During the 1970s, the 'blaxploitation' film movement produced a lot of great, near great and downright bad films....just like any other genre. However, unlike traditional movies, these featured very strong black American characters...characters who were sick of being on the socioeconomic bottom rung. So unlike the 'nice' black people in 1930s-60s film, these people were fighting mad...which made them very popular at inner city theaters. And, among the many blaxploitation films, many were pretty much remakes of white characters...with black characters instead. This explains why there is a black "Exorcist" ("Abby"), a black "Frankenstein" ("Blackenstein") and, in the case of "Thomasine & Bushrod" you have a black version of the big hit, "Bonnie & Clyde".
The film is set out west in 1911...well after the old west period you see in films. Bushrod (Max Julien) is a criminal and Thomasine (Vonetta McGee), because she's in love with him, joins him in his bank robbing spree. They are in love but also not entirely happy. Bushrod sees himself as the Robin Hood-type...stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. But Thomasine is tired of living in poverty and insists they keep at least some of the money for themselves! Clearly, she is the more practical of the two! What's coming next? See the film...and find out if they meet the same sort of end as Bonnie & Clyde or, perhaps, they manage to get away with this lifestyle.
Despite the subject matter, "Thomasine & Bushrod" is not nearly as exciting as it should have been. The film lacked the great music of a heist film, the sustained excitement, excellent direction and fine acting. Here, instead, you have two relative newcomers (McGee and Julien) and a flat script where it SHOULD have been much more interesting. Not a bad film...but one that clearly could have been so much more...and had more lasting appeal.
By the way, if you do see the film, note Glynn Turman who played 'Jomo'. He has the distinction of having starred in the most ridiculous blaxploitation film ever made, "JD's Revenge"...a film that is so bad, so silly and so over-the-top that you just have to see it to believe it! He was a fine actor....but even the best actor couldn't have made this movie work.
The film is set out west in 1911...well after the old west period you see in films. Bushrod (Max Julien) is a criminal and Thomasine (Vonetta McGee), because she's in love with him, joins him in his bank robbing spree. They are in love but also not entirely happy. Bushrod sees himself as the Robin Hood-type...stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. But Thomasine is tired of living in poverty and insists they keep at least some of the money for themselves! Clearly, she is the more practical of the two! What's coming next? See the film...and find out if they meet the same sort of end as Bonnie & Clyde or, perhaps, they manage to get away with this lifestyle.
Despite the subject matter, "Thomasine & Bushrod" is not nearly as exciting as it should have been. The film lacked the great music of a heist film, the sustained excitement, excellent direction and fine acting. Here, instead, you have two relative newcomers (McGee and Julien) and a flat script where it SHOULD have been much more interesting. Not a bad film...but one that clearly could have been so much more...and had more lasting appeal.
By the way, if you do see the film, note Glynn Turman who played 'Jomo'. He has the distinction of having starred in the most ridiculous blaxploitation film ever made, "JD's Revenge"...a film that is so bad, so silly and so over-the-top that you just have to see it to believe it! He was a fine actor....but even the best actor couldn't have made this movie work.