Difference between revisions of "Coonskin (1975)"

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Revision as of 18:01, 3 January 2021

Cooskin Movie Poster

Coonskin is American live action/animated satire-crime movie, written and directed by Ralph Bakshi who released on August 20, 1975 in United Stated. This movie tells about Rabbit, a country-born trickster, takes over the organized crime racket in Harlem, facing opposition from the institutionalized racism of the Mafia and corrupt police.[1]

Combined live action with animation, it starring

Plot

Sampson and the local preacher are planning to get their friend Randy out of jail in the South. Meanwhile, Randy escapes from inside the prison with another cellmate named Pappy and waits for Sampson and the Preacher to help them get out. Randy unwillingly listens to Pappy say a story about three guys who imitate Randy and his friends while waiting for them. The story of Pappy is told in animation set against background images and footage of live action.

After the bank mortgages their home and sells it to a man who converts it into a brothel, Brother Rabbit, Brother Bear, and Preacher Fox are forced to pack up and flee their Southern settings. They meet a con man called Simple Savior, a fake revolutionary leader who claims to be "cousin" of "Black Jesus" and that he gives "the strength to kill whites" to his followers. He and Bear kill the Savior after Rabbit tricks his would-be killers. This helps Rabbit to take over the racket of the Savior, placing him in line to become Harlem's head of all organized crime.

Rabbit first goes up against Madigan, a virulently racist and homophobic white police officer and Mafia bagman, who reveals in different ways his hatred for African Americans, including a refusal to bathe before a planned meeting with them. He is distracted by a black stripper when an LSD sugar cube is dropped into his drink. Madigan is then maneuvered into a sexual liaison with a stereotypically effeminate gay man under the influence of his spiked drink, and then shoved into women's clothing reflecting the giant stereotype, dressed in blackface, and eventually shoved out of the back of the club where he learns that Ruby and Bobby are dead. Then, while recovering from his drug delirium, he fires his pistol at random and is shot to death by the police after killing one of them.

The Godfather, who lives in the subway with his wife and gay sons, is the final aim of Rabbit. Sonny, his only straight son, is given the contract to kill Rabbit. Between remaining with Rabbit or beginning a new, crime-free life, Bear becomes torn. In order to follow his advice, Bear decides to search for Fox. Rabbit sets up a melting imitation of himself made out of tar during one of Bear's wars. They become trapped together while the Mafiosos take turns stabbing the "tar rabbit."

Controversy

Coonskinmatch2311954956 23d802562e.jpg

During a question-and-answer session, several individuals from the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE) criticized the film. “It depicts blacks as slaves, hustlers and whores. It is a racist film to me, and very insulting.” -Elaine Parker [2] "We charge them with high crimes against black people—stereotyping and degrading blacks.” -Charles Cook (Los Angeles regional chairman of CORE), he also think that this film is racist because of how he depicted black people, "“The movie perpetuates racial disrespect. The black community does not need people like Bakshi who want to make clowns out of us. Every movie and TV show depicts blacks as comics, whores, pushers, or pimps.”[3]

Reference