This cult film is arguably American International's best non horror film ever made, a biker film that is heads above all the "Hell's Angels" made to follow. It is the most anti-establishment film against the anti-establishment, dealing with Native American Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin) and his battle against a motorcycle gang who is terrorizing the community. When three young women are raped, the gang sets out to silence all witnesses and it's up to Billy and one of the women (Elizabeth James) to bring them to justice even though James refuses to aid the police out of her own fears.
The film that spawned a series of sequels (only the first of which is worth seeing, a total classic and even better than this) got two chances for success. It was a moderate hit on its first run and in its re-release after the premiere of "Billy Jack", it did even better. This film is brave in many ways because it doesn't hide anything and even though there's not excessive nudity outside a few bare breasts, there's also hints of homosexuality among the gang and a violence that is painful to see but necessary as a reflection of these dangerous times.
Playing the leader of the gang is Jeremy Slate, a talented featured actor in westerns whole soap fans will remember playing Philip Carey's right hand man on "One Life to Live" for years. He's not afraid of kissing a man on the lips or slugging a woman (obviously insinuated but realistically so), and the build-up to him getting his comeuppance is worth the wait. It's not often that you see a B movie that runs nearly two hours, but this film never drags.
Playing the mother of one of the victims is a very camp Jane Russell, heavily made up, wearing gold lemay (so you know she's trailer trash), and completely over the top in her two scenes. Tom Laughlin is very subtle in his performance, making clear his disgust with Slate and his gang, and unafraid of playing a vigilante for justice. He gets a huge prison sentence (or option for a huge fine) while slate and his gang get less. Some justice, huh? The gang obviously warrants no sympathy and this is one time when police brutality seems welcome on the screen even though it's only Billy Jack who has the courage to stand up and face these scourges of the earth.
The film that spawned a series of sequels (only the first of which is worth seeing, a total classic and even better than this) got two chances for success. It was a moderate hit on its first run and in its re-release after the premiere of "Billy Jack", it did even better. This film is brave in many ways because it doesn't hide anything and even though there's not excessive nudity outside a few bare breasts, there's also hints of homosexuality among the gang and a violence that is painful to see but necessary as a reflection of these dangerous times.
Playing the leader of the gang is Jeremy Slate, a talented featured actor in westerns whole soap fans will remember playing Philip Carey's right hand man on "One Life to Live" for years. He's not afraid of kissing a man on the lips or slugging a woman (obviously insinuated but realistically so), and the build-up to him getting his comeuppance is worth the wait. It's not often that you see a B movie that runs nearly two hours, but this film never drags.
Playing the mother of one of the victims is a very camp Jane Russell, heavily made up, wearing gold lemay (so you know she's trailer trash), and completely over the top in her two scenes. Tom Laughlin is very subtle in his performance, making clear his disgust with Slate and his gang, and unafraid of playing a vigilante for justice. He gets a huge prison sentence (or option for a huge fine) while slate and his gang get less. Some justice, huh? The gang obviously warrants no sympathy and this is one time when police brutality seems welcome on the screen even though it's only Billy Jack who has the courage to stand up and face these scourges of the earth.