Review: 'Shaft' on 4K Blu-ray an Essential Presentation of a Blaxploitation Classic

Look at Gordon Parks' 1971 blaxploitation masterpiece "Shaft" within the context of that era in Hollywood filmmaking, and it's interesting to see how the film completely changed the kind of white-dominated crime thrillers being released at that time by appealing to the people who saw those same films. And even though the film received lukewarm critical reception upon release, it was a box office hit and its presence continued to be felt creatively for years to come. But how? Well, part of that is because an iconoclastic artist like Gordon Parks was directing something equally iconoclastic, a film that's so damn cool that it makes you feel cooler for watching it. After all, it's about a cat that won't cop out when there's danger all about.

The Criterion Collection brings Gordon Parks' "Shaft" to 4K Blu-ray with a reference-quality 4K presentation that absolutely stuns with every minute. The new 4K restoration of the original 35mm camera negative brings out the most in each frame, with deep colors and textures that I've personally only seen in the film when it's projected from a 35mm print. Even the few short sections that were scanned in using a duplicate negative and the original yellow, cyan, and magenta separation masters to get the best picture possible. And yes, this is the best picture I could possibly hope for from this film. Add the Dolby Vision HDR that brings even finer color details to those vibrant NYC exterior sequences, and you have a must-buy release just for the presentation alone.

"Shaft" follows the travails of private detective John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) as he's hired by the leader of the Black mafia, Bumpy Jonas (Moses Gunn), to locate his kidnapped daughter and is soon thrust into a turf war that could change everything. He's a cool-as-hell private eye who's as tough with criminals as he is tender with his lovers (of which there are many).

In addition to having some of the greatest visuals ever filmed in New York City, "Shaft" has the benefit of having one of the greatest scores of all time. Isaac Hayes' iconic jazz score infuses the film with even more cool than Gordon Parks' visuals, and Roundtree is the perfect tough-guy actor to emanate Shaft's unique brand of masculinity and sexuality as power. Even the film's most ardent fans admit that the iconography produced by the film often trumps the actual story, which is a bit threadbare. A photographer by trade like Parks understands that film movement can speak to much more than whatever is happening on screen.

Criterion rounds out this release with a laundry list of extras, including the 1972 follow-up "Shaft's Big Score" on a second Blu-ray with special features attached. "Shaft" is one of the most iconic American films ever made, and it's a delight to see it get the red-carpet treatment from Criterion. This 4K release comes highly recommended.

Other special features include:

� New documentary on the making of "Shaft" featuring curator Rhea L. Combs, film scholar Racquel J. Gates, filmmaker Nelson George, and music scholar Shana L. Redmond
� Behind-the-scenes program featuring Parks, actor Richard Roundtree, and musician Isaac Hayes
� Archival interviews with Hayes, Parks, and Roundtree
� New interview with costume designer Joseph G. Aulisi
� New program on the Black detective and the legacy of John Shaft, featuring scholar Kinohi Nishikawa and novelist Walter Mosley
� "A Complicated Man: The "Shaft" Legacy" (2019)
� Behind-the-scenes footage from "Shaft's Big Score!"
� Trailers
� English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
� PLUS: An essay by film scholar Amy Abugo Ongiri

"Shaft" is now available on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.