Spike Lee is no newcomer when it comes to creating masterful films that mimic and encapsulate the societal problems that many Americans have faced at one point or another, whether that be through Edward Norton’s portrayal of a convicted drug dealer post 9-11 (“25th Hour”), or Lee’s own portrayal of an African American in Brooklyn trying to deal with community wide problems between different cultures clashing (“Do the Right Thing”).
Lee’s newest addition to this list is “BlacKkKlansman.” Regardless if you like Lee’s films or not, “BlacKkKlansman” is a testament to the old and the new about how history repeats itself for the worse at times, all while being an outstanding film that is mere inches away from a true masterpiece.
“BlacKkKlansman” follows Ron Stallworth, played by John David Washington (“Ballers”), who, after being the first African American to join the Colorado Springs Police Department, finds a way to infiltrate the Klu Klux Klan with the help of his partner Flip Zimmerman, played by Adam Driver (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”).
One of the amazing things about “BlacKkKlansman” is how serious it is, as well as how comedic some of its characters are. As silly and funny as it sounds—an African American infiltrating the KKK (without the KKK even being aware of this)—the film is based entirely on a true story.
One of the most memorable scenes of the film is in the very beginning when we see Washington’s character speaking to one of the head Klan members over the telephone. With Washington’s muster and almost muffled voice that seems to be hauntingly old and resembling the likes of a stereotypical redneck, he shouts:
“I hate blacks, I hate Jews. Mexicans and Irish. Italians and Chinese. But my mouth to God’s ears, I really hate those black rats, and anyone else really that doesn’t have pure white Aryan blood running through their veins.”
By the end of the last syllable, all the surrounding cops either have their jaws completely dropped or are stopped dead in their tracks. Without any verbal reply from the room of white police officers, it is as if you can understand exactly the thoughts of every officer in the room.
One of the most amazing parts of the film would have to be Driver’s performance as Flip Zimmerman, a non-practicing Jewish dectivitive that goes undercover and plays the supposed white supremacist, Ron Stallworth. In one scene in particular, Driver’s character is in the basement of one of the members of the KKK in Colorado Springs; “Ron Stallworth” is asked a disgusting question regarding his thoughts about the Holocaust. To this, Driver’s character delivers lines that are so obscene and intense that you can’t help but feel disgusted and sick to the stomach. What is even more interesting is the look on the Klan members’ faces after hearing Stallworth’s reply, with a smile and a look of fascination.
Unfortunately, one thing that can’t be said regarding another actor’s performance is John Washington’s portrayal of the real Ron Stallworth. Although Washington does deliver for the most part, you can’t help but think to yourself that maybe Washington is almost trying too hard at his performance. This becomes confusing because for a lead, Washington doesn’t come even close to Driver’s talent. This may be due to a muddled script written in favor of Washington’s character, but at times it just seems as if he takes things too seriously or not seriously enough, in light of getting his cover blown.
Now in terms of the ending of the film, there are multiple endings that close out a bunch of the many plot holes of the film. Simply put, some work and others just end up making things more confusing than they should be. Understanding that Spike Lee wants to make something extremely controversial is important, and that is what shines so well about the film.
Ultimately, the end seems to be very open-ended, as the climax of the film doesn’t end in as big of a boom as most people might have expected it to go. The problem stems from how amazing the film is all the way up to the ending—which unfortunately can’t get past the very whims of most Hollywood endings. Now although the film stays mostly true to the real events of the story’s original version, there are some aspects of the film that would have easily made the film much better. This includes not only a more cohesive ending of the many subplots of the film but also better balancing of Ron Stallworth’s character by John Washington.
Overall, “BlacKkKlansman” is an outstanding Spike Lee film, with an amazing cast and a great setup that takes on a true story with its own spin; something like this could only be accomplished by Spike Lee’s distinct film style and script. The amazing amount of relevance the film has in today’s society is sad yet very much needed in bringing together a very divided America.
Now most people are probably asking: Why in 2018 is there a controversial film about the KKK being made from a story that no one knows about all the way back in the 1970s? Well, as much as the film is based loosely on the events that happened in the 1970s, viewers will not help but gasp at how many references there are in “BlacKkKlansman” that coincide with America’s current political climate. One of these reasons has to do with Grand Wizard David Duke’s character, played by Topher Grace (“That ‘70s Show”) and how David Duke makes a huge push for the KKK to get involved in government and politics as someone who can infiltrate our very government and set up a new “white America.” If that sounds oddly familiar (*cough cough—our current president), than the reason for the movie’s relevance today should be fairly clear.
As there is a lot to be taken away from this movie, the film shines in its distinctive take on the true story that speaks in many different ways to audiences. There are a lot of laughs to be had and a lot of offenses to be taken aback by, but most importantly, there is a sense of fascination due to the amount of originality and distinctiveness that is put into the film. Though “BlacKkKlansman” is not a masterpiece, Spike Lee’s new film is a sight to behold and is a close call from being one of the best films of the year.
Increasing racial tensions are such that we will all benefit from seeing “BlacKkKlansman.” It is a compelling film that needs to viewed through a lens of the full spectrum of colors, not merely black and white.
