Tom Laughlin (1)

Although hampered by some pretty dated hippy / counter-cultural ramblings and street theatre improvisations, “Billy Jack” is still a hugely interesting and hugely touching film. Originally presented as a martial arts movie (not sure the distributors knew exactly how to market it) the film is instead an anti-racism, anti-establishment, pro-Native American polemic and a powerful plea for tolerance and understanding. The plot is relatively straight-forward: ex-Green Beret and half white / show more half Native American, Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin) wanders the reservation, turning up when needed and looking after a local commune-like, free-arts Freedom School. Unfortunately the nearby town of conservative rednecks loathe the school and any non-whites who visit the town. When Jean (Delores Taylor) the leader of the school harbours the pregnant and abused daughter of a town Deputy Sheriff a deadly clash between the townsfolk, the law and Billy Jack becomes inevitable. Directed by Tom Laughlin and co-written by Laughlin along with Delores Taylor, "Billy Jack" is a "social consciousness" film – it is a serious film about serious issues and is a powerful anti-racism statement. It is defiantly pro-hippie and anti-war and isn't afraid to preach a message at the audience. It is possibly a touch too long and doesn't fully work in places (the over-long improvisations, although funny break the flow of the film) but it still tells an always engaging and interesting story. The martial arts sequences are few and far between, but are decent enough when they arrive and the acting by the vast majority of the cast can best be described as naturalistic. Laughlin and Taylor are both fine in the lead roles and are given decent support by dual cinematographers Fred J. Koenekamp and John M. Stephens, who provide some first-class landscape and desert photography. The soundtrack is provided by Mundell Lowe, with a number of peace-and-love folky ballads spread throughout including “One Tin Soldier” by the great Jinx Dawson of legendary occult band Coven. Overall the flaws in "Billy Jack" are obvious and hard to avoid – it really is a film of its time. But it says something about the nature of the film and the power of the messages that it conveys that these flaws don't really damage what it an excellent film about racism, violence conflicting ideologies and indeed the very nature of freedom itself. I may be an old hippie but this film still has much resonance (not to mention a hugely stirring and highly touching climax). show less

T. C. Frank is Tom Laughlin. This is the first of the "Billy Jack" movies, in the revenge genre.