Coonskin
Despite claims made without evidence, director Ralph Bakshi did not research this film by going into into Harlem with a tape recorder and asked various people "What's it like being black in America?" This was actually his method of acquiring improvised monologues for the crows in his previous film, Fritz the Cat (1972). In actuality, Bakshi's socially conscious Afrocentric themes in this film originated from growing up with black friends and his views regarding racism in America originated from an event in his childhood in which Bakshi successfully persuaded his parents to enroll him in a black school, but the principal, upon learning that Bakshi was not black, pulled him out of the school during a class, as the school administration feared that a white student attending a black school would enrage racists who opposed state integration of schools.,[first lines]
Man in Blue: Fuck you.
Man in Yellow: Alright, I'm gonna give some example: I heard that 350 white folks committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. And out of the 350, there was two that was niggers.
Man in Blue: And one of them was pushed.,There are two different versions of Coonskin in circulation: a 99 minute version released on tape in Holland, and the far more common 83 minute version (just released on video in the UK by MIA). The latter, despite running 16 minutes shorter, actually includes more than 7 minutes of footage (including a precredits sequence) not in the longer edition.,Edited from The Birth of a Nation (1915),Ah'm A Nigger Man
Lyrics by Ralph Bakshi
Music by Scatman Crothers,I had heard much about Coonskin, mostly good, though I do know a fair few who were offended by it. Seeing this film, I can see why Coonskin won't appeal to all, due to its very gritty subject matter(racism) and the fact it is stereotypical. However, I loved this movie surprisingly and consider it one of Bakshi's better films alongside American Pop and Heavy Traffic. The visuals are wonderful, the blend of animation and live action is very clever, and some of the images are brutal but often fascinating. The music is equally great, especially the opening title sequence. The satire really does bite and hit you hard, while the story is rich and multi-layered with lots of insight(correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Bakshi has done anything as ambitious as Coonskin before). The voice acting adds a lot, in particular from Scatman Brothers and the resonant, deep voice of Barry White. All in all, Coonskin is not for all tastes, but I loved it, and appreciate it for its biting satire and its take on a very gritty and perhaps controversial subject. 9/10 Bethany Cox,