Seminal (pun intended) blaxploitation text from the 60's & the inevitable bastard child of
Richard Wright's Native Son (see Orrin's review). Dan Freeman (get it) is hired as the CIA's token black; he is literally "the spook who sat by the door".  However, Freeman has his own agenda and while the CIA is using him to alleviate pressure from white liberals, he's soaking up as much knowledge as he can.  When he leaves the CIA and goes back to the 'hood, he brings an extensive background in the techniques and theories of armed insurrection and he leads the revolt against whitey.

All of the familiar elements of blaxploitation abound:  whitey's stupid, the hero possesses some
hyper-magnetism which draws all women to him and earns the instant respect of all men, the
two most hated groups are white liberals--who don't recognize the racism inherent in their own
ideas and the black middle class--which has sold out.

Later turned into a very bad movie (see the Blaxploitation Film Viewers Guide).

(Reviewed:)

Grade: (C+) Orrin C. Judd

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