Coffy

She's the Godmother of them all.



Synopsis
Coffy ( drums...: Pam Grier) has three things: consciousness, empathy and cojones the size of Texas. The consciousness helps her see the dark side of the city she lives in. The empathy aids the feelings of despair when her sister gets into drugs. The cojones set her on a mission of revenge, bringing the justice to the dealers.


Review
Let me get something straight. I don't like exploitation movies. The idea that they might be in any way empowering is ridiculous to me (I'm looking at you 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!') . They usually are just another vehicle to glamorise the patriarchal agenda. However, there have been (very few) films of that genre that are simply put, amazing.

  Coffy might be running around in revealing outfits. But, as Pam Grier explained it in one of her interviews, the social revolution of the 70s gave her look an entirely different context. By accentuating her sexuality, Pam was re-claiming it for black women. Back then, short skirts were shocking. But, short skirts on black women were tabu.

Coffy is a woman of her own in every sense of the word. She is a single working female who, when faced with an obstacle, takes control. She doesn't rely on men. In fact, her actions expose the weakness, greed and corruption of men in her life. 

It's also an incredibly fun action movie. The story isn't particurarly complicated. But, so what? There are so many simple shoot'em up films with men in lead roles. Why not have them with women too?

So, as much as some features of the movie seem now outdated (Coffy use of her sex-appeal), it's important to remember when it was produced. And, appreciate it for the role it played in the reaffirmation of black women in their strength.
 




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