MovieChat Forums > Mandingo (1975) Discussion > Come on!

Come on!

posted 16 years ago by sarabay1978
1 reply | jump to latest

All you idiots out there saying this film is racist ought to wake up and read some history!

I can't believe I actually just got through reading someone criticizing a film set in the Civil War era south actually be criticized for using the "n word!" What, do you think slaveholders called their slaves Sir and Madam?

And to those complaining about the violence in the film, look at historical accounts of the tortures inflicted upon slaves and you'll find that the acts depicted in this film are mild in comparison.

To the dullard who wrote "It's NOT camp--I found nothing in this film even remotely funny, even in a bad/good way."
You're absolutely right! This is not a work of camp but a serious and artistic look at slavery. It's not meant to be funny, rather brutal and infuriating.

And to the guy who wrote "Hmmm...let's see what we have here. Slaves being whipped. Slaves being lynched. Slaves being forced to fight. Slaves being bought and sold like merchandise. Slaves having taboo nooky with white folks. There's even slaves being used as footrests. (I'm serious!)"
Are you surprised that a film would have the guts to accurately depict how whites treated blacks? Or would you rather it fit neatly into the realm of PC based denial of history where everything is sanitized and heartwarming?

[–] LukeCoolHand 16 years ago

I agree whole-heartedly!! Except the movie was not set in the Civil War period of 1860-65 - it was actually set around 1838 according to the book. And as to other posters referring to using slaves as footstools, that is not true. If those posters had even watched the movie, they would have known the slaves were being used to "drain" the rheumatism from the slave owner into the slave, which of course would never work, but in 1838 before doctors even washed their hands before going from one surgery to another, belief in the rheumatism cure was conceivable.