In spite of the conspicuous title, controversial subject matter and the use of provocative archive footage (starring Adolf Hitler), "The Black Gestapo" is not much more than a curious footnote in the rancid world of 70's exploitation. The nearly inseparable writer/director duo Lee Frost and Wes Bishop courageously attempt to depict how immense power will eventually corrupt everybody, even those of whom you least expect it. General Ahmed founded the People's Army in order to protect the black members of the Watts community from mafia thugs, and he dreams about a society of peace and harmony as imagined by Martin Luther King. His second in command Colonel Kojah, however, sympathizes more with the principles of Adolf Hitler and insists on fighting back with hard violence. Kojah's methods expel the white criminals all right, but the ever-increasing power rapidly turns him and his men into even bigger monsters then the white mobsters ever were. "The Black Gestapo" probably would have been far more effective if the creators had spent a little more effort and attention to the black vigilantes' gradual descent into madness. Loads of playtime is spent to the white Mafiosi nagging and acting stupid, whereas the founding of the Black Master Race appears to suddenly happen overnight. Kojah and his rapidly growing army of young black solider take over the prostitution networks and drug traffic, and it's up the still unaware General Ahmed to bring his old pal's empire down again. This is a typically 70's low-budget exploitation effort, meaning there's copious amounts of gratuitous nudity and provocative footage, like adolescent black boys in Nazi uniforms. The noteworthy moments of genuine suspense and intelligent dialog are far more sporadic, of course, not to mention totally absent. The finale, revolving on one man annihilating the entire foundation, is pretty ludicrous and feels like an amateur episode of "The A-Team". Uschi Digard, the voluptuous Swedish cult siren of "Supervixens" and "Truck Stop Women" makes a brief naked appearance; I suppose that's worth a mention as well.
Review of The Black Gestapo
