BlacKkKlansman

Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Robert John Burke, Brian Tarantina, Damaris Lewis, Corey Hawkins, Jasper Paakkonen, Paul Walter Hauser, Ashlie Atkinson, Alec Baldwin, Harry Belafonte
Directed by: Spike Lee
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary: The first black police officer (John David Washington) in Colorado Springs goes undercover as a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

Review:

Tim: Spike Lee creates something remarkable with BlacKkKlansman. This might not be a perfect movie, but it's one of the more memorable, emotional, affecting movies of 2018. This is a film that gets under your skin, that exposes the evils of racism both in the past and present. It's a difficult movie to watch at times. While there are some flaws (it strays so far from the "true" story it's based on), if you look at the film as a piece of entertainment meant also to inform, it more than accomplishes what it set out to do. It's the kind of film you want to talk about, want to process. It's undoubtedly one of the best films of the year.

For me, I had to mentally separate the true situation from the film. What's amazing is that the heart of this story is true- a black police officer in Colorado Springs infiltrated the KKK, eventually having multiple conversations with Grand Wizard (and all around bag of human garbage), David Duke. That is a shocking story and one that is almost impossible to believe. It's the single greatest strength this film has. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the movie is complete fiction. Part of me lamented this- it would have been so much better had the film stayed closer to actual events. However, the other way of looking at this is that this is a piece of entertainment. And, the choices Spike Lee makes certainly do entertain. Many of the best parts of this film are completely fabricated. I was mostly okay with this because it served the purpose of shining a light on the hatred and bigotry of the KKK and many white Americans. It's a tragedy that we're still fighting about race in 2018, but that's the world we live in. This movie was another reminder of how evil this is, how far we've come since the open racism of the 1970s, and also how far we have yet to go. Many of my favorite moments never actually happened, but they are effective and work in the context of this film, so I was happy in the end.

One thing I so appreciated about this film is how it explored racism both in the police force in Colorado and also in the Ku Klux Klan. The movie goes to painstaking efforts to examine how white people can be racist or anti-Semitic. You see the thought process, the learned behaviors, the twisting of ideas to fit an already established narrative. You see how they take solace in similarly like-minded individuals, how they recruit others to the cause. It was shocking and disturbing and the detailed, systematic approach was enlightening. The script was incredible because it really immerses you in this world you wish didn't exist. I was fascinated to explore how a black man could infiltrate the KKK (with help from a white colleague). The story itself is incredible and it unfolds so effectively. The movie feels shorter than 2 hours, 15 minutes because we're engaged for so much of the time.

The cast featured some great performances. I have to give John David Washington so much credit. This was a big, meaty role and he attacked it with energy and panache. It was shocking that such a big role was given to someone with relatively little acting experience. It helps that his father is Denzel Washington, but the younger Washington succeeds here all on his own. His performance is really good. His voice is amazing and there were so many moments when I wanted to pinch myself because he sounded so much like his dad. However, his voice is only one aspect of his performance- Washington does a really good job in all aspects of the role. Now, as much as I did enjoy his performance, it's obvious he is a young actor still honing his craft. He needs to work on his facial expressions for sure. There were moments when his performance felt too restrained. He needed to inject a bit more into it. Still, there's no doubt this is an impressive performance that will launch Washington's career.

I also need to give tremendous amounts of credit to Adam Driver. I really believe Driver has it in him to be a truly great actor. His performance here is stunning. He's believable as a cop, as a racist KKK member, and as a Jewish man pretending to be racist. His performance required layers of different skills and he nails all of them impeccably. The performance isn't so in-your-face, so I'm worried critics could miss how significant he was. I'd nominate him for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Driver makes this movie immensely better in a challenging role. He emerged as one of the best parts of the entire film. Washington and Driver work really well together- their collaboration was fun to watch. Topher Grace does a good job playing Duke. I read that Grace talked about how difficult it was to play this person and I get it. He was solid in the role. I have to give Jasper Paakonen so much credit. He plays such an unlikable, disgusting human being. He did it so well that I felt bile bubbling up in my throat. It's one of the better villain performances in recent years. Laura Harrier was good, although her character felt a bit one-sided. I wish we got to know her in more depth and detail. Corey Hawkins shows up for one impressive scene. Paul Walter Hauser did a good job in a buffonish role. As a whole, Spike Lee does a fantastic job directing this cast.

I really appreciated BlacKkKlansman. I'm glad this true story was told and the creative liberties taken made for an entertaining, satisfying film. The fictional aspects of the story make for good drama. This hard look into a racist and bigoted organization might be difficult to watch at times, but it's important for us to remember. Spike Lee ends the film with disturbing footage from recent racial events. It's a little jarring and self-serving because it isn't directly connected to the story, but it was a powerful way to remind audiences that this isn't just a period drama. The racism we see depicted isn't something that used to exist. It's alive and well today and that's an awful travesty. Lee directs a movie that looks back in order to help us look more clearly at where we are today. This is a great movie and an achievement, one of the best films of 2018.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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