Rod and Karen discuss Spike Lee’s latest movie, “BlacKKKlansman.” We also discuss movie trailers and your feedback.
Spoiled Reviews: (Protected Content)
SMR 200: BlacKKKLansman
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Hi Rod and Karen! I don’t know if you read comments on old reviews. But I came home after viewing here (it comes out later overseas) and wanted to hear your review as soon as I finished. I agree on time but I didn’t feel it in the theater. I agree that maybe Alec Baldwin should not have had such a lengthy intro. They could have done that as an after credit scene or just made it shorter. Spike DEFINITELY did some things for black people and some things for white people in the movie. The faces during Brother Kwame’s speech was for us. White reviewers were like that should have been cut for time. I loved the highlighting of the different Black faces, skin tones and noses. I did also like the dancing scene. I do feel there was some dialogue cut between her telling him about how she was treated and him saying you wanna dance. That came off as dismissive to me. Like I just shared something hurtful. But I will say a good dance can help after something like that but that transition was off. He could have empathised and then said well I want to life your mood or something to convey him wanting her to have a good time. But the reason I liked it was because black men were singing a love song to black women and black women were singing right back. It was a demonstrative love on the dancefloor that was spicy but not overly sexualized. The song was a bop and the lyrics were nice. It was a playful expression of love between us and I like to see that. Spike is an artist and I enjoyed his expressions in this movie. I do agree that the ending was somber. Me and my friend were the only two black women in the theater. The black men there were with white dates. I was glad it was somber. People here try to escape their blackness through dating. Someone died trying to fight the ridiculous hate of racism. It needed to be felt. I do think they could have had the scene where they get the racist cop outta there could have been after the justaposed riot scenes for US though. Oh and I agree witht he previous commenter on the bomb expert. BUT we live in a work where hitler looked jewish.||
As per usual my comment is too long. Sorry. Love the review and see you at the tips conference.
Spike Lee’s best work since Inside Man. I loved how loose this movie, at least, that’s how it felt to me, with the pacing, Terrence Blanchard’s fiya-ass score, the humor & the acting from the entire cast. Furthermore, I absolutely agree with what you said about time coming back to Spike, Rod. With all the racist shit going on in America (and even the rest of the world), this is a very timely movie. The stuff that took place back then with racist whites handling our security, complicity of white women, the police being terrible, etc. It’s all there. Ever since I saw it, weeks ago, it has grown on me everyday & Spike Lee movies don’t usually do that for me, since, he has a tendency to be overbearing with his message. Laura Harrier got better as the movie went along, so did John David Washington & Adam Driver, but Topher Grace nailed the ‘cism with David Duke. Really a lot of white actors nailed it with their racism, be it unconscious or blatant. Now, the way the movie ended was perplexing, with the film dedicated to Heather Heyer. I guess I sort of get it, since, it felt like it was a message for white people to realize that their white supremacy even effects them, but I do think if Spike were willing to end the movie with the cherry on top, you had to end the movie with Stallworth playing Duke. Otherwise, this is movie is greatness.
Hi Rod and Karen,
I loved your review of BlacKKKlansmen. I agree that it is one of Spike’s best films. I also agree that the opening with Alec Baldwin didn’t need to be in the movie. I too wondered why we got the dance sequence, until I heard a white podcaster’s comments on the film and realized this scene was in there for white people. Both casters talked about how that scene and strength it must have taken to go and dance following such a harrowing experience made them realize the amount of strength it takes to be black in America. I don’t know if this realization is a result of the #MeToo Movement, or their willingness to see black humanity in the first place, but they got something of value from it.
Also, Spike did what a lot ot directors do when he cast the Torturro Brother in the film, Spike picked an actor who he has a relationship with despite the obvious miscast. Toturro is clearly too ethnic to be accepted by the Klan as they side-eyed Adam Driver, who despite having dark features is clearly more white looking than the character who outed him as a cop. Then again, maybe this was Spike’s attempt to make another commentary on the ability of “ethnic whites†to assimilate as long as they jump on the hating black people bandwagon.
Karen and Rod,
Spot on review of the Black Klansmen, but I would like to add a criticism…..I think. How could the Klan have a member that looked like their bomb expert played by Nick Torturro. I’ve never seen a klan member with hair that nappy or for that matter skin that dark. WTF! Was that a leap in casting to put his boy Nick in this film! If I were a klan member, Nick Torturro would have to show me that Ancestry.com report!
Peace
Demaceo