BlacKkKlansman
Director: Spike Lee 
Screenplay: Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee
Minutes: 135
Year: 2018
Score: 7.53
Release: Universal Pictures Home Media
I feel like I should just link back to my review of the Klansman since I feel like I would just be repeating myself in this opening. It is quite awful that this is not just a document of a historical occasion but a lesson show us that we still aren’t there yet. Maybe we will be there someday; I am not sure if there is more depression that I was unsure of success, or the fact we aren’t there yet.
From the Press Release:
Follow the incredible true story of Ron Stallwortth, an African-American police officer who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan in the unbelievably bold, BlacKkKlansman, arriving on Digital and the all-new digital move app MOVIES ANYWHERE on October 23, 2018 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, DVD and On Demand on November 6, 2018 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed by critics as “hugely entertaining” (Stephanie Zacharek, Time) and “electric” (Eric Cohn, Indiewire), BlacKkKlansman comes from acclaimed producers Sean McKittrick (Get Out, Band Aid), Jason Blum (Get Out, Whiplash), Raymond Mansfield (Get Out, Band Aid), Jordan Peele (Get Out, “The Last O.G.”), Spike Lee (Malcolm X, “She’s Gotta Have It”), and Shaun Redick (Get Out, Band Aid).
Based on the book Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth, BlacKkKlansman is filled with outstanding performances from an all-star cast led by John David Washington (“Ballers,” Malcolm X), Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Logan Lucky), Topher Grace (Interstellar, “That 70’s Show”) and Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Last Five Years) alongside an incredible roster of supporting talent including Alec Baldwin (“Saturday Night Live,” Mission Impossible – Fallout), Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton, Kong: Skull Island), Ryan Eggold (“The Blacklist,” “Sons of Liberty”) and Paul Walter Hauser (I, Tonya, Super Troopers 2).
From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. In the early 1970s Ron Stallworth (Washington) becomes the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a difference, he bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. He recruits a seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Driver), into the undercover investigation. Together, they team up to take down the extremist organization aiming to garner mainstream appeal. BlacKkKlansman offers an unflinching, true-life examination of race relations in 1970s America that is just as relevant in today’s tumultuous world.
My biggest issue with the film is the “extended” ending. Obviously I have to be vague here but if you are familiar with the movie you know what I am taking about. I certainly appreciate what Spike Lee was intending, and I can easily see the value of it but I still think it reads as tacked on for effect. I could see it as a separate special feature accompanying every release but it snips the satisfying ending.
Aside from that I don’t know what I can add to the conversation on this film. It is very good and a worthy addition to the Spike Lee oeuvre. I am excited to see what comes next for John David Washington, he was charismatic and interesting and, while wooden at times, held the story together well. Something worth noting though is that the film has some very rough language. It is very accurate to the story and the time and would certainly feel broken if written for a PG-13 rating.
I do want to bring some additional attention to one of the scenes in the first half of the movie, when we are getting to know the characters. The speech with Kwame Ture is like a love letter from Lee to the African American community reminding them that they are beautiful and valuable. It was a delightful moment.
Special Features
- A Spike Lee Joint
- BlacKkKlansman Extended Trailer Featuring Prince’s “Mary Don’t You Weep”
Director: 7 – Cinematography: 8 – Edit: 8 – Parity: 10 – Main performance: 10 – Else performance: 7 – Score: 8 – Sound: 5 – Story: 10 – Script: 6 – Effects: 7 – Design: 6 – Costumes: 6 – Keeps interest: 10 – Lasting: 5