Billy Jack (1971)

the audience applauded

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Half-breed Vietnam-vet Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin) lives on a Reservation protecting the natives, wild horses, and the peace-loving people. He confronts Posner and his men poaching wild mustangs for dog meat. Sheriff Cole brings back Barbara from Haight-Ashbury to her deputy father. She is beaten for getting pregnant from the free love. Cole asks Billy Jack to protect her at the native school from his deputy and the big man Posner. The school is home to every race run by Jean Roberts. The tension between the school and the locals grow until it boils over.In 'The Born Losers', Billy Jack is interesting but it's Elizabeth James who plays Vicky Barrington in her white bikini that is truly memorable. I don't know where she went although I doubt they could have worked the bikini into this movie. There is a lot of hippie ethics and a sympathetic depiction of native plight. Although for a hippie movie, there is plenty of violence. The philosophizing can be conflicting. The dialog is often rambling. The acting is terribly amateurish. Its heart is mostly in the right place but it's a bit of a mess.

Okay, here we go. In this film Billy gets bitten by a rattlesnake a half dozen times and lives. He kicks the bad rich dude upside his head, makes the rich dude's kid drive a fancy Corvette into a lake, later killing him and two LEOs and goes to jail for it. He is driven off in a squad car with people standing along both sides of the road holding their arms up in the "power" salute while we hear the band "Coven" sing "One Tin Soldier," which is really catchy. We are still informed that Billy is an ex-Green Beret. I also liked this movie as Billy was a very charismatic character. However many things are left unexplained. Why is Billy now in Arizona, not California? Whatever happened to Vickie from "The Born Losers?" How does Billy figure out that Jean was raped by Benard? Why did Delores Taylor strip naked in the film? Was that really needed? Stay tuned, the best is yet to come. (Continued on "The Trial of Billy Jack.")

Tom Laughlin returns as director and star of this second film appearance of Billy Jack, former Green Beret and Martial Arts Master who must combat bigotry and violence in his town. Dolores Taylor plays Jean, who runs the freedom school for orphaned or underprivileged children that is targeted by some residents, who mock and threaten them, causing Billy "to go berserk" defending them. Billy is also targeted because the bigots call him "half-breed Indian" and so on. When both Jean and the school are attacked by the worst of the lot, events threaten to spiral out of control... Rousing film with Billy being a modern day John Wayne(despite claims of political bias) Villains may be quite one-dimensional, but film has its heart in the right place, and its message really hits home, especially with the song "One Tin Soldier".

I doubt anyone born in the 80's and 90's could appreciate this "message" movie made in 1969 and released 2 years later..when Billy Jack came out, I had already been to war in Vietnam..and I didn't understand the Hippie movement or the peace movement and it took quite some time for me to come to grips with the other opinions that began to pervade American culture..I eventually realized that for a lot of US or American involvement in other countries' affairs has been going on for longer than anyone can remember..most of our wars are unnecessary..with that said..Billy Jack had studio financing problems..and Jean was not the first one cast to play that part..however..a lot of people complain that it looks cheap or amateurish..you have to realize..$800,000 doesn't go very far..and still made $65 million at the box office and $ 32 million in rentals..but back to Billy Jack..a guy who would much rather just live his life in peace..but the bigots just won't live and let live..and he is faced with a few situations where his training takes over..instinct..self preservation..he does his best to no avail..there are some classic scenes and memorable dialogue..one which has been quoted..when the deputy holds a gun to the girl's head and Billy levels his Winchester at the deputy.."you mean you'd kill her, just like that?" Billy replies.."You"ll kill her..then I"ll kill you..just like that.."..anyone who lived through that time will see similarities to events around them growing up as depicted in the movie..anyone looking for a CGI special effects..30 explosions per half hour will not find them here..but what they do find here will be thought-provoking and sincere..the characters are NOT stereotypes..I have known folks JUST LIKE THESE ..and hopefully you'll enjoy this minor classic..JUST LIKE THAT..