Gordon's War

Gordon’s War (1973)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Ossie Davis

Starring: Paul Winfield, Carl Lee, David Downing, Tony King, Grace Jones

From: 20th Century Fox

So, how did I spend my Easter? It wasn’t too exciting, but I had a traditional ham dinner… and I also watched an obscure blaxploitation film starring the late character actor Paul Winfield and directed by the late actor Ossie Davis from a VHS tape as I taped it off of Fox Movie Channel quite a few months ago. Only I would do such a thing, I know. Anyhow, it has never been on DVD but will finally come out on June 14th via Shout Factory in a double-bill with a late 80’s movie known as Off Limits.

Although, if you want to see it and don’t want to wait for DVD or it appearing once in a blue moon on Fox Movie Channel, you can always use YouTube… don’t tell anyone I sent you there, though.

Anyhow, the plot is quite simple yet effective. Gordon (Winfield, clean-shaven and not as heavy-set) returns from a tour of duty in Vietnam. He finds out his wife passes away due to a heroin overdose. He’s upset that his Harlem neighborhood has been ravaged by drugs, so he and three pals get together to try and rid the area of drugs and crime. That’s about it for the plot.

But, despite the simple plot, the movie is a lot of fun. The cast does a nice job, there’s a variety of action from shootouts to a nice bit where a motorcycle gets chased throughout Harlem by a car, and some LOL moments, including a creative usage of a can of deodorant spray as a weapon, and the gimmick of soldiers at work is displayed in the systematic way they take out the bad guys (and you get to see that the drug dealers aren’t the top villains). There are also familiar blaxploitation trappings, from the funky music to the laughable in 2011 clothing to the hairdos and all the slang.

By the way, Grace Jones’ role in the movie only lasts for seconds but I mention it as you get to see her nude (if you ever had the desire to see her topless, you’re in luck) and Gordon calls her a bitch. That made me laugh for some reason.

I’ll be back Friday night with a new review.