Although controlled by whites, the blaxploitation period of filmmaking was representative of African American story lines and also used African Americans as the actors of leading roles. The films at this time were to encurage black audiences, but for several reasons the films were mostly poor in quality. Some of these reasons would include minute budgets to work with, black stories directed and portrayed through white views, and they had many technical setbacks. However produced, the films of this period were made to show an audience awareness for black films. Many of the characteristics of John Shaft, the main character help catagorize him in a typical stereotype of a black man.
Shaft comes from a poor, black background.
His name at first is nothing out of the ordinary until it is disected for further meaning and significance. The use of John as a first name symbolizes the general population, the last name Shaft can stand for the way in which blacks had been treated, the way they have been shafted in society and this name can also refer to his sex organ. The two love scenes in this film are in many ways very different. The first scene is with his girlfriend who is black. This scene is very artistic in make up with the circles of color that are used for discretion.