BlackkKlansman (new Spike Lee film)

I think "didactic hack job" is extreme, but I also think the movie lacks the qualities to make it great.

"Do the Right Thing" was a genuinely great movie that viewers could debate/discuss for hours afterwards.

"Klansman" lacks that, and that's a problem. Not that I think it needed to give us nuance about the racists - it could've tried an "American History X" POV to at least offer some insight about what sends people down the KKK path, but that's a different movie.

I think "Klansman" sets up various potential "talking points" related to issues like integration or police abuses but it doesn't pursue them in an intelligent way.

Again, it's not a bad movie - it's an entertaining enough 2+ hours - but I still think it's better as an idea than as a film...

 

That's a good point. We really know little about the lead in the movie - or any of the characters, honestly.

The Adam Driver character receives the most extensive "backstory", as we learn he's Jewish by birth but not culturally Jewish. A better movie would've delved into his story, especially since he's the one who actually risks his neck! The John David Washington character motivates the action but he's safely behind the scenes most of the most, while the Driver role is the one actually with the KKK - he's the one with the most to lose, but the movie leaves him underdrawn.

"Klansman" is underdeveloped and patchy, without much narrative focus. It careens from one scene to another without a whole lot of logic, and we rarely get a sense of any kind of "bigger picture"...

 

I disagree. After seeing this film, my friend and I had a very long discussion about the state of racism in this country both past and present, the similarity of some of the dialogue in the film to recent political rhetoric, and of course the ending. Maybe that was Spike Lee’s entire point and aim in making this film.

 

To be fair, it's only "preachy" in spots. On the Spike-O-Meter, it's actually pretty low on preachiness - it's certainly no "Chi-raq"!

But it does grind the movie to a halt to throw in Lee's "lessons" a few times.

Also, the self-conscious nods toward the Trump era become a distraction. I understand why they're there, but they take us out of the story...

 

Sure, you can have that kind of discussion, but I don't see how this movie does much to reflect racism circa 2018 that we don't get in the daily news.

Other recent movies have done a much better job of reflecting racism today. "Klansman" offers no nuance.

You can't have a conversation about the specific characters and their motivations. This isn't like discussing whether Mookie "did the right thing" or not - the movie casts good and bad with nothing in between.

And of course Lee wanted to connect to today's politics - that's the clear point. But again, he reveals nothing we don't already know - "Klansman" doesn't open up nuances or layers that aren't already out there...

 

The only Spike Lee film I can think of where he did delve into character study is 1992's "Malcolm X". But, that movie was very long. Perhaps that is why Lee jumps around and doesn't get too deep. First, he realizes today's audience is impatient, and wants style over substance.

Now, I haven't yet seen "Blackkklansman", but it seems that he did the best job with "Do The Right Thing" in regard to making his point.

 

I believe Spike Lee is trying to get America to talk to each other about race instead of just watching it on the news, shaking our heads, and going on about our business.

Just yesterday at work, I had a nice conversation with a retired teacher I have been friendly with for many years. He let me know that he was upset that people judge him because he's an older White man, and assume Whites are all the same. He especially is upset because he, like me, is a native Arizonan, and lamented on how it didn't used to be this way.

There is a YouTube channel (I will not mention the name) that consistently promotes Black people sticking to their own kind. I posted that he, and his subscribers, are no better than the White racists he rails against on a daily basis. The idea is to come together, not separate.

 

"Klansman" is almost 2.5 hours, so it's not exactly short, but compared to the three hours, 20 minutes of "Malcolm X", it's a quick watch!

I thought Lee handled a much larger cast of characters with good development and introspection in "Do". We get enough info about the characters to make them "real people" even though there's not a lot of cinematic real estate devoted to them.

The "Klansman" lead remains largely a cipher. We get little sense of what makes him tick.

"Do" is a genuinely great film. "Malcolm" was erratic but still well-done - and Denzel was never better.

"Klansman" is a watchable flick but not one I think will be remembered in the same way as Lee's better efforts down the road...

 

But I don't think that's happening. Race/bigotry are major topics of discussion these days - Lee's movie isn't going to prompt any additional debate, IMO, especially because it doesn't really offer any good grounds to initiate these discussions.

Also, I strongly suspect Lee preaches to the choir here. I can't imagine a whole lot of people who have racist views are gonna see it...

 

BTW, does anyone know if Lee has discussed why he chose to set the movie in 1972 when most of the actual events took place in 1979?

I'm guessing because he wanted to involve the "black power" side of the story and that works much less well in 1979 than in 1972, but I didn't find any specific discussion he offered for the shift...

 

The only people who are talking are the cable TV pundits, and average citizens talking amongst like-minded folks like I did yesterday. People on opposite ends of the spectrum do not talk unless they are insulting each other on the internet or trying to shout and shoot each other down at a rally.

 

Seems like Dave Chappelle already did that with "Frontline" Clayton Bigsby.

Spoiler: Not for the sensitive

 

I think the most interesting ongoing conversation about race in America is on the PBS show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. As much as some folks would wish to retreat to their safe & narrow enclaves, DNA tells a much different story about who we are.

 

Better music?

 

Are we so scared of the issue that the only way we can even approach it is with humor?

 

But no one watches PBS, and he's not talking about problems today.

 

"Klansman" isn't going to change that. Do you really think racists are gonna see it and then self-examine/want to discuss it?

 

Ha - I actually thought part of the reason Lee used 1972 was for the music!

Though some of us think the music of 1979 was better than the music of 1972...

 

No idea. I just didnt want to get banned for offending someone.

 

That's one of the more interesting aspects of digging through the past is that history draws a direct line to our present difficulties. The reverberations from the institution of slavery for instance are very much still with us. Gates offers us an opportunity where we can all meet with greater understanding. Cultural & biological.

 

Sounds interesting but it's hard for me to separate Spike's constant self aggrandizing from whatever merit his films might have. And aren't the Klan sort of an easy target? Pointing to stupid bigots ( in a film that took place how many years ago?) doesn't seem to be the most promising of catalysts for an illuminating, respectful discussion about how racism (perceived or otherwise) plays out in the complexities of todays society.

Weren't there hosannas few months ago when 'Black Panther' did so well, and drew a diverse audience?

 

You hit on a point I tried to make earlier: yes, the KKK are an exceedingly easy target, and that's part of the reason the movie leaves so little room for discussion.

Not many of us have friends/relatives who agree with the Klan who will also see/discuss this movie. If we do, those people seem unlikely to offer any nuance.

"Do the Right Thing" had characters and events open for interpretation. For the most part, "Klansman" does not...

 

I do, whenever I have trouble sleeping. Nothing is more reassuring and coma inducing than PBS fundraising. Or that guy's voice who seems to narrate every other program on the channel. Such earnest inflections! And who else is going to show 20 years old BBC sitcoms? So glad they are getting public assistance to continue their fine work!

 

I'm not up to speed on racist organizations but is the Klan even still around as an actual entity? Do they have any candidates on any ballots, local or regional? What do they actually do?