directed by Arthur Marks
This is an early seventies film noir that was masquerading as a blaxploitation film that was masquerading as a cop buddy film. It had a lot in common with Across 110th Street. The film was unusual because not only was it set in Detroit, it also was shot in Detroit.
Often filmmakers then and now use Cleveland or Toronto as stand-ins for Detroit. I hate that. So I enjoyed watching this movie and recognizing so many buildings and areas. Sacred Heart Seminary, which was just down the street from my childhood home, has an brief appearance.
Obviously many buildings from 1973 Detroit no longer exist in 2022 but there are some left. People don't realize it but Detroit had (and still has) many beautiful buildings and homes in a variety of architectural styles, including but not limited to Baroque, neo-Gothic, Romanesque, Art Deco, Victorian, and Art-Moderne. There's a glory, majesty, and beauty to these older buildings.
Few of these buildings were designed with open floor plans or large windows. So there's darkness and old world sinister feeling to some buildings which fit in well with the film's motifs.
70s Detroit was at a tipping point. White Flight started in the fifties and had dramatically accelerated since the 1967 Rebellion. The metro Detroit area was among the nation's most racially segregated regions. The auto industry and other labor intensive businesses were contracting. Unions were in decline.
Detroit was not yet majority Black but would be soon. However the private sector, police, and fire departments were still majority white. And they intended to stay that way. But politics were changing. Soon after this movie was released Coleman Young would become Detroit's first Black mayor.
Detroit 9000 captures this era's fears, hopes, ambitions, and of course racism. A brash popular Black congressional representative, Aubrey Clayton (Ruby Challenger), repurposes a Black History celebration to announce his run for Michigan governor and hold an impromptu fundraiser. However masked and hooded men rob the fundraiser. No one can tell their race.
Some people say Blacks did the robbery just to blame Whites. Other people say there wasn't enough police protection so Whites must have committed the robbery to prevent a Black man from being elected governor.
Two very different Detroit cops are assigned the case. Financially stressed white cop Lt. Danny Bassett (Alex Rocco aka Moe Green from The Godfather) is in charge initially. Bassett is more than a little racist but dislikes all criminals equally. He's old school in ways good and bad.
Because of political aka racial considerations younger Black college educated detective Jesse Williams (Hari Rhodes) later takes over. If Williams fails his racist bosses will be ever so delighted to blame him. If he succeeds they'll take all the credit. Neither Williams not Bassett likes or trusts his fellow officer very much.
Still work is work. The two men work independently and later together on the case. One possible witness and lead is the beautiful call girl Ruby Harris (Vonetta McGee) who knows one of the cops from before her days as a scarlet woman. Bassett has a mentally disturbed wife who can't stop spewing racial slurs. Williams has a positive minded fiancee.
There are a LOT of chase scenes, perhaps too many. The gunshot special effects are poorly done, even for the times. They look like paintball.
Real life Detroiters such as Martha Jean The Queen (a DJ and radio host), Police Chief John Nichols, and Dick Purtan (a DJ and radio host) play themselves or have small roles.
