BlacKkKlansman - Review

BlacKkKlansman

Filmmaker – Director Spike Lee makes a comeback in the incredible true story of an unsung – unknown American hero.

It’s the early 1970s and Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. During the initial interview we watch an honest and eager Ron make the perfect pitch during his interview why he should be their first man of color on a less than tolerant local police force in a less than tolerant community. With some skepticism the White Police Chief named Bridges offers Ron a job. But frustrated by his assignment and determine to making a difference Ron goes to his Chief to request to be put on the investigative unit. Again, reluctant to do so, the chief offers relents by giving Ron a job on the unit.

Shortly thereafter, Ron and now even more determined to make a name for himself, sets out bravely on a dangerous mission to infiltrating and exposing the local Ku Klux Klan. The young detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague named Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) into working with him. As Ron would pretend to be himself on the phone speaking to Klan members his partner Flip would pretend to be Ron by showing up at meetings wired to gathering information on criminal activities they maybe be engaged in. Together, they work as a collaborative team by taking down the extremist hate group as the organization was just starting to take aim in sanitizing its violent rhetoric past by appealing more to a mainstream America with the leadership of David Duke, the National Grand Wizard of the Klan.

REVIEW: There are so many things that are good with this film that to speak on the peripheral details of the story, even so slightly, would be a disservice to you as potential viewer and to me as someone trying to crafty convey why this film deserves your immediate time and money. However, let me be clear, while 95% of the film’s 2:15 minute running time (in the middle) is simply constructed to telling the true events of Ron Stallworth’s amazing story, Director Lee also makes a very concerted effort in the first and last 3 minutes  of the film to providing some contextual political social commentary about how the historical events in our nation’ past and its present have not changed.

From the history of the Civil War, the films “Birth of a Nations” and “Gone With Wind” to more recent events like 2017 Charlottesville, VA, to police officer shootings of African American and comments about African Americans, Lee bluntly illustrates that these events absolutely mirror one another and that a much larger salient question has to be asked ……….”What has changed?”. And while this commentary is only a very, very brief part; brief bookends if you will to the film, if you have an antithetical repulsion to seeing even a small amount of politics injected to a films story than I will spare suggesting for you to see the remaining 95% rest of what otherwise is a fabulous true story film.

Structurally, the trailers misleadingly suggest that there is a prominent comedic aspect to this story. And while certain situations were in deed funny – maybe even a bit spoofy - goofy, the aggregate film itself was all dramatic with two parallel track stories as a guide.

On one track Director Lee examines the rise of Black college student activism in the local Colorado community and their impact on the American landscape for meaningful change and social justice. On the other track and much deeper he examines the Klan by delving into their collective mind sets of people who are filled and bonded by deep seeded hatred. As if mysteriously they are drawn to some unique defining light that can only be seen by them which makes them spend the bulk of their time on earth finding new ways to perfecting, working and living for hatred as a means of validation and purpose in their lives. Further it rather adroitly looks at how hatred can become the very essences of someone intimately taking over their every consciousness to the point of it being no more of an afterthought by simply asking someone to “passing the salt and pepper” than to being racial in all aspect of daily vernacular with terms we all know too well.

With a career changing solid lead performance by John David Washington (Actor Denzel Washington's son), I would not be surprised to see Director Lee garner a Best Director and Best Picture nominations. But its my hope that the Academy will remember the fine performances of Actor Adam Driver as the Jewish partner “Flip”. Of Actor Topher Grace who played “David Duke” with perfect aplomb of being the personification of sophistication and handsome charm and yet a soulless vile man. And finally, and especially so with Finnish born actor Jasper Pääkkönen who played Klansman “Felix Kendrickson”. His portrayal of his “Felix” as a defiant perpetual loose cannon of red hot bigoted rhetoric and yet someone who was also an equally loving and devoted husband seriously deserves and warrants some Oscar nomination consideration.

Perfectly paced Spike Lee's "BlacKkKansman" is clearly one of the Best Films for 2018 with also one of the best film musical soundtrack in recent memory. The film is the embodiment of such rare simultaneous qualities ranging from exciting, entertaining and bold to something sad, reflective, at times depressing and a personal razor-sharp punch to the gut.

In 1989 Spike Lee directed an acclaimed film titled “Do the Right Thing” which delved into the fictional story of social injustice in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Now in his “BlacKkKlansman” Lee comes full circle on his career showcasing what “Doing the Right Thing” really and actually looks like when two ordinary men risk their lives in obscurity by trying to bring some real justice to the world.

4.00 Stars