BlacKkKlansman Film Review

As an already admirer of Spike Lee, I was delighted to watch him collect the Oscar for ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’, for his work directing ‘BlacKkKlansman’. Only 6 months after its release, I finally got around to watching it. Better late than never, right? So, I put my love for Spike Lee aside, and tried to enjoy ‘BlacKkKlansman’ with an unbiased eye.

My favourite element of cinema is the power to confuse, and I was indeed, confused. The opening alludes cleverly to the widely known, Gone with the Wind, then moves into snippets of Griffith’s Birth of a Nation. All at once, I was stunned, entertained and infuriated by the footage that summarises the bitter truth laced in White America’s past. It is this striking mix of notions that set the tone for Lee’s compelling tale.

Finding out this was based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, the main character played by John David Washington, only spiked my interest further. Stallworth establishes himself as a character of interest very early on, as he becomes a mere stockroom puppet for the Colorado Springs Police Department, until he goes on to penetrate the KKK as an undercover detective. After contacting the Klan members over the phone, along with the help of his white co-worker, Flip, as his physical cover, Ron manages to fool the members into accepting him into their hate group. 

Flip takes on Ron’s name, and tricks the group leader, Walter, however another member, Felix, is suspicious of him. Ironically, Felix is right not to trust Flip, but his voice of reason is diluted due to his racist undertones. There is a tension between Felix and Flip, as it would be incredibly dangerous if his cover was foiled, yet there is no empathy for Felix, and the wrong thing somehow feels like the right thing. Each challenge that Felix provides, although knocked back by Flip and Ron with ease, serves another anxiety of the ‘will-he-wont-he’ struggle.

David Duke is introduced, the then-famous wizard of the Klan, who becomes acquainted with Ron over the phone. He becomes obsessed with targeting a local university's black student union, led by Patrice, who Ron himself becomes friendly with. This before-mentioned tension is highlighted, as Ron finds himself becoming romantically interested in Patrice, who hates the police because of their racist reputation, while also leading the investigation into the KKK as a detective.

The playful approach to combatting societies prejudice helps aid the unravelling of a detective story that is laced with dark satire and inspiring activism. I found myself falling right into the writer’s trap; liking the characters I’m supposed to like and hating the characters I’m supposed to hate. The film ends with clips from the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, cutting the humour down into the sad reality that is laying beneath the films surface. The harsh truth given in its abrupt nature serves as a wake-up call to the generation of ‘turning a blind eye’, as well as remembering the dark past, and all it represents. Films in this area open an interesting and necessary conversation about treatment of minorities, as well as spoon-feeding it wrapped in satirical humour, making it easy to swallow for those in the audience who are more on the stubborn side. 

Before watching, I was sure I would enjoy it, and enjoy it I did, but beyond that, I am pleased that Spike Lee lived up to my expectations and created yet another example of pure art. Oscar-worthy, indeed, and maybe deserving of more than just the one.