Richard Roundtree passed away a couple days ago. 1971's Shaft is good for several reasons but Roundtree's cool performance is the most significant. Taking the hard-boiled detective archetype and importing it to the blaxploitation film proved the perfect job for Roundtree who brought a quiet power to the world-weary, heroic figure.
Those opening credits still work pretty damned good as a short film. Isaac Hayes' music, Gordon Parks' direction, and Rountree's attitude all function in concert.
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