Spike Lee has crafted one of his absolute best films in his lauded career with BlacKkKlansman. The stunning true story is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital formats and features an announcement to the world performance by its lead, John David Washington (yup, that’s Denzel’s boy).
Washington portrays Ron Stallworth, an African American Colorado Springs, Colorado detective who managed to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan in the simultaneously radical and groovy 1970s. The film is based on the book by Stallworth of the same name and is wildly entertaining, enlightening and wholeheartedly engrossing on so many levels.
Using good old fashion innovation and solid police work, Stallworth managed to get local KKK officials on the phone and convince them that he shared their values, so much so that his communication with the organization reached all the way to the top—Grand Wizard David Duke! How on earth did he do that, you ask? Well, he had the help of his partner Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) who…as he says in the BlackkKlansman trailer, “with the right white man, you can do anything.” That is exactly what he does.
The duo become one Stallworth—the real Stallworth on the phone, and Zimmerman playing Stallworth in person. Collectively they infiltrate the KKK in Colorado and even meet Duke (a stellar Topher Grace) himself during Stallworth’s orientation. Along the way, the learn of a white supremist attack that they intend to foil.
You wouldn’t believe that Hollywood could make up such a story if we didn’t tell you that it was 100-percent true. And in the hands of Lee, it is a mesmerizing spectacle that is—sadly—as timely as can be with racial hatred dividing our country again with white nationalist feeling empowered by the man in the White House and his views on things that they find congruent with theirs.
An evening with Spike Lee & the cast of BlacKkKlansman!
The cast is outstanding. Washington is a revelation and firmly steps out of his father’s shadow in a performance that transcends cinema. Lee has found a new muse in Washington and who would have thought that it would be the son of the man who he directed in the envelope-pushing Malcolm X? The way that Washington straddles these two worlds is astounding. One on hand, he is every bit the KKK player on the phone with these Klansmen while he is simultaneously romancing a leader in the Black Power movement and exercising his role as a law enforcement officer that firmly stands against both his infiltrating KKK persona and love interest with a woman who sees cops as part of the societal problem.
Driver is his usual awesome self as Stallworth’s partner, a man who reluctantly becomes part of this team. Over the course of the film, he finds his non-practicing Jewish background start to stir up feelings inside of him as he discovers that he too has a dog in this fight. It’s a fantastic character arc delivered by Lee in the script he co-wrote with Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott. Joining them on this team in a smaller role, but one that needs to be saluted is Michael Buscemi (Steve’s brother) as Jimmy Creek. The trio of them have some incredibly powerful moments and yes, even some quite humorous ones as well.
Laura Harrier’s Patrice Dumas is much more than a love interest—she definitely carries serious weight here. Her character opens up the eyes of Stallworth to a world he knew but didn’t know at the same time. As the son of a military man, he may have been shielded from the fight that she extols vehemently, but through her connection with him—Stallworth sees a side to this story that wasn’t as obvious prior to getting to know his lovely lady friend.
It all adds up to something special. We expect major Oscar nods for all involved, especially Lee and one for Best Picture. The helmer has not been this in a zone for decades and it is easily in the top three of his best work, joining Do the Right Thing and the aforementioned Malcolm X. His command of these characters, the tone, the costumes, the production design, the score and soundtrack is about as perfect as a filmmaker can achieve.
For more on the excellence of the film itself, don’t miss our theatrical BlacKkKlansman review.
When it comes to bonus features… this is firmly a case where the film itself makes it a must-own for the home video collection. There is not too much bonus material… but what is included is truly fascinating.
A Spike Lee Joint finds producer Jordan Peele (who gave us Get Out), the cast and the real Ron Stallworth waxing poetic about the blissful and inspiring joy that is working with the legend Lee. It is an insightful featurette as the viewer gets some priceless views as to what it is that makes the New York-based filmmaker so extraordinary. It is especially delightful to gather this look at those who worked closely with Lee on his most personal project in years. This is a side of the filmmaker that clearly was inspired by the subject matter, the cast and the real man’s story he was tasked with telling. Seeing that end of things, through those who helped him achieve his vision, is nothing short of a true gift.
The other bonus feature is for fans of the film, but really for fans of Prince. One of the great moments (of dozens in the film) is during the closing minutes of the film where a never-before-released Prince track, Mary Don’t You Weep, is played. Here, we get an extended BlacKkKlansman trailer featuring the late, great singer-songwriter singing his heart out, with only a piano to accompany him. It is truly something else.
Just like the film itself.
Film Grade: A+
Bonus Features: B