'BlacKkKlansman' A Review
Spike Lee Back on Form, Delivering a Brutal Portrayal of Racial Division That Reflects All Too Clearly Modern American Society
Whenever you think of a Spike Lee film, you can guess very accurately that you're going to encounter a movie that delivers some very hard-hitting and true messages about race and division within modern American society. Whether he's doing a historical biopic like Malcolm X, or a comedy like Bamboozled, one thing that is prevalent through all his work is what it's like to exist as an African American in American society. The message is also clear that no matter the era in which his movies are set, things might look like they have changed, but things haven't really changed all that much at all.
BlacKkKlansman is no different in this regard. John David Washington plays Ron Stallworth, the first Black Detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department. The film tells the true story of how Stallworth, an African American man, managed to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan by making contact with them over the phone and ''sounding white." There was only one problem with his strategy, he arranges to meet them in person, so he needs a white officer to play the part in person, and Ron will continue his role over the phone. Detective Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), becomes Ron in person, and immediately makes a good impression on the chapter, but not without drawing the suspicion of one of its members. What transpires is an investigation that leads Ron to the very top of the KKK leadership to Grand Wizard, David Duke.
Now the trailer for the film plays up the comedy aspects of the film, and while there is certainly a lot of comedy within the film, it's a lot more serious than the trailers might suggest. Of course, focusing on an era of 70s America and on a subject like the Ku Klux Klan, this deals with topics like institutional racism within the police, terrorism, and the white power movement. There's a dichotomy developed throughout the film, and in fact, begins with Ron's infiltrating a Black Panther speech by Kwame Ture to see if they pose any potential terror threat. This reflection continues throughout the film, but very clearly paints the true picture of the oppressor and the oppressed. While the modern political rhetoric is very quick to cite the "Black Power" movement as a call to defend the "White Power" movement, the picture is very clear here. "Black Power" arose as a result of the insane oppression and abuse by the "White Power" movement.
While the film itself is inspired by "some fo' real fo' real shit." there is a fair bit of dramatic licence adopted to weave a compelling story that people will be drawn into. However, as is the tradition with Spike Lee movies, he often uses real-life stories or footage to drill home the point the film is making about racial division in America, particularly in light of the current political climate. In fact, there's an exchange of dialogue with Stallworth and another character in which Stallworth remarks that America would never elect a man like David Duke to the seat of President of the United States. Clearly, a remark aimed at Donald Trump, and in fact, footage of Trump remarking there were "very fine people" within a white power protest, pushes this gag further.
BlacKkKlansman is thought-provoking, occasionally horrific, and genuinely funny. It's one of Lee's best works, and this was no doubt encouraged by his own horror toward the current political situation in a country that seems more divided than ever before.
An excellent watch that I would highly recommend for anyone, regardless of whether you care or pay attention to the current political situation in America or not.
Score: 8/10
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