Spike Lee strikes gold in fierce sociopolitical satire

Rating: 9/10 (17 April 2019)

Spike Lee has always been a refreshingly brazen filmmaker; with movies like Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X, the director is not one to shy away from political statements all delivered with distinct style and zest. The same is true of Lee's latest film, the creatively helmed BlacKkKlansman, a fictionalised telling of the memoir of black Colorado cop, Ron Stallworth and his risky infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan. Here, Spike Lee is at his best, painting an enticing tonal mix of humour and horror that feels all too topical.
Son of Denzel, John David Washington stars as Stallworth, the so-called "Jackie Robinson of the Colorado Springs Police Department" and the first black officer. Ron's ethnic background makes him the man for an undercover mission spying on black activist Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins), as he excites the city's discontented African-American community. Soon enough, however, Ron is caught up at the other end of the racial spectrum as he and partner Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) attempt to infiltrate their local chapter of the KKK by posing as a budding white supremacist. It's a life-risking double act as Flip becomes the "face" of Ron Stallworth, as the real Ron rises the ranks through incidental phone calls with KKK Grand Wizard David Duke (Topher Grace).
BlacKkKlansman is a film that presents racism in an interesting way, almost as a dichotomy between the ridiculous and threatening. The script is a genius work, jolting along with the speed of a bullet between moments of almost absurdist comedy to those of darker truth. A particularly good example is that of a racist couple cosying up to one another in bed, dreamily discussing their plans for homemade terrorism. This is a film where white supremacy is served with cheese and crackers and social commentary is accompanied by bizarre humour. Lee does a superb job of balancing these tones, catching the laughs in one's throat within a net of horror. This clashing approach continues throughout the film, even into Terence Blanchard's innovative score, which jumps from the safety of strings to impassioned guitar riffs.
Washington and Driver are two very-well cast leads; the former's delightfully dry yet nuanced performance allows the film to stay grounded. Driver's performance is equally captivating; in many ways, Flip has the scarier side of the job, having to meet the members of the Klan face to face hoping they believe the caricature and stay masked to his Jewish heritage. An opening cameo by Trump-impersonator himself, Alec Baldwin reminds one of the trenchant relevance of Lee's film; the costume design and jukebox soundtrack lend it all the authenticity of a 70s period piece, but the inclusion of Trumpist slurs, ironic asides and a heart wrenching final sequence remind us that BlacKkKlansman is very much a film for today. There are points where the film seems a little too self-aware, but perhaps it is intended to be; from the profane tagline right to the end credits, Lee is truly in control of his craft and the message he wants to put forward. Performances by Washington and Driver are brilliant and credit is due to Get Out's Jordan Peele for the pitch, but the real star here is Spike Lee. With BlacKkKlansman, the director returns to form with satire as it should be; sickeningly hilarious, yet equally as shocking and, most of all, with something important to say.