Some films have political ideas or messages riding quietly underneath their plots and characters. Some directors like to place subtle nods or hints towards ideas and references within their works. “BlacKkKlansman” is not one of those films, and Spike Lee is not one of those directors. His ideas and the political stance of his films, especially this one, are bold and brash, completely out front. Is the film itself good enough to back up the boldness?
John David Washington shines here in his major film role as Ron Stallworth, the undercover detective who spearheads the KKK infiltration investigation. His partner is Flip, played by Adam Driver, and the two have an abrasive friendship that clearly grows as the film progresses. The amount of depth to their relationship adds a lot to the film and allows the investigation to shine as we watch them observe each other and work together as professionally as they can.
It’s this attention to the personal and professional troubles that Ron and Flip are going through that give the film’s proceedings weight. Their own personal ideals are being challenged, Ron’s in particular by his flame, the president of the Black Student Union, Patrice (Laura Harrier).
She’s less fleshed out then the rest of the characters, but Harrier nevertheless brings a fire and spirit to her that makes her just as enjoyable to watch. She exists mainly as a foil to make Ron question who he is and whether he’s doing enough in his fight for his race.
Spike Lee uses parallels expertly throughout the film, and it's in these moments that things are the most troubling and unnerving. Scenes of the Black Panther meetings and KKK meeting play out almost simultaneously, giving a chilling effect to the film’s events. The film’s last 45 minutes are especially tense and provide a thrilling conclusion to this 2 hour and 15 minute long epic.
The film’s biggest disadvantage, though, does end up being that runtime. It never slows and it's always engaging, thanks to Lee and his writers choosing to avoid the typical investigative drama behind the scenes padding, but it does feel as long as it is. This doesn’t hurt the film, it's merely more of a good thing, but it does hinder it a bit due to its slow start, as it really doesn’t pick up the pace until the investigation starts.
Lee does refuse to make an easily digestible film for audiences, adding so much to the story and proceedings. The film’s gorgeous vistas give way to scenes of fear, rage, and melancholy, set to an equally melancholic score from jazz musician Terence Blanchard. The film is quite funny in most of it's proceedings, smartly homing in on the sheer absurdity of the situation and the humor found in hindsight. As the film progresses, though, Lee smartly turns up the intensity and seriousness in such a way that, by the end of the film, nobody is laughing.
By refusing to pat hit audience on the back, thank them for seeing the film, and send them on their way, Lee has created a film that lingers in the mind. It’s seamless transition to real footage by the end is harrowing, and will likely be extremely controversial. But by embracing the film’s inherit political nature and refusing to let it compromise the storytelling, or vice versa, it strengthens the end result, and Lee clearly knows this.
“BlacKkKlansman” is filled with drama, humor, intensity and some truly Oscar worthy performances. It’s a 2 hour plus epic that feels its runtime; extremely entertaining and harrowing. Spike Lee has thrown a bucket of ice cold water on audiences, asking them to enjoy the film, but never forget why it exists, never forget what happened and never forget that it can happen again. 5/5
