MovieChat Forums > Mandingo (1975) Discussion > The Mandingo did not go willingly into t...

The Mandingo did not go willingly into the Pit.

posted 19 years ago by shaaronie
14 replies | jump to latest

Years ago, a co-worker and I were discussing the film. He and I had both seen it and loved it. We are both Black by the way. He claims that Ken Norton's character, at the end of the film, was told by "Massa" to get into the pit of hot scolding water, and he replied "yes sir Massa" and hopped into the Pot. OH My GOD! No such thing happened! But no one had a copy of the video. Well I searched for a few years, and lo and behold, I found a VHS copy of the film and I was right! Now if only I could find my old Co-worker and claim my $50.00. So "Dav"! "Show me the Money!". This is a wildly entertaining, funny film that I nor anyone else I know (Black) who has seen it, took it the least bit seriously! I also read the book and it is was great! I jes luvs me some Cretia Borgia Chile! Alas, I lent someone my video and they never returned it and now I can't remember whom I gave it too. Well I am going to buy the VHS version again. This movie is a treasure!

[–] chesterrodney 19 years ago

Mede was shot by Massa Hammond and fell back into the pot of boiling hot water. Then Mede was pushed down into the boiling water by a pitchfork that Hammond had. Then he stuck Mede repeatly in the pot until he died. Then old Meim yelled for Hammond to please stop! Then Meim picked up a gun that was laying on the porch and shot Hammond's father. Then he ran. And that's how it ended.

And the sequel "Drum" was the worst!

[–] none-85 19 years ago

In the novel, after Hammond discovered the baby born to his wife was black and looked like the Mandingo, Doc Redfield said: "You had ought to burn him. Cut him first with a dull butcher knife and then burn him. It's the only way to learn em."

That always has stuck in my mind.

[–] chemiche3 18 years ago

I hope Doc, his wife (the white midwife), Hammond and his evil Daddy are roasting in hell! I know that this was just a film so I hope that all people who were likethem are roasting in eternal fire.

That was sheer evil killing the baby! I finally took pity on Blanche when she was screaming, "I'm Black, I'm Black!" to try and save her baby!

[–] JoeLoebner 18 years ago

Those sadistic bastards would burn for eternity if they had exist in real life of course.

[–] chemiche3 18 years ago

I'm sure that there were many evil folks back them. Hopefully they are roasting in eternal hell.

[–] cwislovesq 18 years ago

Get real, do you really believe that mandingo is a realistic portrayal of the south or of the slave society. It's trash like this that fuels racism and makes young black men angry and disillusioned. This movie is a sick mix of violence and erotica aimed at shock factor, not at realism.If anyone should burn in hell its the writers who purvey this exploitative filth to make a few bucks. If you take this movie seriously maybe you should watch Deliverance, you are sure to be alarmed by the fact that all southerners are just dying to "make you squeal like a pig." It's another informative interpretation of southern culture and history.

[–] JoeLoebner 18 years ago

I thought "Deliverance" was more shocking than
"Mandingo".

[–] dishman062 18 years ago

The novel Mandingo and it's many sequels were far suppeior to the films. Mandingo and Drum (the film) concentrated on shock value. The novels were a great books.

[–] JoeLoebner 18 years ago

I agree, the book "Mandingo" has more detail than the movie.

[–] loumcp 12 years ago

The novels were crap, playing themes of rape and enslavement for cheap thrills to people who couldn't give a rat's arse about the people who were victimized by slavery.

[–] Krimzen 18 years ago

Mandingo was partially based on the real life of James Henry Hammond, a southern planter, slave owner and senator of South Carolina. The book Mandingo nor the film aren't totally fiction. If you research about the life of James Henry Hammond you will see the similarities of his life to the book and film.

Here is a link about the life of James Henry Hammond.

http://cghs.dadeschools.net/slavery/defense_of_slavery/hammond.htm

[–] spyderbch 18 years ago

Thank you for this. It seems that most people think that slavery was all daisies, and so was the jewish holocaust right? Sad what every race even the blackest amongst us would reject. I am glad that Krimzen researched James Henry Hammond and produced this bit of info cause with zealous ignoramouses proclaiming that the movie can't possibly be real it can become a danger to those of us not as smart as Krimzen or as thorough. But let's face it we all can research and come up with enuogh fodder to make any one of our beliefs seem true. I for one believe that people given a situation like slavery were willing to explore every aspect of their power over another human being in any which way imaginable and who is to tell them they were wrong?

Shame on you all who think this movie was too truthful or not even near the truth shame on your lack of imagination or intellect or even simple common sense.

Boooo!

[–] loumcp 12 years ago

Thamkyou for saying this. I could not agree more.

[–] kleary1 11 years ago

She wasn't saying "I'm black". She was saying "It not black" (or something to that effect--if you noticed, she spoke a mix of refined English with very poor grammar, which I thought was fascinating. She was rich but not educated and obviously pretty ignorant)--or rather, she was begging that the baby not be black. There was a pretty good chance that she could have also been pregnant by her husband and that's what she was hoping for. If the baby was black, she was found out and that was not going to go well for her. She was kind of an idiot--pathetic, but stupid nonetheless.

But yeah, I'll agree, a lot of very evil people!