Buck and the Preacher

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Buck and the Preacher

PG

1972

1h 42m

Western

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

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44 Reviews

61%

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1,000+ Ratings

Following the end of the Civil War, soldier-turned-trail-guide Buck (Sidney Poitier) makes a living by helping former slaves find settlements in the West. Along the way, a con artist, the Preacher (Harry Belafonte), joins the group, and constantly clashes with Buck. But when a gang of bounty hunters, led by the fiendish Deshay (Cameron Mitchell), attempts to round up the freed slaves to bring them back to Louisiana, the two put aside their differences to fight a common enemy.

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Critics Consensus

Sidney Poitier's directorial debut may be more steady than inspired, but Harry Belafonte's live-wire performance and a Black perspective on classic Western tropes make for a refreshing addition to the genre.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Poitier films himself magnificently as an elegant western vision, whether gliding smoothly by on horseback or stalking desert towns in a natty pink shirt. But the scene stealer is Harry Belafonte...

Rated: 4/5

Mar 4, 2023

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

A terrifically enjoyable western adventure bromance, packed with brio and breezy, unreflective energy and tilted to the lighter end of the tonal spectrum.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 1, 2023

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Judith Crist

New York Magazine/Vulture

Send the kiddies to see this slick western with Sidney Poitier.

May 31, 2022

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

Buck and the Preacher exists at an interesting point in Poitier’s career. It’s a revisionist western that could have never been made in the ‘60s. But it doesn’t go as far as some of its contemporaries, especially the blaxploitation films of the era.

Apr 11, 2023

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

It’s part-Western, part-comedy with a twist of Black Power in a still-divided nation in which African-Americans were seen as the heroes in a genre that never gave a socially conscious idea of civil rights before.

Feb 15, 2023

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James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

goes against the grain, rewriting one of Hollywood’s most storied genres—the Western—through the lens of neglected black history

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 14, 2022

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j F.

Belafonte is crazy good

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/30/25

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Audience Member

Really good western here Sidney Poitier did an excellent job. Highly recommended James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas November 11, 2023.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/12/23

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Steve D

I expected a lot more given the talent and story.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/01/23

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delysid d

so funny to see 70s black folks in the old west

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/19/21

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Audience Member

This was a fantastic film. I am a bit unsure of why the audience score is so low. The film encapsulates the more diverse history of the American west with some comedic flair as is found in western films. The complexity of the dynamics between the newly freed Black U.S. citizens and of the white westerners is still fresh even in 2021. I thought it was great that they showed the length to which one of the white men went, such as murdering the sheriff, because of his racial views. I think what would've tied together the film would've maybe been more emphasis on Manifest Destiny mentality, but that truely is a hard concept to convey to many even when looking purely at historical facts. This is now one of my favorite movies and a wonderful piece of Americana.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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deke p

Very interesting. POITIER as a Cowboy. HARRY good as phony PreAcher. RUBY DEE, too. I may have started to watch a few times b4, but the terribly hokey saw/banjo music made it seem like a joke. But it was serious. X-SLAVES teaming up with INDIANS to elude the always evil WhiteSkins. Glad finally saw it on THE MOVIE CHANNEL 2.10.21, 'SIDNEY POITIER NITE' & HE DIRECTED! WHOOOOOOOLE Lotta shootin and killin.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Sidney Poitier

Director

Sidney Poitier

Buck

Harry Belafonte

Preacher

Ruby Dee

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Deshay

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Buck and the Preacher: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Following the end of the Civil War, soldier-turned-trail-guide Buck (Sidney Poitier) makes a living by helping former slaves find settlements in the West. Along the way, a con artist, the Preacher (Harry Belafonte), joins the group, and constantly clashes with Buck. But when a gang of bounty hunters, led by the fiendish Deshay (Cameron Mitchell), attempts to round up the freed slaves to bring them back to Louisiana, the two put aside their differences to fight a common enemy.

Director: Sidney Poitier
Producer: Joel Glickman
Screenwriter: Ernest Kinoy
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Belafonte Enterprises
Rating: PG
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Runtime: 1h 42m

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