Posse - The Revenge of Jessie Lee

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Movie
German title Posse - The Revenge of Jessie Lee
Original title Posse
Country of production United Kingdom , USA
original language English
Publishing year 1993
length 110 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Mario van Peebles
script Sy Richardson ,
Dario Scardapane
production Preston L. Holmes ,
Jim Steele
music Michel Colombier
camera Peter Menzies junior
cut Mark Conte ,
Seth Fluff
occupation

Posse - The Revenge of Jessie Lee (Posse) is a British - American western released in 1993. Directed by Mario van Peebles , who also played the lead; the script was written by Sy Richardson and Dario Scardapane . The flick was received negatively by the majority of the critics both in America and in this country, but this belies its comparatively high entertainment value.

action

The action begins during the Spanish-American War of 1898 in Cuba. The sadistic Colonel Graham takes pleasure in killing deserters and orders a group around the blackened Jessie Lee, who has been sentenced to army service, as well as the white Little J Teeters, who were also chosen for unauthorized removal from the troops, on a mission against Spanish supplies. The job to be carried out in civilian clothes succeeds, but Jessie's friend Obobo accidentally falls into a box full of gold coins. The little bunch wants to go back to the base, but is intercepted by Graham on the way - the lousy Colonel obviously knew about the treasure and had ordered civilian only to be able to shoot those who knew about deserting as well. However, the distressed use a mess to eliminate the officer's followers; They also think he is dead, but that is a mistake. The dark-skinned Graham adjutant Weezie, who took part in the coup, is a thorn in the side of the others, but escapes a bullet because he is the only one able to organize the retreat to America on a boat that transports the bodies of the fallen.

While Obobo, Weezie and Angel, who is also colored, are having fun in a brothel in New Orleans and Little J makes the acquaintance of the cardsharp Father Time at the poker table, Jessie says goodbye to the party beasts with an undisclosed goal. He is tormented by a trauma from the past: his religious father had once founded the Freemanville commune, which is reserved for negroes only, and was therefore lynched by members of the Ku Klux Klan . Since the cardsharp is now exposed in Big Easy, he and the helping Little J have to flee; because, to the amazement of the others, Graham, who only lost one eye in the slaughter in Cuba, suddenly appears, the rest - with the exception of the dying Angel - are forced to flee. In the wild, she reunites with Jessie Lee, who is now the leader of a farce (a term that is ambiguous in America - as a vigilante and as a horde of lawless blacks). During their first stop, they have a few golden balls poured by the local blacksmith; because he was once one of the murderers of Jessie's father, he is killed after the work is done.

The group later moves to Freemanville, which despite the lynching has become a thriving small town full of African Americans. Jessie Lee meets his former buddy and now Marshal Carver, then the father of his former lover Lana, Papa Joe and finally the extremely attractive, reluctant Lana herself. In the meantime, the sheriff of neighboring Cutterstown becomes a bastard named Bates, informed of Jessie's return - he had once led the murderous hooded men. After the execution of an Indian woman, he immediately sets off for Freemanville, blows up a hilarious game of poker and even kills Little J, who wants to help Weezie, to find out where Jessie is. He freed the imprisoned Papa Joe and Obobo the following night, then organized the Freemanville residents who had briefly opposed him for the expected fight with Bates' men. He realized that the evil sheriff is less concerned with the personal conflict than with the expulsion of all blacks from their commune because of the expected railroad. In the shooting that began the next morning, Father Time dies and Obobo is badly wounded, but Carvers who have their own profit in mind and Bates also bless the time. Graham, who has also arrived, takes Lana hostage, but is also eliminated by the combat-savvy Jessie. The whole story is told - in a short framework story - by an old black man who was there as a child, and two reporters.

Reviews

Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times on May 14, 1993 that it should have been told that not only white cowboys populated the Wild West, but also African Americans. However, the director wouldn't do it. The film suffers from an excess of direction and camera work as well as the “ hectic ” style, which makes the plot seem “ incoherent ” (“ This is an overdirected, overphotographed, overdone movie that is so distracted by its hectic, relentless style that the story line is rendered almost incoherent "). The characters have no personality, the film offers action without a profound meaning (" action without meaning "). Many well-known actors like Pam Grier would have little to do.

Cinema magazine wrote that the film was a " cool western in a modern MTV aesthetic ".

The magazine Prisma wrote that the film was a " terrific film with countless quotes from the entire Western history from John Ford to Sergio Leone ". He was " violent, but brilliantly staged ".

The German Film and Media Assessment FBW in Wiesbaden awarded the film the rating particularly valuable.

backgrounds

The film grossed approximately $ 18.3 million in US cinemas . In Germany there were around 33,000 moviegoers.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Certificate of Approval for Posse - The Revenge of Jessie Lee . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , January 2004 (PDF; test number: 70 032 V / DVD).
  2. ^ Film review by Roger Ebert, accessed December 18, 2007
  3. ↑ Cinema, accessed December 18, 2007
  4. ^ Prisma, accessed December 18, 2007
  5. ↑ Box office / business for Posse, accessed December 18, 2007