Mandingo

Mandingo (1975) plunges viewers into the morally decrepit world of a decaying Southern plantation where the Maxwell family's desperation for an heir and social standing fuels a cycle of debauchery and cruelty. Warren Maxwell's desperation leads him to pressure his son, Hammond, into marriage, while Hammond's own indulgences see him purchasing a sex slave upon his honeymoon. The plantation's dark heart is exposed further with the acquisition of Mede, a Mandingo slave destined for the brutal world of illegal prize-fighting. Director Richard Fleischer's stark portrayal of the era's racial and familial horrors is unflinching and visceral.