The Blackkklansman is the new film from director Spike Lee. It stars John David Washington and Adam Driver. It's the true story of how an African American detective in Colorado was able to join the KKK in the 1970s. As the film progresses he continues to correspond with the Klan through writing and phone calls and another detective whose white pretends to be him for in person meetings. The film is both about this specific story of an investigation into the KKK but is also a study of race in the United States both in the 1970s but also now.
This is one of Spike Lee's best films. The script is well written and the cast is amazing. Topher Grace is the strongest performance in this film as David Duke, the leader of the KKK. This film has a well thought out structure that balances the drama and comedy so they play off of each other well. The funniest scene is the initial phone call made to the Klan. The film does a great job showing the flaws in both sides of the fight and sets up Stallworth (Washington) in this strange position of being caught between two worlds and being the only one who thinks racism can be fought from the inside as a cop. I was surprised by the appearance of Harry Belafonte in this film. His scene is probably the best scene in the film. He's telling a story of a lynching that's actually a true story and it's cross edited with the Klan watching the film, A Birth of a Nation. This film is well credited for two things in history, first its considered the first major motion picture and second it's credited for reigniting the fire in the KKK at a time when they were fairly dormant. It is the most racist film ever made in which the KKK is made to be heroes.
Washington's performance in this film is very strong, his performance during the Birth of a Nation scene is one of his smaller scenes in the film but his performance literally radiates off the screen. He sounds so much like his dad Denzel that if you close your eyes when he's on screen you'd think Denzel was on screen. He definitely is a chip off the old block. There are many parts in this film that the script was written to resonate with the current political climate like most of Spike Lee films do. The film ends with scenes and footage from the Charlottesville protests which happened a few weeks before they started working on this film. The final scene is a beautiful memorial to Heather Heyer, a woman who was killed when a bigot decided to mow her and others protesting down with a car.
Technically speaking Spike Lee is one of the best framers of Mise-en-scene in Hollywood. Mise-en-scene literally means what's in the frame. This film is beautifully shot. The use of color in Lee films is always very relevant to the story and it applies to this film as well. The scenery is set up so that even when its a rundown building its shot beautifully. Of course Spike Lee added his signature dolly shot. I really loved the music in this film. The contemporary music from the 70's speaks for itself but the score by Terence Blanchard is outstanding. It takes the sounds of the 70's and blends it with the style of classic Elmer Bernstein scores.
This is a great film that will be liked by almost anyone, obviously not a film for kids but I think most adults would enjoy this film. If you enjoy a great true story, an interesting piece of history, or you want to watch a film that's relevant to the political and racial atmosphere today I think you will love this movie......unless you're a fan of the Klan then you will hate this movie.
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