Billy Jack (1971)
Billy Jack first appeared to little fanfare in Born Losers (1967), but erupted into the national consciousness in this schizophrenic film, defending a group of hippies from a corrupt local government.
Billy responds to slight injustices with inappropriate levels of violence which is then met with more deplorable violence, culminating in the son of the corrupt sheriff raping Billy’s.
Billy murders the perpetrator with a well placed judo chop to the throat. The rest of the film is a long discussion about the merits of turning himself in peacefully versus going out in a blaze of glory.
Ultimately, peace prevails; Billy Jack surrenders to police, setting up the sequel, The Trial of Billy Jack (1974), an epic courtroom drama.
In addition to his work as Billy Jack, Tom Laughlin ran for President three times (as a Democrat in 1992, a Republican in 2004, and as a Democrat again in 2008).
This film is noteworthy as one of the first American films to feature martial arts and for its progressive treatment of Native Americans. It’s an important bridge from outlaw films like Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) to vigilante films like Dirty Harry (1971) and Death Wish (1974).
However, the movie fails because it can’t decide if it wants to justify violence or glorify peaceful resistance. Sending two opposing messages at once, it’s difficult to hear either.
Laughlin’s films are not very good, but his innovations in marketing and distribution outside the Hollywood system paved the way for future generations of more talented independent filmmakers.