"BlacKkKlansman" Movie Review
"God bless white America."
Did that bother you? In Spike Lee's latest film, BlacKkKlansman, it's suppose to, as the phrase is repeated by klansmen in 1970's Colorado Springs and the black undercover detective, Ron Stallworth, who infiltrates their "organization".
To do this, Stallworth, played by John David Washington, maintains contact with the Klan by phone while his white partner, played by Adam Driver, takes on his name and white nationalist persona in person. It's a story that deserves to be on the big screen, and as you might expect, Spike Lee keeps that 70's soul feeling fresh through the soundtrack and visual style of the film.
Yes, BlacKkKlansman is a film with a bold story. But there is a point when more familiar overtones begin to arise. Klansmen talking about the restoration of white America casually add "make America great again" into their initiative. Speeches from David Duke see him declaring "America first". Suddenly, these seemingly coincidental parallels materialize into an unsettling reflection on present day events.
For those who can appreciate BlacKkKlansman's social juxtapositions, it's a film with immense entertainment value, effortlessly blending its disconcerting subject matter with periodic comic relief. Like Stallworth himself might say: I dig it.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 2 | Entertainment Value - 2 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 2 | Reviewer's Preference - 2 | What does this mean?