Five Films That Fought the Law

Although most of us would consider ourselves law abiding citizens, there is that little part inside that bucks authority. We have all had to deal with that asshole cop that gave us a ticket, or was rude to us for no reason. We have felt frustrated by some city official or government office that doesn't do their job, or even pretend to care about doing the job.

Normally, we just have to bottle these feelings and take it out in more socially appropriate ways. Film, however, provides us with a unique outlet for those frustrations. In that spirit, I present to you five films that fought the law.





 Bucktown (1975)


The 1970's was a radical time for America, both in current events and in film. The love fest of the sixties had crashed and burned, leaving behind the fires of discontent. Nowhere was this more obvious in movies than in the Blaxploitation genre. During the late 60's and 70's, African Americans became a larger part of the cinematic landscape. Tired of the stereotypical roles they had been limited to, such as maids and bumbling idiots, black filmmakers decided to offer their own version of the action star to their audience. These heroes were just as suave, tough, and good looking as their white counterparts, even if their budgets were significantly less. In these films, African Americans expressed their rage against a corrupt system of government and a racist society. Bucktown confronts the issues of police brutality and corruption head on, and is very enjoyable while doing so.


This film tells the story of Duke Johnson (played by Fred Williamson), a small town hero who returns for his brother's funeral. He has moved on to the big city, where he enjoys a relative life of luxury. He is far removed from the small town racism that permeates this small southern town. Almost immediately, Johnson runs into trouble with the local sheriff's deputies. He is harassed and threatened by the cops, and extorted by the local government. Johnson plans to leave as soon as his brother's estate is handled; however, he learns that it will take two months to do so. He is eventually talked into reopening his brother's bar while he waits for the settlement. His brother's former girlfriend Aretha, portrayed by the always wonderful Pam Grier, begins to warm to Johnson, especially when he kicks the crap out of the deputies looking for protection money. Duke storms into the sheriff's office and lays down his own law. Unfortunately for him, the sheriff doesn't take kindly to threats and has his officers barrage Johnson's house in an all out
hail of bullets.

Having had enough of the racist cops, Johnson calls up some old friends to help him take care of the situation. Roy, played by Thalmus Rasulala, comes to town with his posse in tow. The men clean up the town and eventually take over as the police force. After seeing the amount of money that can be made, Roy decides to stay in Bucktown. He and his crew take to the streets and become more brutal than the original cops. Despite his loyalty to his friend, Duke decides to step in to stop them.

Bucktown is a blaxploitation gem from the 70's. The characters here are all highly entertaining. Sure, the production is a little low budget. The dialogue is occasionally mumbled and hard to understand. However, its the film's spirit that elevates it above the standard action film of the time period. You feel Duke's anger towards the police, and his contempt for the town as a whole. Grier's performance is sexy, sassy, and even a little moving. It wouldn't take much for us to believe that she could have cleaned up the town herself. Rasulala is brilliant here as the close friend you love and are heartbroken to see become the bad guy.

The real strength of the film is that it transcends the race boundary. This isn't just a film about white cops fighting the black heroes. This is a film about absolute power corrupting absolutely. You root for these guys for so long, and then are horrified to see them become the thing they fought against. This theme elevates the movie from standard exploitation to low budget Shakespeare. Bucktown demonstrates that you must rise above the law in order to fight it.

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

First Blood (1982)