Grade: A-
In 1993, Spike Lee directed a biopic about Malcolm X, with Denzel Washington in the title character. 25 years later, Lee is back with another one of his “joints” – BlacKkKlansman, starring Washington’s son, the ever-appealing John David Washington. He certainly sounds just like his dad, and maybe looks like him too, though here, it’s hard to tell with the beard and afro. BlacKkKlansman has iconic actor/performers (Alec Baldwin and Harry Belafonte in chilling cameos), relatives of them (Steve’s brother Michael Buscemi), and actors who reminded me of other actors (Jasper Paakkonen and Paul Walter Hauser, who respectively made me think of Bill Burr and Zach Galifanakis).
A title card at the beginning tells us that this is based on some “fo’ real, fo’ real shit” – and then it opens with Alec Baldwin in a vehement monologue filled with N words and words beginning with other letters. We then meet Ron Stallworth (Washington), who – shortly after joining the Colorado Springs PD – gets an assignment to infiltrate the local KKK branch. He “plays white” when talking to them on the phone, and his co-worker (Adam Driver) plays him in person. It is Driver, best known as Kylo Ren (I also know him from Inside Llewyn Davis) who is nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, but there is another performance just as worthy, from the aforementioned Paakkonen, as a Klan member we love to hate and hate to love. Also making a powerful impression is Topher Grace as David Duke. Grace’s calm, unassuming tone makes the stuff he says all the more unsettling.
BlacKkKlansman’s soundtrack and cinematography superbly take us to the 1970s. The song that plays over the end credits is a stunningly cool master class for blues pianists. I loved many one-liners, like “Jews do something weird with their [male organ]. Is yours circumstanced?” Or “You understand?” “Oh yeah, I overstand.” Or “You may think you’re hot shit, but you’re just a cold fart.” The movie works on a few different levels, and succeeds on all of them. Some may appreciate the story, and others may pick up on the social, racial, emotional, and politically charged undertones. This started off as a movie that was “just fine” – and many movies lesser than this one peter out and wear out their welcomes after a while.
Not the case here. Lee ramps things up in the last half hour and ends it with a fourish. Several, actually. I love it when directors get angry enough to make a movie like this, and BlacKkKlansman is memorable, gripping, riveting, satisfying, thoughtful, and one of the best of the past year.
Grade: A-
Film Reviews by Mark 
Leave a reply to Richard Jewell – Film Reviews by Mark Cancel reply