Review: The Final Comedown

Angry, college-educated black man Johnny (Billy Dee Williams) becomes embittered and enraged and radicalised, joining the black revolutionary movement. D’Urville Martin plays one of his revolutionary pals, Raymond St. Jacques plays his intense revolutionary mentor, Nate Esformes is a Jewish shop owner, and R.G. Armstrong plays the ineffectual father of Johnny’s white girlfriend. Sam Gilman has a very brief role as a wise old white dude.

 

Sometimes interesting but extremely disjointed 1972 social activist blaxploitation flick from writer-director Oscar Williams (“Five on the Black Hand Side”, writer of “Black Belt Jones” and “Truck Turner”) is never as successful as you want it to be. Star Billy Dee Williams must’ve seen something in it or at least the play it’s based on because although he’s not listed among the credited producers (which include co-star D’Urville Martin and an uncredited Roger Corman), the film comes from ‘Billy Dee Williams Enterprises’. The future Lando Calrissian doesn’t give the kind of charismatic and charming performance one has become accustomed to over the years, but he’s still able to please the ladies nonetheless when required. He gets one damn fine sexy love scene. It’s not exactly a subtle and refined performance, but it’s a committed and interesting one. His best moments are actually to do with his facial expressions. He gets an almost haunted look to him where he seems almost empty inside. This man he plays is clearly not in a good head space.

 

There’s some enjoyable familiar faces in the support cast, though the usually ebullient and funny D’Urville Martin is poorly wasted in a role that gives him a lot of shooting to do in the back half but not much of anything else otherwise. Veteran character actors R.G. Armstrong and Sam Gilman are terrific in what amount to mere walk-ons, particularly in the case of the latter. Raymond St. Jacques probably gives the best performance of all in a brief but commanding performance as a bald-headed, very serious-minded black revolutionary figure. He’s not credited anywhere (not even on IMDb) but I’m 100% certain that hefty Earl ‘Jolly’ Brown can briefly be seen at one point in what would’ve been his screen debut. You may remember him for his brief but memorable appearances in “Live and Let Die” and director Williams’ awesome “Truck Turner”. I’ve gotta say the acting is a cut above many other low-budget films of this type from the period. So that’s a plus.

 

The best thing here is the cool, rhythmic music score (with occasional smooth jazz moments) by Wade Marcus in his only film assignment. I was less impressed by the filmic/narrative style of the film, with flash cuts that whilst ambitious prove quickly irritating. The central plot is perfectly fine in theory, but it’s been told annoyingly out of sequence. Still, while I may not have been entirely on board with the film, it’s obviously a film that was not made entirely with profit in mind. It probably shouldn’t be lumped in with the blaxploitation subgenre, there’s an obvious ambition here. It’s a serious-minded, well-intended but overly talky ‘message’ movie with ambition perhaps a bit beyond the filmmaking capabilities of those in charge of making it.

 

Ambitious, but unevenly made social activism drama with a pretty decent cast but irritatingly done in other aspects. Watchable but a little too much talk for my liking. It never quite hangs together, though the downbeat ending is pretty interesting and appropriate.

 

Rating: C+