Editing Shaft (1971 film) (section)

==Reception==
===Box office performance===
The film was one of only three profitable movies that year for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]], grossing what ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine called an "astonishing" $13&nbsp;million on a budget of $500,000.<ref name="timeboxo">{{cite magazine| url= http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,905921,00.html | archive-url= https://archive.today/20120913034735/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,905921,00.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= September 13, 2012 | title= Show Business: Black Market | magazine= [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date= April 10, 1972 | access-date=2010-10-31}}</ref>

The ''Los Angeles Times'' said the film cost $1&nbsp;million after advertising and other costs and grossed $4.5&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|title=MGM to Specialize and Diversify, Too: Aubrey Sees Big Year, Details 'Select' Movies, Resort Plans MGM: Leo Seeks Greener Fields|author1=Dallos, Robert E|author2=Delugach, Al.|work=Los Angeles Times|date=Oct 24, 1971|page=h1}}</ref> According to ''Variety'' by 1976 it earned $7.656&nbsp;million in theatrical rentals.<ref>{{cite news|title=All-time Film Rental Champs|work=Variety|date=7 January 1976|page=44}}</ref>

It not only spawned several years of "blaxploitation" action films, it earned enough money to save then-struggling [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] from bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/248/000027167/|title=Gordon Parks|website=www.nndb.com|access-date=2011-12-20|archive-date=2018-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118072712/http://www.nndb.com/people/248/000027167/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Public reception ===
''Shaft'' was extremely successful in theaters, which was a huge accomplishment for the then-struggling MGM studios. It was produced at a cost of $1.2&nbsp;million while earning $10.8&nbsp;million in its first year of distribution,<ref name=":0" /> $7&nbsp;million in the U.S. alone.<ref name=":3" />

===Critical reception===
The critical reception of ''Shaft'' was mixed. In general, the film was applauded for its innovation, success, and its lasting effect on the film industry. "Because of the film's positioning securely within the parameters of industry standards, ''Shaft'' was generally applauded by the critics both black and white, as being a breakthrough production in terms of expanding black [[Social representation|representation]] in commercial cinema."<ref name=":0" />{{better source needed|date=October 2021}}

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "The strength of Parks's movie is his willingness to let his hero fully inhabit the private-eye genre, with all of its obligatory violence, blood, obscenity, and plot gimmicks. The weakness of 'Shaft,' I suspect, is that Parks is not very eager to inhabit that world along with his hero."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shaft-1971 |title=Shaft |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=November 30, 2018 |archive-date=August 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809135725/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shaft-1971 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] awarded two stars out of four and wrote that the film "offers little more than a rousing opening fight and a chance to see Roundtree glower while he models some fancy leather outfits."<ref>[[Gene Siskel|Siskel, Gene]] (July 5, 1971). "[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37530290/gene_siskel_movie/ 'Shaft'...] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020132106/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37530290/gene_siskel_movie/ |date=2019-10-20 }}" ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 2, p. 7.</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote that the film was "directed by Gordon Parks with a subtle feel for both the grit and the humanity of the script. Excellent cast, headed by newcomer Richard Roundtree, may shock some audiences with a heavy dose of candid dialog and situation."<ref>"Film Reviews: Shaft". ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''. June 16, 1971. 15.</ref> [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called it "the first good Saturday night movie I've seen in years ... 'Shaft' is not a great film, but it's very entertaining."<ref name=":5">[[Vincent Canby|Canby, Vincent]] (July 11, 1971). "[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/11/archives/-shaft-at-last-a-good-saturday-night-movie-about-shaft.html 'Shaft'—At Last, a Good Saturday Night Movie] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020132107/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/11/archives/-shaft-at-last-a-good-saturday-night-movie-about-shaft.html |date=2019-10-20 }}". ''The New York Times''. D1.</ref> In a review for ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'', [[Nigel Andrews]] called it "in the main a highly workmanlike and enjoyable thriller."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Andrews |first=Nigel |author-link=Nigel Andrews |date=January 1972 |title=Shaft |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=39 |issue=456 |page=15 }}</ref> Gary Arnold of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' called it "a diverting commercial thriller, inconsequential but slick and casually enjoyable."<ref>Arnold, Gary (June 30, 1971). "'Shaft': Diverting Thriller". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. B8.</ref>

Other critics like Clayton Riley mainly found fault in the films' failure to "deal with Black life in serious terms,"<ref name=":6" /> writing that "[[Sam Spade]] is all right for the field hands because the White folks don't want to carry that weight any more. But how seriously would '[[Five Easy Pieces]]' have been taken with a Black pianist as the weary protagonist?"<ref>Riley, Clayton (July 25, 1971). "[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/25/archives/a-black-movie-for-white-audiences-a-black-critics-view-of-shaft.html A Black Movie for White Audiences?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020132214/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/25/archives/a-black-movie-for-white-audiences-a-black-critics-view-of-shaft.html |date=2019-10-20 }}" ''[[The New York Times]]''. D13.</ref> Riley also harshly stated, "Mediocre is the only word to describe the work of [[Gordon Parks]], the director of this nonsense, inept is the kindest thing to say about the performances of [[Richard Roundtree]] as [[John Shaft]], a Black private eye on the prowl for kicks in the [[Big Apple]] underworld."<ref name=":6" /> Parks responded to Riley's social criticisms with a letter to the editor in ''The New York Times'', stating that "Riley seems sadly alone among blacks in this reaction. Most black critics have lauded the film for its portrayal of Shaft as a strong black hero ... I share Riley's desire to see black actors playing roles now assumed by actors such as [[Jack Nicholson]] or [[Dustin Hoffman]], but I don't think the choice for black people is limited to either 'Five Easy Pieces' or [[Stepin Fetchit]]."<ref>Parks, Gordon (August 22, 1971). "[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/22/archives/aiming-shafts-at-a-critic-of-shaft-aiming-shafts-at-a-critic-of.html Aiming Shafts At a Critic of 'Shaft'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020132217/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/22/archives/aiming-shafts-at-a-critic-of-shaft-aiming-shafts-at-a-critic-of.html |date=2019-10-20 }}". ''[[The New York Times]]''. D8.</ref>

[[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a score of 88% based on 49 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's "Critics Consensus" quotes the movie's [[Theme from Shaft|opening song]]: "This is the man that would risk his neck for his brother, man. Can you dig it?"<ref>{{Rotten Tomatoes|1018699-shaft|Shaft}}</ref>

===Awards and nominations===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[44th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Dramatic Score]]
| [[Isaac Hayes]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1972 |title=The 44th Academy Awards (1972) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=December 6, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111072026/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1972 |archive-date=November 11, 2014}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Song – Original for the Picture]]
| "[[Theme from Shaft|Theme from ''Shaft'']]" <br> Music and Lyrics by Isaac Hayes
| {{won}}
|-
| [[25th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Original Music|Best Original Music]]
| rowspan="2"| Isaac Hayes
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1972/film |title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 1972 |publisher=[[British Academy Film Awards]] |access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[29th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score – Motion Picture]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/shaft/ |title=Shaft |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song – Motion Picture]]
| "Theme from ''Shaft''" <br> Music and Lyrics by Isaac Hayes
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor|Most Promising Newcomer – Male]]
| [[Richard Roundtree]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="7"| [[14th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards]]
| [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]]
| ''[[Shaft (Isaac Hayes album)|Shaft]]'' – Isaac Hayes
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="7"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/14th-annual-grammy-awards |title=14th Annual GRAMMY Awards |publisher=[[Grammy Awards]] |access-date=May 1, 2011}}</ref>
|-
| [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]]
| "Theme from ''Shaft''" – Isaac Hayes
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group]]
| "Theme from ''Shaft''" (Instrumental) – Isaac Hayes
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella|Best Instrumental Arrangement]]
| "Theme from ''Shaft''" – Isaac Hayes and [[Johnny Allen (arranger)|Johnny Allen]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition|Best Instrumental Composition]]
| "Theme from ''Shaft''" – Isaac Hayes
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media|Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special]]
| ''Shaft'' – Isaac Hayes
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical|Best Engineered Recording – Non-Classical]]
| "Theme from ''Shaft''" – Henry Bush, Ron Capone, and Dave Purple
| {{won}}
|-
| [[1994 MTV Movie Awards|MTV Movie Awards]]
| Lifetime Achievement Award
| Richard Roundtree
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[NAACP Image Awards]]
| rowspan="2"| [[NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture]]
| [[Moses Gunn]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| 
|-
| Richard Roundtree
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[National Film Preservation Board]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Film Registry]]
| {{won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] |access-date=December 16, 2015}}</ref>
|}

In 2000, ''Shaft'' was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackclassicmovies.com/Movie_Feature/african_american_films_natl_registry.html |title=African American Films in the National Film Registry |publisher=BlackClassicMovies.com |access-date=May 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218153508/http://www.blackclassicmovies.com/Movie_Feature/african_american_films_natl_registry.html |archive-date=2008-02-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-69475112.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104032058/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-69475112.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |title=''Shaft'' Among 25 Films Picked By Library Of Congress For 2000 National Film Preservation Registry |publisher=HighBeam.com |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref>

In 2003, ''Shaft'' was chosen as one of ''The 1000 Best Movies Ever Made'' by ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | title=The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made | date=April 29, 2003 | access-date=May 21, 2010 | archive-date=March 29, 2005 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050329013532/http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

==== [[American Film Institute]] Lists ====
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs]]
** ''Theme From Shaft'' – #38<ref>{{cite web |url=http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/songs100.pdf?docID=244 |title=AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs |publisher=[[American Film Institute|AFI.com]] |access-date=May 21, 2010 |archive-date=September 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090919175606/http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/songs100.pdf?docID=244 |url-status=live }}</ref>