Mandingo (1975)

A slave owner in the 1840s trains one of his slaves to be a bare-knuckle fighter.

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Kyle Onstott (novel), Jack Kirkland (play)

Stars:

James Mason, Susan George, Perry King

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Mason	...	Warren Maxwell
Susan George	...	Blanche Maxwell
Perry King	...	Hammond Maxwell
Richard Ward	...	Agamemnon
Brenda Sykes	...	Ellen
Ken Norton	...	Mede
Lillian Hayman	...	Lucrezia Borgia
Roy Poole	...	Doc Redfield
Ji-Tu Cumbuka	...	Cicero
Paul Benedict	...	Brownlee
Ben Masters	...	Charles
Ray Spruell	...	Wallace
Louis Turenne	...	De Veve
Duane Allen	...	Topaz
Earl Maynard	...	Babouin

Storyline

Slave owner Warren Maxwell insists that his son, Hammond, who is busy bedding the slaves he buys, marry a white woman and father him a son. While in New Orleans, he picks up a wife, Blanche, a "bed wench," Ellen, and a Mandingo slave, Mede, whom he trains to be a bare-knuckle fighting champion. Angered that Hammond is spending too much time with his slaves, Blanche beds down Mede.

---

Plot Keywords:

slave | slave owner | bare knuckle fighting | 1840s | slave trade | 

---

Taglines:

Expect all that the motion picture screen has never dared to show before. Expect the truth

---

Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

25 July 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mandingo

Filming Locations:

Ashland-Belle Helene Plantation - State Highway 75, Geismer, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino De Laurentiis Company, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Mono 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edwin Edwards, the governor of Louisiana at the time, was cast as a gambler and several scenes were filmed but excised before release. Upon the advice of his public relations staff, Edwards decided the potential damage to his public image when the salacious content of the film was revealed would be too great.

---

Goofs

In the movie's first scene, as Brownlee inspects a row of slaves he smokes a cigar which is obviously lit (smoke, ash, etc). But when he clenches the cigar in his mouth and leans in to inspect a slave's teeth, the cigar changes to one that has never been lit. (Maybe a precaution against burning the other actor's face?)

---

Quotes

Hammond Maxwell: The papers say this Mede's brother of Big Pearls. Lucy's his Mom.
Warren Maxwell: He don't know nothin'. Mede was a sucker when he was sold.
Hammond Maxwell: Papa, that'll be incest.
Warren Maxwell: Works somethin' with animals. Works fine with niggers.
Hammond Maxwell: Yeah, whatcha gonna do then when the sucker turn out to be some kind of monster?
Warren Maxwell: Snuff it out.

---

Alternate Versions

The original UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC with heavy edits to the fight between Mede and Topaz, the beatings of the slave girl and the suspended male slave, and shots of Mede being prodded with a pitchfork by Hammond Maxwell. The uncut print was again submitted to the BBFC in 1987 for the CIC video release and some cuts were restored, with 47 secs still edited from the two whipping scenes.

---

Connections

Featured in Sooner or Later (1979)

---

Soundtracks

Born in This Time
Music by Maurice Jarre
Lyrics by Hitide Harris (as Hi Tide Harris)
Sung by Muddy Waters
[Played during opening title and credits]

User Reviews

Excellent disturbing film that violently polarizes audience

This is an underrated, truly great film on the subject of slavery, sexual hypocrisy and the haunted, hothouse atmosphere of generations of white bad karma in the 19th century deep south. There are some who've commented here who get it, others who don't want to get it because it's just too truthful and disturbing. These folks undoubtedly would prefer a TV sanitized version of slavery as in ROOTS. It's a testament to Richard Fleischer's integrity that he was able to pull this off. All performances are excellent (well, that's not strictly true as Ken Norton stumbles his way through but Fleischer, through his direction and editing gets an adequate job from him), including superb James Mason (one of his most brutally fearless roles as opposed to the nadir of his career as one IMDB commentator puts it). One of the things that's most disturbing about the film is the depiction of the consequences of slavery, racism and hypocrisy on the white race, how it warps son, Perry King's natural tenderness towards Brenda Sykes into a horrifying insecure paranoia that evolves into aberrantly exaggerated jealousy and sexually motivated violence by the climax. And poor Susan George's character is driven totally mad by her husband King's neglect and jealousy and the semingly contradictory tender erotic ministrations of slave, Norton. Mason reaps what he sows at the end and King's upbringing (and inferiority complex) is ultimately too much for him in the end, taking him down the same road to hellish oblivion.

If one wants to see a truly lurid, exploitive treatment of the same subject (although very entertaining also with a great cast -- Warren Oates, Isela Vega, Yaphet Kotto, et.al.) one should look no further than MANDINGO's sequel, DRUM. However, MANDINGO is different. It does contain some lurid, super charged sexual images and shocking cruelty and violence -- but Fleischer's treatment is matter-of-fact, in-your-face and ultimately totally unpretentious. It walks a tightrope but courageous director Fleischer never stumbles. The gritty, extremely realistic location and production design add to the disturbing ambience. Unflinching, beautifully shot (I saw this in the theater when it was released and at a rare revival screening in 2000) and undeserving of it's pariah reputation.