to The Preacher almost getting killed by Deshay’s men. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. [4], Other reviews were not so positive. Actor Sidney Poitier as Buck in the 1972 film Buck and the Preacher. Was this review helpful to you? BUCK AND THE PREACHER. Buck (Sidney Poitier) is an ex-Union Army cavalry sergeant. Buck and the Preacher I tell you, after three or four takes of that first scene, a calm came over me. Buck and the Preacher is a great movie that developes nicely and finishes strongly. Joseph Sargent, who was known for being a western director, left the project because of some disagreements he had with some of the cast. Member of the Nation of Islam, wielding a semi-automatic weapon, watches the crowd as leader Quanell X preaches … The story, set in Kansas during the 1920s, covers less than a year in the life of a black teenager, and documents the veritable deluge of events which force him into sudden manhood. Buck and the preacher. [4] It took Poitier 45 days to shoot the film, and he edited the film during the shooting of The Organization, in which he starred. Buck knows the region well and he charges fair wages from the wagon trains employing him. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Find the perfect buck and the preacher stock photo. Set in the late 1860s in the Kansas Territory shortly after the American Civil War, Buck and the Preacher follows a former soldier named Buck (Sidney Poitier) as he leads wagon trains of African Americans from Louisiana west to the unsettled territories of Kansas. Title: Report abuse. [13], Buck and the Preacher, 1972, dir. After the American Civil War, many freed slaves head out West in search of free land and a better life. No need to register, buy now! (1972) BUCK AND THE PREACHER. He improvises an over-the-top sermon to get the white men to laugh and let their guards down, and as soon as they do, Buck enters and kills everyone at the table. "[4], The initial lackluster response from audiences may have been caused by how different Buck is than typical Blaxploitation heroes such as Shaft and Coffy who live in contemporary society. A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West. nufs68. It was released in the United States in 1972. This FAQ is empty. GP | 1h 42min | Adventure, Drama, Western | 17 March 1972 (West Germany) A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by … You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. A SCOUT FOR FREED SLAVES HEADING TO THE COLORADO FRONTIER TO START A NEW LIFE AS FREE MEN Following the end of the Civil War, soldier-turned-trail-guide Buck (Sidney Poitier) makes a living by helping former slaves find settlements in the West. Delivery. He also has a working relationship with the local Indian tribes that charge trespassing fees from the wagon trains heading West across Indian lands. These lawmakers also created sharecropping which, in effect, continued slavery. This is the first film Sidney Poitier directed. 7 of 16 people found this review helpful. In return, they allow the settlers to move across Indian territory unhindered and to hunt a few buffalo needed to feed the wagon train settlers. Respected black cavalry Sergeant Brax Rutledge stands court-martial for raping and killing a white woman and murdering her father, his superior officer. Buck, Ruth and the Preacher do whatever it takes to get the wagon train west, including ambushing some of the raiders in a brothel, robbing a bank, and when necessary taking on the entire band of raiders going up against them.[3]. Widely regarded at the time of its release as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with a social conscience, BUCK AND THE PREACHER is an immensely satisfying Western which marked Sidney Poitier's directorial debut, as well as his first screen pairing with superstar Harry Belafonte. Writers for Motion Picture Guide focused more on the negative stereotypes presented in the film. Vincent Canby of The New York Times said Poitier "showed a talent for easy, unguarded, rambunctious humor missing from his more stately movies". Former slave and Union Army sergeant Buck becomes a self-employed wagon master to wagon trains of freed slaves heading West. Tagging along with him are his wife (Ruby Dee in a scene-stealing performance) and a Bible-thumping con artist known as the Preacher (Belafonte). Along the way, a con artist, the Preacher (Harry Belafonte), joins the group, and constantly clashes with Buck. The preacher follows Buck and he witnesses the payment made by Buck to the Indian chief for safe passage of the settlers. Following the end of the Civil War, soldier-turned-trail-guide Buck (Sidney Poitier) makes a living by helping former slaves find settlements in the West. Two Atlanta men raise funds for their charity by rigging boxing matches in New Orleans, but their tricks attract the mob's attention. [7], The violence of the marauders preventing the former slaves from settling their own land parallels the housing and property ownership issues of the 1960s. Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014. The good guys steal from one another and rob banks, a character defect shrugged off with the explanation that the town folk – who are pre-occupied on a posse-ride to catch the duo as they rob the bank – deserve to be robbed. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. 5.0 out of 5 stars Historical fiction with "wow" factor! Essentially, the point of the conversation is to illustrate that although there are laws in place to prevent racism and violence, the lack of enforcement of those laws makes them useless, in effect. Verified Purchase. Not only does the film depict white people as being sadistic, there is a specific scene in which Preacher uses a racist stereotype to fool the night riders into a sense of comfort. However, warned by his wife, Ruth (Ruby Dee), he escapes. Along with Buck’s wife, Ruth (Ruby Dee), who works tirelessly and devotedly alongside her beloved husband, their party includes the Preacher (Harry Belafonte), a greedy con man, formerly enslaved by a white minister, who loves money much more than he loves God. While Poitier's "direction of Buck and the Preacher received mixed reviews... [it was] due to the fact that most film critics and reviewers in 1972 didn’t have a basic understanding of what a director does, from pre-production through to the end of post-production – and unfortunately it remains as true today as it was then – the comments about Poitier’s effort as a first-time director are interesting for their historical context more than their perspicacity." However, not everyone in the region is friendly toward the black settlers traveling West. Poitier directed the film and it was produced by Belafonte Enterprises, Columbia Pictures Corporation, and E & R Productions Corp. [9], Following the Civil War, around 1879, African Americans in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee fled to Kansas seeking work and new lives away from the South. View production, box office, & company info. Read more. Widely regarded at the time of its release as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with a social conscience, BUCK AND THE PREACHER is an immensely satisfying Western which marked Sidney Poitier's directorial debut, as well as his first screen pairing with superstar Harry Belafonte. Menu. USA, 1972. Helpful. The notable blues musicians Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Don Frank Brooks performed in the film's soundtrack, composed by jazz great Benny Carter.[2]. Buck knows the region well and he charges fair wages from the wagon trains employing him. Buck and the Preacher is a 1972 American Western film released by Columbia Pictures, written by Ernest Kinoy and directed by Sidney Poitier. He also has a working relationship with the local Indian tribes that charge trespassing fees from the wagon trains heading West across Indian lands. Also, the Exodusters had no interest in sharecropping or growing cotton or other cash crops for the white people who were once slave owners. The film was made on a budget of $2 million and Poitier claimed that it broke even at the box office. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Belafonte is the preacher, a semi-reformed con man who briefly considers betraying Buck and his charges to the evil nightrider Deshay (a squinting, cigar-chomping Cameron Mitchell) before throwing in his lot with him.This being a film of the early 70s, there isn't much of a moral code here. 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