Listen, man, listen. You hear that?
That's not a song about a circus man.
That Dylan, he's talking about us.
Us? And how so? We the freaks?
No, see the geek, right? The geek is a circus performer.
They got injured on the trapeze
and now he's gotta take this other job, this menial job in order to survive.
Mr. Jones, he's willing to come down.
He willing to pay to see the geek in the cage
eating live chicken or whatever 'cause he wants to see a freak.
But then the geek, he take the chicken bone,
and he hands it to Mr. Jones and says,
"The real freak is you."
Wow. Man, that Bobby Dylan is heavy.
Okay. Have a seat right here.
Hey, man. Real freak is you.
The Greeks created icons. Portraits of religious figures.
But the images became sacred,
above and apart from the individual depicted.
- Wanna get the hat-- - I'll go tilt it.
Eldridge Cleaver was a man
- who understood the power of an image. - Yeah.
He wanted one that inspired armed revolution.
This right here says, "Leader and defender of the Black colony... in white America."
The most dangerous man on the planet.
Now, look straight in the lens.
This is the shot.
According to the philosopher Foucault,
if an image becomes iconic,
it is impossible to see the subject as anything else.
Roz, I promise, he's not staying long.
- One day, two max. - If Bert's house was raided,
it's only a matter of time before they bust down our door.
- Is that what you want? - No.
You wanna watch me and my kids hauled away in handcuffs?
Mary Poppins is at it again.
Did you hear me?
I gotta finish this letter to the Cuban government, Gwen.
- Huey, she's-- - She's not gonna want Steve to go to jail.
She doesn't care.
- Look, we can't stay here. - Well, where else are we supposed to go?
I can't trust anybody in the party anymore.
Okay, but why are these the people to elude a manhunt?
Now, why would you think they can do that?
Because I'm gonna make 'em.
Look, Gwen, Bert--
Bert did keep Ellsberg out of jail.
And he got Abbie Hoffman out of the country
when he was number one on the most-wanted list. He brought Chaplin back.
What do all those people got in common that you don't?
Hey.
Look, it's all-- Come here.
It's all gonna be okay.
You should've never got involved with these Hollywood fools.
All right, listen up.
For 50 years Hollywood has failed to stand up to tyranny.
All that is gonna end right here with you.
- We're gonna be the Beverly Hills 7, man. - They call you that after you're arrested.
No. No one's gonna get arrested.
We know planning and logistics.
We're gonna get Huey to Cuba in the next 48 hours.
Ticking clock's good, but why so tight?
Because the FBI's started kicking down doors.
Plus, my girlfriend's gonna fuck her tennis coach
if this goes on any longer.
- Like I said, we're not gonna get caught. - How can you know that, man?
We got the perfect cover.
As far as anybody knows, we're just movie people making a movie.
Okay. What movie are we talking about?
What kind of movie?
- It's a caper, Hoppy. - Caper?
Look, you gotta be smart. All your phones are tapped.
So from now on, we're gonna talk about this thing in code.
So, Huey is "The Package." Or "The Star."
I'm "The Producer." Artie's "The Babysitter."
Steve's "The Jew."
Wait, why am I the Jew? You're more Jewish than I am.
Because Steve, you're "The Jew."
Yeah. Jesus, fuck.
So the story is "The Jew" and "The Jewish Producer"...
- Thank you. - ...take "The Package"
to the Big Cigar aka Cuba.
It's like Ladykillers with a movie crew instead of musicians.
I mean, I love The Big Cigar, man.
- That's-- I like that-- But-- - That's your thing?
- But, like, black and white, you know. - That's gonna change everything.
Look, look, look. Guys, listen.
Stop bullshitting. All right? From now on, no credit cards. Cash only.
No big cash withdrawals, no paper trail.
Stick to pay phones.
They're trying to frame me for a woman's murder.
It's not a game. All right? It's my life.
Let me out, man.
And I need a plane.
Man, one of you ruling class crackers gotta know somebody with a plane.
Yeah, we know a guy, man. He's Cuban.
He's a consultant on the Che biopic
- over at Paramount. - Yeah.
Makes all the trips down to South America.
I mean, he could be the guy.
Man, I don't care who it is. Just get hold of a plane.
The Feds busted down the door in the middle of the night.
Threw us out of our own home.
Wouldn't even let me put on my clothes.
Okay. One second, okay?
- Hello? - Hey. Is the line clear?
Yeah, we at Larry's grandma's.
Huey, the Feds came and took all our houses last night.
Because I skipped bail?
The moment you left.
Today, they closed the schools, the clinics,
breakfast programs.
I got 30 people who slept on the street.
All right, tell them we'll work it out.
Just give them the keys to the penthouse.
You ain't got 30 beds.
Well, then take the reserve cash and put everybody else in motels.
- What reserve? They took it. - Well, then find some.
- How? - I don't know. Shit.
Sorry.
Look, I just don't want this bullshit to bring down the programs.
Okay.
We can't lose what we risked everything to build.
Okay, I'll figure something out.
Careful. Wanted posters up all over.
All right.
It was one thing for the Feds to come after me,
but I couldn't let them hurt the community.
The stars came out today
as the Black Panther Party opened a new location
for their expanded breakfast program.
You want an autograph?
- Want me to sign my name for you here? - Thank you.
Thanks for being here.
- I knew it. - All right.
- All power to the people. - All power to the people!
I'm glad you all finally came out,
to get a chance to see what we're all about.
See, we've been doing this work for many years,
and for me it's important because
when I was in primary school, there was always a problem.
Some of the kids, the ones who had the money to pay for it,
would get cookies and graham crackers.
And the ones who didn't, had to put their heads on the desk,
you know, while the other ones ate. And I always thought that was very bad--
Excuse me a moment.
I guess he prefers guns to pancakes, huh?
Yeah.
But we got a major network here.
It's a big deal. It is.
Yeah, man.
Hate that we have to get the stars, you know, to lure the cameras.
They didn't have any trouble finding us when we were out in the street
with our guns policing the police, you know what I mean?
It's the society of spectacle.
I don't wanna be that guy in the wicker chair anymore, man.
I mean, I understand why people like the image, but it ain't me.
That's some shit Eldridge came up with.
And when I got out of the pen, man, I--
I got a second chance at life that I didn't think I was gonna get.
You understand?
And I don't wanna spend that time sending people to their graves.
If I'm gonna have an image, I want it to be one that--
that helps people.
With this money we're bringing in from Hollywood,
we can feed, we can clothe, we can house a whole bunch of more folks.
And we're just getting started.
All right? We're talking about survival pending revolution.
Brother Huey, with respect,
people don't come to us because they want to start a charity.
Like Brother Eldridge says,
the party stands for violent struggle against oppression.
We have to shift to survive, brother.
Only brother I ever seen go into the joint and come out soft.
- What you say? - Huey.
You ever been to the hole, brother?
You ever face down a line of police with your own 12-gauge?
I see. So you're not really ready to die for revolution.
You just like wearing the threads.
I think some of you brothers and sisters are in need of a revolutionary education.
This party has moved on from armed struggle.
That's right.
We are about survival and we are about social change.
Now if you wanna be with us, you can go teach some of our kids how to read.
All right? Or you can go volunteer at a clinic.
Do something to help our people.
But if what you wanna do is go out in the street with a shotgun,
trying to overthrow the government and get yourself killed,
then you can get your ass on a plane and fly to Algeria and be with Eldridge.
That's right.
Yeah. That's right.
Huey?
Those punks down there trying to tell me how to run my own party?
It's not just them, Huey. Lot of talk like that out there.
Most of our members joined up while you were in the pen.
Young folks who had your poster on their wall.
They thought they was coming in here to be soldiers.
Sounds like you agree with them.
You think I should stick with the guns?
You think that's what's best for the party, Gwen?
It stopped being about just the party for me a long time ago.
Gwen, come on.
I'm just worried.
There is a lot of talk, and at some point, talk ain't all it's gonna be.
What you think I ought to do?
- Call Eldridge. - Hell no.
Get him to unite the party with you.
No. If I call him, he'll just go around telling everybody,
"Oh, Huey P. came to me with his tail between his legs."
Got me here looking like a chump.
- That pride of yours. - It ain't pride, Gwen. It's common sense.
You wanna look at it practical.
Okay, fine. How important are the programs?
They're my life's work. You know that, Gwen.
Then maybe you should humble yourself.
Take a risk. Call the man.
Please tell me you got something on Schneider.
It ain't good. Our guys were at it all night.
All we got was some of Schneider's coke,
couple of kids on weed charges
- and a bunch of togas. No sign of Huey. - Fuck!
We gotta smoke 'em out.
Those fucking producers know where he is.
Great. I thought we might be done.
Fuck! I'm so sick of looking like this hair!
I hate the goddamn hippies.
Every morning I wake up, look in the mirror, and what do I see?
A funky-ass hippie.
Yeah, man.
Give me the fucking drugs.
Right.
The FBI was emptying its playbook to neutralize the Panthers.
Harassment, arrest, fabricated evidence.
Informants and provocateurs.
Man, they even had Feds like Agent Clark
living as members of communities they were hell-bent to destroy.
Scored.
Flying to Cuba is a lot of risk.
How much would it cost?
- Depends. What's the package? - You don't need to know.
Well, the price for "you don't need to know,"
it's 25K up-front.
What else do you need?
Another 25 on arrival.
And you need to clear an airstrip in Rancho Cucamonga.
Rancho Cuc--
Man, why we gotta clear you an airstrip?
This doesn't sound like something you can just load up in front of everyone
at Van Nuys, does it?
And I'm assuming you don't wanna file a flight plan.
I don't do construction.
Only transpo. It's a union thing.
Seventy-two hours. Get your plane there. Ready to take off.
4:00 p.m., Friday?
Adiós.
Man, I don't like that dude.
Three days from now, you're gonna be sipping Cuba libres
on the beach in Havana. Trust me.
Yeah, I do trust you. I just don't trust him.
You know, look, all these guys are risking everything for you.
We're in the meeting this morning, we're planning a thing
- and you blow off to go make a phone call? - Look, man.
I left a lot of shit behind in Oakland, Bert.
My pops is sick, man. The Feds closed down my survival programs.
I got kids and families sleeping in the street.
Well, that's a lot. I didn't know about your dad.
It's fine. I just need things to go right.
No, I understand. I'm all over it.
We're gonna build that airstrip,
and you just focus on the party and your dad. Okay?
Pop?
Hey. Huey.
- You just missed Melvin. - I was actually looking for you.
It's Saturday, I figured I might know where you'd be.
Sitting right here like always, working on my sermon.
Got anything in there for me?
Prodigal son come looking for answers.
Well, come on. Sit on down.
I'm getting tested, Pop.
Trying to walk a new path, as you tell it.
Walking that path ain't easy.
Can't figure out where it is half the time or where--
which way I'm supposed to go.
You remember when you was coming up,
you used to follow Sonny Man everywhere wanting to be just like him?
Yeah, well...
Then you got into books. And you and Melvin became tight.
You know, you've been through a lot.
So now, who is it you really wanna be?
I wanna transform society, Pop.
I envision a world beyond conflict and violence.
Does that path take you through Hollywood?
Look, change comes in many forms.
All right, revolutionary culture is a powerful weapon,
and that right there, that television is a nuclear one.
I-- Politics is telling a story, and Hollywood helps amplify my message.
I know a little something about preaching a message.
All right.
When you was little, you remember,
your auntie took you up to that big church up there on 45th?
Yeah, she loved that preacher.
Big choir and all that.
Yeah. Well, it made an impression on you too.
You come home,
"Pop!" "How come you don't preach at church like that?"
You always been drawn to the big stage.
Do you remember what I told you?
You said that in those big churches,
the preacher sometimes becomes the message.
And that's where the danger lies.
Now you think about it.
Most of the world's problems comes
when the messenger thinks he's the message.
There's a reason they consider pride a deadly sin.
You're right. Thank you, Pop.
You ain't hear a word I said.
No, I heard you.
Gotta go talk to Eldridge. Try to unite this party.
Finish up your sermon.
We're not building you an airstrip.
You stiffed us for the overage on your last movie.
Yeah, that's right. When we were switching accountants.
Yeah, it must have been a studio mix-up or--
- Yeah. - No, buddy,
the mix-up is you still think it's 1972.
Easy Rider's in the rearview.
You're out of stardust, baby. And money, by the looks of it.
We have enough to sweeten the deal.
We'll pay double time.
Sure.
- For a working airstrip in three days? - Rush job rates.
Cash on the barrelhead for all your men.
Just take it all.
- Triple pay, fellas. - Yeah!
You just gave them the last of our cash.
Let me tell you something, Bert. Okay, look, you do what you want,
because you always do, but if you stiff these guys again--
Look at me. Look at me.
They're gonna chop you up and dump your parts in the desert.
I'm not gonna stiff them.
We're making a movie to get Huey out of the country.
Let's rustle up some investors.
It's fucking pathetic.
So, Bert called in some favors. Not sure to who.
But he found some cash, and we moved it discreetly.
The cigar is lit. Pre-pro is underway.
PA is on the move.
Budget's approved at that number, but there's no room for breakage.
These assholes and the fucking movie.
Give me something on Huey!
Is transpo ready to head out to the location?
It was all happening.
We threw the Feds off the scent. They had no idea where I was.
One thing I learned about Hollywood,
you do whatever it takes to get your shit made.
Wiring that petty cash to the transpo department right now.
Stop calling me, man. A freak snowstorm just blew through.
I got Santa here with Margot Kidder and her friends. I'll call you next week.
The star's call time is confirmed.
Set construction is 70% complete.
Can't believe we're actually getting it done.
It shows what the people can accomplish when they have resources and access.
Reminds me, man, I caught some of the footage
for your Hearts and Minds film. Best thing you ever done.
You're either gonna get an Oscar,
or you're gonna get blacklisted for exposing Vietnam like that.
You hear that, Steve? We're gonna win an Oscar.
Well, we better, 'cause everything we have is tied up in that picture,
including your house.
House shmouse. Gonna be lines around the block.
Hey, we gotta get you back here for the premiere.
Hey. We are gonna get you back here.
Strange, man.
Thinking about how I might never see my home again.
My friends, my dad.
And my people sleeping on the street 'cause I skipped bail.
And what am I doing, man? I'm out here running just like--
just like Eldridge.
After all that shit I said about him.
Really, we see the true nature of our movement as
oriented around the promotion of human life.
I think that's certainly different
than what most of our viewers would imagine, Mr. Newton.
- Yeah. - Now, as you know,
we're being joined by Eldridge Cleaver, on the line from his exile in Algeria.
- Mr. Cleaver, are you there? - Hey, my man, Eldridge.
How's it going over there in Algiers?
Yeah, not too good, Huey. Not too good.
What you mean, man?
On the news, it looks pretty good.
You on that rooftop looking out at the beach and all that.
Yeah, you must be thinking of your view from the Malibu Hills, jack.
I'm talking about this survival program bullshit.
Excuse me, brother?
Now, Huey, that's not what the Panthers are about.
What about taking up arms?
I don't think you know what you're saying.
We talked about this. You said you'd back the programs.
Yeah, I know what I'm saying. I'm saying you were out there
flippin' sausages, and the party's falling apart.
I see. You trying to drop
a-- drop a bombshell this morning.
But you've been talking about that armed struggle thing
from exile for years now, brother.
That's pretty convenient.
How about this for a news flash? The international section is expelled.
Expelled? What, you shutting me out, brother?
That's right. Buried.
You're a madman.
Right, I'd rather be a madman than to be a coward.
What the hell are you talking about?
You ran off after getting Lil Bobby Hutton killed.
Lil Bobby, the third member of our party.
Eldridge took him on a suicide mission, got him gunned down in cold blood.
Cops shot him over a dozen times.
He was 17 years old.
Lil Bobby's been with me ever since.
I stay here, you understand? I stay here, and I face the gas.
You're a coward and you're a punk.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Huey P. Newton.
And on the line, Eldridge Cleaver.
And we'll be right back after this break.
Fuck Eldridge.
- I did not think he was gonna do that. - Damn fool just declared war.
Yeah, he's forcing you to choose.
You stick with the programs and risk losing part of the party or--
Or stay with the guns and let Eldridge win?
There is no choice.
One of J. Edgar Hoover's primary objectives with COINTELPRO
was pitting Panthers against each other to split the party.
He wanted to weaponize egos and erode trust amongst us.
Hoover wanted conflict, paranoia and Panther blood in the streets.
And the shit worked too.
I don't know, man. I think I should come with you.
Nah. It's too risky.
Now, you know you don't wanna be in Cuba alone.
The kids could stay with my mom until we get settled.
Nah, you know those kids need you, Gwen.
Shit. Besides, for all I know,
the man might decide to use the plane for target practice.
You don't need me?
I need you to go up north and help out with the party.
If I had a hard time getting folks on the same page,
I know it won't be easy for Teressa and Elaine.
Gwen, come on. Come on, now.
I don't have time for all of this, all right?
I need you to go to Oakland and talk to my pops.
I never got a chance to call.
You have to.
You have to tell him you love him before it's too late.
Well, my pops is southern. He's old-school.
He don't go ahead for all that... free love hippie bullshit.
You have never once told your father that you love him?
He never told me.
Well, maybe it's time to change that.
Am I ever gonna see you again?
Yes. Gwen, I'm gonna send for you and the kids.
Promise.
I can't believe Huey's taking off tomorrow.
What the fuck? Did fucking Bert send out invitations?
This is the white leftie farewell tour, man. Look at it.
You know how Hollywood loves a going away story.
This is great, isn't it? Reminds me of the first day of shooting.
But hey, look, I gotta show you something.
- What the fuck is this? - Huey's going away present.
The whole town already thinks that we're shooting a movie,
so why don't we really shoot a movie?
"The Big Cigar."
Man, I gotta introduce you to some black artists.
I mean, they could've funked this thing up.
Gave it some Superfly.
Far fucking out.
Listen, this has never been done before.
They're gonna be writing about what we're doing while we're doing it.
- Artie's already started a script. - Has he? Okay.
Why don't we just send the FBI a letter, with all our sizes,
so they can have our prison suits waiting for us, huh?
- How does that sound, Bert? - You know how this business works.
It will be 50 years before this thing gets into theaters.
By that time the whole thing will have blown over.
It's amazing! I mean, he looks just like me.
Burt Reynolds is playing you?
Hey, Huey. Come check this out.
I'll go burn this.
I'm out here running for my life and you fucking around with a poster?
- Wait-- - I thought you had got it by now.
The reason I got down with you in the first place is
because you helped our programs.
I thought by now we had got somewhere
- and here you come with this bullshit. - I'm just trying to sell the lie.
Everything all right in here?
Tell you, man, I need a ride.
Good thing I know a nigga with a Rolls.
- I'm gonna watch your back. - All right.
Make it quick, brother.
- Hello? - Pops.
Huey. You okay?
Yeah, yeah. I'm all right.
How you feel?
Like they're making a bed for me in the upper room.
Where are you?
I can't say.
They got a bull's-eye on my back.
Yeah, well, so did Jesus. He turned out okay.
Listen, Pop, there's something I need to say to you.
Now you take care of yourself, Huey.
Please, just listen to me.
I...
You know how I feel, right?
No. Now, you don't have to say anything.
Come on. Keep him talking, Walter.
Oh, shit.
Huey, we got a couple of slave catchers coming our way, man.
Huey, we gotta split, man.
All right.
- See, the thing is, Pop, I'm leaving. - I know.
- Hey, officers. Thank God. - Pops, just let me speak.
Some fools done scratch my Rolls and run off that way.
Oh, shit.
- Are you Richard Pryor? - Now, see.
Just when I thought justice was blind, you motherfuckers
can recognize a nigga with money!
- Damn right, I'm Richard Pryor. - Well, Dad--
- Huey-- - Mr. Newton, is that Huey?
- I'm fine. - Mr. Newton, give me the phone.
Dad, hello?
No. Huey, you are upsetting your father.
Hey, put my father back on the damn phone.
Huey.
- Do not talk to me like that. - I need to speak to my father.
Put him back on the goddamn phone.
Will you give me the phone, miss?
That guy with you?
That's just my driver.
- He gotta check in... - Huey.
- Daddy. Hey, Dad. - Mr. Newton, I'm sorry,
- but I have to insist. - No. I'm fine.
Hand me the phone.
Daddy, I l--
Hello?
- That was Richard Pryor, man. - Yeah.
Shit!
Come on, man. Let's go.
Nigger's got a gun.
You're gonna die.
You have never once told your father that you love him?
- You know how I feel. - You don't have to say anything.
I don't wanna be that guy in the wicker chair anymore, man.
Huey, the Feds came and took all our houses last night.
You ran off after getting Lil Bobby Hutton killed.
How's it help the movement if you're dead?
You out there hiding in plain sight.
It's not a game. It's my life.
Fuck you and all the niggers that follow you.
I always knew I was gonna die for the revolution.
You're gonna be the most dangerous man in America.
Am I ever gonna see you again?
Power implies possession of liberation,
and I refuse to die a powerless man.
- Hey! Hey! Hey! - Power implies possession of liberation,
and I refuse to die a powerless man.
Guard!
Power implies possession of liberation.
...refuse to die a powerless man.
Guard!
Hey, hey! Hey, Guard! Guard!
Power implies possession of liberation, and I refuse to die a powerless man!
Shit.
Lil Bobby!
Bobby!
What kind of plane are you flying to Cuba?
I don't know, man.
Say, are you a good student?
In some stuff.
But I hate book reports in front of the class.
Yeah, I couldn't stand them either.
Why not?
Because I couldn't read.
- You couldn't read? - Hey, Michael.
Why don't we play the license plate game.
What do you say, pal?
It's cool, man.
Yeah?
See, I had a lot of trouble with the words.
And my teachers, they didn't really care. So I had to teach myself.
Know what I did then?
Uh-uh.
I started my own school.
All right, pal. Let's grab your backpack.
We're almost at your school.
Where's Tajo, Bert?
Tajo's late.
I mean, I'm sure he's on his way. Traffic.
What? Air traffic.
At least the light is good. Get to have one more sunset together.
The light? Where the fuck is the Cuban?
All in.
You owe us, Tajo.
Wait.
I got something, something you're gonna want.
I know where Huey Newton is.
What's taking him so long, Bert?
All right, he'll be here.
Fellas, come on. Let's just hang tight, okay?
I told you not to trust that dude.
You know, I don't get it. Guy's done a million runs.
What did you expect, man?
Yeah, you're too busy playing mogul, throwing parties,
and you didn't take time to make sure the fucking plane was here.
- I mean, something must've happened. - I'll tell you what happened.
You told me to trust you. That's what happened.
And then you went out and hired a drug runner because he looked the part.
That about says it all, man.
Where the hell is he?
Huey, where you going?
Huey, what you doing? Huey, where you going?
I'm going to kill a Cuban.
But that's my car. Huey, that's my car!
Hey! That's my car!
This is wonderful. This is just dynamite.
There he goes!
Isn't that great? There he goes, Bert.
Why don't you put that in your fucking poster!
One. We want freedom.
We want power to determine the destiny of our own Black communities.
Two. We want full employment for our people.
Three. We want decent housing fit for the shelter of human beings.
Four. We want an end to the robbery of the Black community
by the white racist businessman.
Five. We want decent education that teaches us
about the true nature of this racist and decadent system.
Education that teaches us about our true history
and our role in society and the world today.
Six. We want all Black brothers to be exempt from military service.
Seven.
All power to the people.