The film's editing feels very sporadic, and at times it can become easy to lose sight of the plot, but it has an improvisational jazz quality to it that is kind of refreshing. Sure, it hits some sour notes every now and again, but it also gets locked into some nice, tight grooves as well. The most jarring aspect to Van Peebles' editing is the psychedelic effects that often streak across the screen in seemingly random and unmotivated moments. This can feel very sudden and illogical at first glance, but upon closer reflection, it helps to illustrate Sweetback's isolation and detachment from the world. Whether Van Peebles' experiments in editing and effects work for you or not, all his methodologies serve to visually reinforce the paranoid nightmare that Sweetback's life has become.

The concept of a black power film had been bubbling within Van Peebles' for a very long time. In fact, he had attempted to rewrite the script for the comedy Watermelon Man, the story of a white insurance man who wakes up to find he's black, into a more overt black empowerment film; however, his efforts were blocked by the Hollywood suits. Following the success of Watermelon Man, Van Peebles' decided that if he was going to achieve his vision, he would need to operate independently, outside of the system. So, he funneled every cent of his earnings from Watermelon Man into his developing vision of the first unabashedly black power film.