Movie Review : BlacKkKlansman

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of watching a private screening of the Award winning movie by American Director Spike Lee at the Sandton Sterkinekor Cinema. I am trying as hard as I can to gather my thoughts together so I can write a great review but it is hard because I cannot get over the experience alone, what I witnessed during the movie and the meaning of the movie to me on a personal note. Spike Lee did it this time.

Generally I love comedy , romance , biography, action and animated movies. I have a whole collection of movies on my laptop and series too. In my down time I catch up on my favorite series. I don’t care who you are and how much I love you but once I am glued to the screen it is hard to get me off. I am one of those people who literally get into the movie or series, occasionally you will hear me laughing out loud or responding to a character in the series or movie. Unashamedly I am that girl. So when the invite came through for the pre -screening of “BlacKkKlansman” I resisted the urge to go online and see the review from overseas or see what media had to say about it. At hindsight I am actually glad I did not.

BRIEF HISTORY ON THE MOVIE

is a 2018 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee and written by Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, and Lee, based on the 2014 memoir by Ron Stallworth. The film is produced by Lee, Raymond Mansfield, Shaun Redick, Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, and Jordan Peele. Redick purchased the film rights to the book in 2015, and Lee signed on as director in September 2017. Much of the cast joined the following month, and filming began in New York State.  premiered on May 14, 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or and won the Grand Prix. It was theatrically released in the United States on August 10, 2018, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the white supremacist Charlottesville rally. The film received acclaim from critics, with many praising the performances.

CAST

The film stars John David Washington as Stallworth, alongside Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Topher Grace. Set in 1970s Colorado Springs, the plot follows the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs police department, who sets out to infiltrate and expose the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.

REVIEW

Racism is not a myth in our communities. It is real and every single day someone in our community experiences it. Thanks to Social Media we have come to see that we still have a lot of white folks who are not only stuck in their privileged life but have the audacity to bring their racism to light if not not disrespectfully flaunt it online i.e the Penny Sparrows of South Africa. I believe the movie arrives at a poignant time in Africa. During the movie screening at least 6- 8 white people walked out of the movie. I am not sure if they couldn’t handle the truth or what but sadly that is what we have to deal with. People acting like a challenge within the community is an exclusive challenge for a few. Perhaps they went to pee if that is the case I guess that pee lasted up until the movie ended. #Justsaying

How to you begin to vividly and honestly tell a story about racism without making it heavy on an audience emotionally but somewhat still being able tell the story as it is? I think any Director who took on this real life story in an attempt to make it a movie would have had a grave challenge regardless of who they are. Spike Lee begins the movie on a high note and thought provoking black consciousness tip that definitely will arouse your senses. We are introduced to the first black detective in Colorado named Ron Stallworth who goes under cover to uncover a secret organisation named the Ku Klax Klan.  The tone of the movie then changes and becomes more light, very funny and as you experience and meet more characters both black and white. As we get closer to the gist of the investigation that the character Ron is working on , things begin to get hectic and I must say even though I was expecting it I was not ready for what was about to unfold.

As Ron’s character falls in love with one of the female characters things also get complicated and it is hard for him to separate work and his personal life, on the upside his intuitions about the Ku Klax Klan are accurate and something is going down underground. Amidst all these challenges the investigation proceeds and no one is harmed as one would have expected. Remember this film is depicted around the 1970s so you can definitely expect to see a lot of afros and 70s fashion, nothing new and over the top but definitely you can see that we are taken back to a world we knew nothing about and appeared to be normal, something that reminds me of our current state of affairs in SA. We appear to be well and yet underneath we are a hurt, depressed, sometimes mean and violent society hence when issues of femicide and violence come to light we are shocked, very few of us stand up, myself included. How valid and effective are our hashtags and tweets and mentions when real lives are impacted? This movie challenges status quo around racism, unity , equality the things we often speak about but never get answers for. It is provoking.

What makes Spike Lee and his team great producers and Directors is that they know how to play with our emotions. The movie somewhat ends on a high note , justice is served, Ron is the good cop alongside his team and no one dies but that is not all. Spike Lee ends the movie on a savagely raw , honest, painful and emotional high. I don’t want to lie to you,  the end will catch you off guard. Infact the end for me is actually the beginning of it all. I won’t share more on what the ending of the movie is. I believe I will take away from it if I do. Just make time and promise yourself you will go and watch it if you care about such issues.

RATING 10 out of 10RATING 10 out of 10

A must see movie and if you can watch it with your white friends and encourage them to stomach it till the end. They have to if they hope to be part of a solution that can bring our continent healing. It’s worth your time.