The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973)

Wonderful character development!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Absolutely brilliant

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Just watched this long-banned film on YouTube. Author Sam Greenlee co-wrote and co-produced with director Ivan Dixon this quite controversial movie based on his book about Dan Freeman (Lawrence Cook) who becomes a token black C.I.A. employee before returning to his Chicago home in order to get an organization of many poor blacks to fight for black nationalism. For me personally, I was both excited and maybe a little appalled at what violent means were used to get their ends but I certainly was never bored. And Freeman really gets into the skin of his character. I especially liked his conversations with Pretty Willie (David Lemieux) about that character's "whiteness" (despite the way he looks, he really considers himself black) and J.A. Preston-as former college classmate Dawson who's now a police officer-about how he's not believing of the system. Really, all I'll now say is I highly recommend The Spook Who Sat by the Door. Oh, and the music score by Herbie Hancock is way cool! P.S. Both Greenlee and Hancock are natives of my birthtown of Chicago but you probably figured that out. And another player named Paula Kelly was born in Jacksonville, FL, which is where I once lived from 1987-2003.

Very intelligent and sublimely scripted film that stars Larry Cook in a truly powerful role. Cook plays Dan Freeman, the first CIA-recruit since the start of the agency. After an intense training and a mind-strong career of 5 years, Freeman returns to the ghetto where he grew up and mobilizes the future-less black youth to stand up for themselves and begin a violent revolution against the white authorities. The message and criticism in the screenplay is so well-elaborated because Sam Greenlee adapted it from his own novel. True, the film contains a little too much talking and some of the sentimental speeches are hard to swallow (like Freeman's supposedly heart-breaking tale of how he taught his grandmother to read), but most of the criticism against America are quite thought-provoking, daring and way ahead of their time. Around the hour, more action kicks in and we're treated to several convincing riot-sequences and atmospheric images of the ghetto under siege. But, perhaps the most fascinating aspect about "The Spook who sat by the Door" is the psychological battle inside the protagonist's head, resulting in a dazzling end-scene. Knowing the controversy a film like "New Jack City" caused, I'm sure that this movie would provoke far worse situations when re-released properly.It is claimed that this movie was "lost" for over 30 years so it got honored by an immense cult-status. I can only recommend for you to see it yourself.

I have seen this film on several occasions ( though not lately), have spoken to its author , and have known several of its cast members, the most notable of which would be Lawrence Cook and Paula Kelly. For a time the film was withdrawn from circulation, though it was briefly brought back in a limited release in the late 1980s. It was made on a shoestring budget. The subject matter was so controversial that the then Mayor of Chicago would not allow it to be filmed in the city, which is where Greenlee had sought to film it. Gary, Indiana had to be the stage, instead. Despite the obvious budget ( and therefore technical) limitations--not to mention the dearth of then well known names--the film is highly effective. Many a movie patron who sat through it went home feeling somewhat--perhaps considerably--less secure about himself and the world around him. I loved the film.

I viewed this film in a Pan African Studies class at California State University, Northridge in 1993. Professor James Dennis who was a Civil Rights activist who made the Mississippi Freedom Rides told us this was the best film about and by African-Americans, and I agree with him wholeheartedly! I would like to get this video and show it in the classes I teach in history. This film was ahead of its time. Sam Greenelee is a very good writer and captures the essence of the struggle for African-Americans.