Goonskin

Goonskin

Though interesting in how experimental it gets, I feel like Bakshi needs the restraint he had on heavy traffic and Fritz the Cat in order to fully realise some of these ideas. This feels like his most exploitative of other cultures, though I do believe that Bakshi’s intentions are earnest in his attempt to comment on racist stereotypes, it’s quite possible that in a lot of his depictions in this movie, particularly in the character’s design, he gets diminishing returns. Some absolute stand out moments though, the story of the single mother and the cockroach is a beautiful use of colour and has excellent voice acting.

I do love Bakshi, and with every film of his that I see I am beginning to understand him more and more. Though, there is a lot you can say about this film being incredibly dated in its racial politics and the argument that this isn’t Bakshi’s story to tell is very much one that can be levelled against this and other parts of his social realist films. Particularly the crow character in Fritz the Cat, but that’s also a Robert Crumb conversation and he’s a whole different story.

At the end of the day, like all of Bakshi’s films, this is too interesting to talk and think about to dislike. I am a sucker for mixing documentary filmmaking and fiction filmmaking in the way he does and one day I will steal that for my own movies.

Though interesting in how experimental it gets, I feel like Bakshi needs the restraint he had on heavy traffic and Fritz the Cat in order to fully realise some of these ideas. This feels like his most exploitative of other cultures, though I do believe that Bakshi’s intentions are earnest in his attempt to comment on racist stereotypes, it’s quite possible that in a lot of his depictions in this movie, particularly in the character’s design, he gets diminishing returns. Some absolute stand out moments though, the story of the single mother and the cockroach is a beautiful use of colour and has excellent voice acting.

I do love Bakshi, and with every film of his that I see I am beginning to understand him more and more. Though, there is a lot you can say about this film being incredibly dated in its racial politics and the argument that this isn’t Bakshi’s story to tell is very much one that can be levelled against this and other parts of his social realist films. Particularly the crow character in Fritz the Cat, but that’s also a Robert Crumb conversation and he’s a whole different story.

At the end of the day, like all of Bakshi’s films, this is too interesting to talk and think about to dislike. I am a sucker for mixing documentary filmmaking and fiction filmmaking in the way he does and one day I will steal that for my own movies.

Ralph Bakshi needs to be talked about more. his social and racial commentary is so good.

Ralph Bakshi needs to be talked about more. his social and racial commentary is so good.

Technically, this film deserves 5 stars, but under my personal system, that’s not possible.
5 stars are for personal favorites, films I love and would rewatch anytime.
Coonskin isn’t a film you “love.”
It’s uncomfortable, provocative, raw and that’s exactly why it’s powerful.

This is pure satire – but not the safe kind.
Ralph Bakshi exaggerates racism, sexism, and transphobic stereotypes to the breaking point, only to expose how absurd and cruel they are.
It often feels wrong, but that’s the point.
He doesn’t want you to feel comfortable; he wants you to recognize how ugly these mindsets were (and sadly still are).

While watching, I honestly wasn’t sure how to feel.
Some scenes are so direct that I caught myself thinking, “Can he even do that?”
So I looked into the context > the era, the politics, the laws, what Bakshi was really trying to say.
And the more I understood, the clearer it became how necessary this film was.
It was ahead of its time and would still cause controversy today – which says a lot.

Stylistically, it reminds me of South Park, only far more extreme.
Both are satire about hypocrisy and double standards,
but Coonskin goes further:
South Park comments – Coonskin lives it.
This is what South Park wishes it could be if it dared to show everything.

Bakshi even parodies The Godfather at one point -
the same world of power, told through Black characters who never got the same respect.
When white people show violence, it’s “art.”
When Black people do, it’s “crime.”
That’s the entire point.

The sexualization, especially through the character of Miss America, isn’t random either.
She represents the U.S. itself: seductive, superficial, and dangerous.
Bakshi uses her to mock the Hollywood system that reduced women and minorities to decoration.

Coonskin isn’t here to please you.
It’s here to shock you, to make you think, to make you uncomfortable.
And that’s exactly why it works.
If satire is meant to hurt, then let it hurt like this.

Technically, this film deserves 5 stars, but under my personal system, that’s not possible.
5 stars are for personal favorites, films I love and would rewatch anytime.
Coonskin isn’t a film you “love.”
It’s uncomfortable, provocative, raw and that’s exactly why it’s powerful.

This is pure satire – but not the safe kind.
Ralph Bakshi exaggerates racism, sexism, and transphobic stereotypes to the breaking point, only to expose how absurd and cruel they are.
It often feels wrong, but that’s the point.
He doesn’t want you to feel comfortable; he wants you to recognize how ugly these mindsets were (and sadly still are).

While watching, I honestly wasn’t sure how to feel.
Some scenes are so direct that I caught myself thinking, “Can he even do that?”
So I looked into the context > the era, the politics, the laws, what Bakshi was really trying to say.
And the more I understood, the clearer it became how necessary this film was.
It was ahead of its time and would still cause controversy today – which says a lot.

Stylistically, it reminds me of South Park, only far more extreme.
Both are satire about hypocrisy and double standards,
but Coonskin goes further:
South Park comments – Coonskin lives it.
This is what South Park wishes it could be if it dared to show everything.

Bakshi even parodies The Godfather at one point -
the same world of power, told through Black characters who never got the same respect.
When white people show violence, it’s “art.”
When Black people do, it’s “crime.”
That’s the entire point.

The sexualization, especially through the character of Miss America, isn’t random either.
She represents the U.S. itself: seductive, superficial, and dangerous.
Bakshi uses her to mock the Hollywood system that reduced women and minorities to decoration.

Coonskin isn’t here to please you.
It’s here to shock you, to make you think, to make you uncomfortable.
And that’s exactly why it works.
If satire is meant to hurt, then let it hurt like this.

Black Jesus is the precursor to Incredible Gassy.

Black Jesus is the precursor to Incredible Gassy.