Released 50 years ago, this iconic feature film inspired Quentin Tarantino to create one of his best films.

We can no longer count the number of movies that have inspired Quentin Tarantino. The American director has created his filmography from memory using the memories of movie lovers to pay homage to iconic works of cinema.

In many genres that he studied himself, the filmmaker was able to demonstrate his eclectic taste in cinema.

African-American movie star of the 70s

In 1997, Quentin Tarantino released his third feature film Jackie Brown. This thriller features a retro aesthetic and stars a former movie star sadly off the radar: Pam Grier. The director also wrote the film specially for the American actor.

The latter was, in fact, the quintessential star of so-called blaxploitation films (a portmanteau of the words “black” and “exploitation”). This name refers to films made in the 1970s, where the main roles are played by actors of color. The most emblematic film of this cinematic movement is, of course, Shaft, Red Nights of Harlem.

In 1973, with the release of the film Coffy, the Black Panther of Harlem, Pam Grier became the muse of blaxploitation. The following year, he achieved even greater success with Foxy Brown, which many consider the pinnacle of this cinematic and social movement.

From Fox to Jackie Brown

From the late 1980s, blaxploitation suffered a commercial and artistic decline, and its main stars gradually faded into obscurity. But Quentin Tarantino never forgot that period, and that’s why the revival of movies was so important in American culture that he decided to make Jackie Brown.

For the main role of his film, the director could not imagine any other actor, except the translator of Foxy Brown himself! The first unsuccessful meeting already took place between Tarantino and Pam Grier, when the latter auditioned for the role of Pulp Fiction.

A critical and commercial triumph, the film earned its lead actor a Golden Globe nomination. The success of Jackie Brown brought blaxploitation films, especially Foxy Brown, into the spotlight.

This feature film, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, is regarded today as one of the jewels of African-American cinema and a pioneer of minority representation in the Hollywood industry.

Foxy Brown’s film with Pam Grier will be released on December 30th.

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