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 Released in 1972, Gordon Parks Jr’s Super Fly (1972), came at a crucial point in the genesis of the very successful, yet controversial Blaxploitation genre. Considered to be one of the first three films in the genre, it also played an important role in continuing to establish the movement as a new and important cultural shift. As a result of its chronological positioning, Super Fly showcased what could be considered as ‘one of the purest formulaic expressions of the new genre’ (Masood, 2003: 101), while also being developing the aesthetic of the genre in its early years.

Perhaps the main way in which Super Fly built on the aesthetics of the previous Blaxploitation films was by forging a particular relationship between fantasy and reality. This technique provided a complex viewing experience that felt authentic while simultaneously displaying a narrative and a character that was a creation not based on reality, but fantasy. This blending of seemingly opposite ideas became a staple of the blaxploitation genre and was a contributing factor to Super Fly’s immense success. Super Fly earned around $30 million from a budget of $500,000 acquired mainly from small African American businesses and artists operating around Harlem (Quinn, 2010). However, Super Fly’s influence went well beyond what is demonstrated by its profit; the film had an immense cultural impact, massively affecting how youth acted, changing how people saw representation in film and again fuelling the controversy in race relations in the USA (Quinn, 2010).

Analysing the way in which the Super Fly blends its representation of fantasy with aspects of reality can go a certain distance in explaining why the film’s cultural impact was so large. More important, one can demonstrate why these techniques had become so necessary in providing an authentic representation of the African American experience in 1970s America, while simultaneously forging a new identity for African Americans in film.

Super Fly features Youngblood Priest (Ron O’Neal) - a Harlem drug dealer specialising in selling cocaine whose operations throughout the city have made him and his partner, Eddie (Carl Lee), very rich- allowing them to partake comfortably in a luxury consumerist lifestyle, which many in the African American neighbourhood they occupy are excluded from. Eddie proclaims early in the film that the two are living ‘the American dream’. Priest, however, sees the limitations and brevity in their illegal exploits and decides to take an opportunity to escape the lifestyle he has forged for himself. In order to achieve this, much like his predecessors in the Blaxploitation genre, Priest must overcome strong institutionalised corruption and racism, managing to do so through quick thinking, as well as displaying the ‘panache and verve’ (O’Neal) that nearly all Blaxploitation heroes possess.  His success involves overcoming a network of corruption in the NYPD that led all the way up to the deputy commissioner (Sig Shore)- whose interests in the drug trade mean the manipulation and blackmailing of Priest, all from a protected position within the highest ranks of the police force.  

Racism in the USA at the time of Super Fly’s release was still strong and deep rooted, both in daily social interactions and, more maliciously, in almost all key government and employment institutions- denying African American people from fully participating in mainstream society, most critically the economically, through ‘the entrenched culture of black exclusion from desirable work’ (Quinn, 2010: 87). In this context, Priest’s ability to not only prosper in the economic mainstream but also singlehandedly tackle some of America’s most organised and established institutions- namely the police force- is clearly a fantasy.  The film shows an African American pitting himself against the organisation and strength of institutionalised white racism and winning. Not only that, but Priest never compromises for anyone, he wins on his own terms and is cool doing it. In this sense, Super Fly does not just display a fantasy, but a desire. A desire of oppressed African Americans to be able to win and beat ‘whitey’ on their own terms. This new form of representation of a self-assertive, successful black male - which had so far been missing from cinema and was embodied by Priest (And Sweetback and Shaft before him) - allowed people to experience these desires and identify with the lead character. As Quinn points out, ‘Super Fly mythologized the outlook and practices of aspirational, working-class black men’ (Quinn, 2010: 99). While the narrative portrayed what can be described a fantasy, the techniques used to portray it suggest events that are feasible and even realistic- producing a certain juxtaposition between the narrative and the filmmaking.

That is, while this film does represent desires, the desires portrayed are grounded in reality and are attainable. This blending of reality and fantasy became very important in the telling of such stories as it meant that African American audiences did not just escape in two hours of fantasy but saw the reality in what was being presented and the hope in that, if Priest can prosper in such a hostile environment, so could anyone.

This allowed for African American audiences to believe that, because the fantasy is shown in a realistic way, the events shown in the film are achievable in reality. More important, however, is the fact that Super Fly was the first film to truly display African American environments in an authentic manner, while simultaneously presenting this image of a strong and self-assertive character for black audiences to identify with.

The merging of techniques meant that audiences engaged with different points of recognition within the film, both from previous movie going experiences and their own lives. The film draws on ‘competing codes of recognition from cinematic genres, media representation, black subcultures, and social experience’ (Quinn, 2010: 100). The effect on young black audiences was immense- people relating to both the authenticity of the film, having seen very little representation of their own communities before: "Super Fly is what's happening right here on the street,"’ while others ‘identified with the film as an enticing fantasy: “Priest is super fine and super bad”’ (Michener, 1973). The mix of a cinematic fantasy grounded in seemingly authentic representations of black environments, resulted in a film that was ‘was striking in its potential to influence black youth attitudes’ (Quinn, 2010: 100).

This response demonstrates why this film is so important in African American filmmaking and film history as a whole. Not only did Super Fly display an African American desire for a self-assertive black hero with the ability to win, it displayed this representation while simultaneously giving an authentic and genuine depiction of life as a black person in the USA. (Bogle, 1973).

The film creates this feeling of realism and authenticity by employing the technique of cinéma-vérité, a style that ‘vigorously preached that cinema should aim at capturing life as it is lived, rather than as it is re-enacted’ and in order to do this, the filmmaker must aim at capturing truth and reality ‘in the framework of his own approach’ (Ali Issari and Paul, 1979: 5). Therefore, in using this style, Super Fly’s filmmakers used techniques that aimed to represent the world as it is, while what was actually being displayed was a fantasy.

A number of scenes demonstrate how director Gordon Parks Jr. tried to impose an essence of truth into the film. Inspired by movements like Italian Neo-realism and the French New Wave, one scene in which the truth is woven into the film is the opening. Starting with a long zoom from the top of a building - demonstrating the use of actual Harlem locations- onto the street below, the camera follows the movement of two men. We are moved to street level, continuing to follow the men to an unknown location. Shot on grainy film, Parks makes the decision to shoot the sequence with a handheld camera, led entirely by the movements of the two characters, using two non-actors to bring audiences into the diegesis of the film- all are aspects of cinéma-vérité (Ali Issari and Paul, 1979). The decision to open the film in such a way sets the tone for the audience. In making their first glimpse into the world of Super Fly one of supposed authenticity, shot at street level in real locations with real people, their experience of the remainder of the film will be under this context. Not only this, but the cinematography works to emphasise this authenticity. The camera is very mobile but only prompted by the movement of the people in front of it, refusing to bring attention to itself and by extension, the fact that this is not reality. Also important is Parks’ decision to shoot from a car, anchoring the viewpoint of the camera into the diegesis. This protects the illusion of reality because, while we are unaware of whose viewpoint we watch from, for the viewpoint to be grounded in the diegesis makes the story much more accessible than if the audience was watching from an omniscient eye, or absent one. (Dayan, 1974).

These techniques become a common theme in Super Fly, as cinematography plays a large part in manufacturing this false image of authenticity. Mobile, handheld cameras used along with deep focus lenses and extensive natural light all contribute to the docu-realist atmosphere and create this feeling of legitimacy and ‘truth’. The use of locations also works to produce the sense of authenticity - much more than in other realist films.

This use of locations is significant for a number of reasons. First, the portrayal of characters’ environments is a critical factor in the Blaxploitation, becoming so important that protagonist’s interaction with the city was as much a signifier of their hero status as their image and even temperament (Masood, 2003). The confidence and knowledge with which Priest travels through his environment demonstrates this, as seen within the first two scenes he features in the film. His journey from Uptown New York to Harlem in his custom Cadillac, with Curtis Mayfield’s soundtrack blaring and alongside Ron O’Neal’s cool, nonchalant performance, portrays a strong sense of superiority as we see New York sail by through the window and low angles show roads rolling helplessly under the Cadillac’s tires. It’s clear from the start that Priest is in his element. This is accentuated in the following scene, when Priest is ambushed by the junkies that the film opened with in his apartment building and proceeds to chase them through Harlem. This scene again demonstrates Priest’s prowess and status through his interactions with the space he inhabits. His awareness and physicality when dealing with various obstacles throughout the chase shows just how superior he is to those around him- Priest runs over the rough terrain where the junkie tripped with ease and where the junkie has to climb over fences, Priest simply jumps. By the time they reach the cramped apartment where the thief and his family reside, it’s clear that Priest is a master of his environment (Masood, 2003). Not only this but having seen the city from a place of comfortability in the Cadillac, the chase scene provides us with an opportunity to see the space much more intimately- again guided by Priest, who in turn also becomes more ‘immediately part of the city’ (Masood, 2003:104). In these two scenes, then, it has been demonstrated to us just how in tune with every aspect of his environment our hero is, and, consequently, how deserving he is of his hero status.  This is emphasised, importantly, by the use of location shooting that allows for the reality of the Harlem streets to permeate within the film’s action-packed chase scene. This again demonstrates how Harlem’s reality is allowed and encouraged to access the films diegesis- meaning that a feeling of authenticity is present, even in a scene where the narrative takes a large amount of liberties with the realistic nature of events- the hero (unarmed) overcomes two thieves (armed) and then catches the one who stole from him, despite a strong head start. The decision to shoot this in Harlem means that, as we watch the character (a young, black male) prove his dominance and hero status, we also are given a genuine representation of Harlem’s streets- even if the events that occur are not genuine. The result is one whereby audiences are able to see a new identity for African American that is unbeatable and dominant in a context of authenticity and, by extension, relatability- for many black audiences this environment resembles their own living conditions. 

When used alongside cinéma-vérité techniques, the use of location provides a view of the city that becomes very intimate and subjective, as with the chase scene early in the film. The way in which Priest is shot travelling through his environment adds a ‘personal element’ to the environment that other films from the genre’s genesis appear to miss (Masood, 2003). Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song (1971), for example shows movement in a very different way, using many extra diegetic techniques such as overlays and repeated shots. When the two are compared, this personal dimension becomes very clear, resulting in a viewing experience that is very first hand. A film that uses similar techniques to display an environment and a character’s interaction within it in a similar way is one of Super Fly’s predecessors- Shaft (1971).

Like Priest in Super Fly, Shaft (Richard Rowntree) is a master of his environment and this again is demonstrated to us right at the start of the film by director Gordon Parks, using techniques to again give the illusion of reality. Shaft also starts with an extreme long shot of New York from a high angle, followed by a slow, zoomed in, high angle pan over the various signs on midtown New York’s 42nd street and picks up on Shaft exiting a subway station- Isaac Hayes’ soul soundtrack kicking in at the first sight of him. This shot continues, intercut with closer shots of Shaft before continuing to show us the action on ground level. Here, like Super Fly again, cinema verite’s influence becomes clear- the entire opening sequence again is shot on location on 42nd street and other midtown areas. We also see aspects of realist cinematography in the use of handheld camerawork, natural light and any movement is motivated by the character as he glides through the space. We watch as he wins an argument with a taxi driver and asserts his dominance over a street hustler by simply flicking open his police badge, before talking to a newsstand clerk who seems eager to inform Shaft about the men who were asking after him.

Here, again, we see how aspects of cinéma-vérité - especially the relationship between cinematography and location shooting- work alongside the narrative to produce a scene that shows a cool, assertive African American figure in an environment that feels authentic. Importantly, this is the first time in mainstream cinema that these two quintessential aspects of the black experience in America were shown alongside each other in such an effective way- the realist techniques being vital in their translation to audiences.

Super Fly builds on this idea a year later, developing the use of realist cinematography and using Harlem- a neighbourhood with a much higher black population- as its setting. Not only that, but Priest as a character is not only more independent than shaft, having no boss and displaying clear dominance over every other character in the film, he is also much clearer in his opposition to the white institution. Making his money illegally and declaring that he will not join the militant activist movement unless they “get guns” and start “killing whitey”- Priest, even more than Shaft, represents a hero that epitomised African American desires for freedom and success in a racist society.

The use of location shooting alongside formal aspects of realist cinema emphasises how these films, Super Fly in particular, layer their stories with realism and truth while the actions depicted are far from it. The effect is one that allows people to become absorbed by the story and identify with characters such as Shaft and Priest while simultaneously seeing the narrative as almost feasible. This means that the desire to not be oppressed and be able to succeed is depicted as a realistic narrative- as demonstrated by the behavioural shift in some African American youth after the film’s release. More importantly, however, it meant that people saw representations of their lifestyles on screen, shown in a way that was genuine and, just as vital, inhabited by figures that displayed a side of African American identity that had been neglected previously in mainstream media. (Bogle,1973)

Not only that, but Super Fly goes further than using real settings to portray Harlem as the filmmakers also began to introduce real, recognisable figures of Harlem’s criminal community into the film’s diegesis. This again adds to the authenticity of the film and adds to the whole atmosphere as the real figures give genuine representations of what it’s like being a Harlemite. KC, for example, was a pimp active in Harlem during shooting, who appears in the film in a bar he regularly attended, wearing his own clothes and speaking his own vernacular and has an extended interaction with Priest. The decision to include Kc and other recognisable aspect of Harlem (included the custom Cadillac which was actually KC’s car) involves ‘blurring the line between diagetic and extra diegetic, forming a dialogue between real and fictional landscapes.’ (Masood, 2003: 106).  In introducing real elements of Harlem on top of the setting, the film again forwards this complex relationship between reality and fantasy- inserting a real figure that mirrors Priest’s exact social status in the film shows that the desires priest embodies are not only a possibility on screen, but in reality (although KC is someone stuck in the cycle of illegal activity that Priest is determined to escape). This inclusion further grounds the possibility of the fantasy displayed. This further emphasises the new representation of African Americans in film displayed in the Blaxploitation genre that people wanted to identify with much more than the passive characters Sidney Poitier portrayed.

In conclusion Super Fly was crucial in carving out and cementing a new cinematic aesthetic for the representation of African American audiences by employing and developing ideas first used a year before in Shaft. Ideas of fantasy in the storyline and, importantly, in its protagonist that represented many of the audiences’ desires to be successful and independent in a socio-economic environment writhe with racism and corruption. In pairing this element of desire with the realism in its filmmaking, Super Fly works to ground the fantasy in a believable framework- insinuating the attainability of that being shown on screen through the personal, documentary style cinematography and the use of real Harlem locations. Not only this, but the realism also works to display an authentic depiction of a uniquely black environment- something that, along with the strong black protagonist of someone like Shaft and Priest - had not been shown in mainstream cinema before. The result was one that merged both African American audiences needs for better and more identifiable representation after the respectable but ultimately powerless characters of Sidney Poitier with a proper representation of African American lifestyles. The film was successful in doing this, becoming enormously popular among black audiences- especially youth- and deeply influencing the development of the Blaxploitation genre and any African American filmmaking afterwards.

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