Good to the Last Drop (Almost)

Rating: 8/10 (10 September 2018)

A film is a visually, sonically, and soulfully inspiring work of art. A film brings life to forgotten stories and personal dreams. The stories contained within are emotional and opinionated. Often, subtleness is laid to the wayside and films polarize the audience. BlackKklansman deals in such a discussion of race tensions in America.
Let me be clear, my opinion of BlackKklansman stems solely from its effectiveness in emotional elicitation. I entered the theatre and left my politics at the door. As a result, I enjoyed a riveting ride through 1970s Colorado Springs. The color pallette glowed and mirrored the colors of the New Black Panther Party: black, red, gold, and green. Cinematographer Chayse Irvin delivered a natural, through-the-window view of the HATE that existed in 1970s America. Let me correct myself. That same HATE still lives today. The cast sells the story well. Alec Baldwin, John David Washington, Adam Driver, and Topher Grace live, breathe and embody the driving elements behind their respective characters. I entered the theatre devoid of all preconceptions and returned to the parking lot with a spinning mind. What BlackKklansman best succeeds in is offering a hero arguably different than the viewer and making him feel like a brother. Lee does this by highlighting kinship and eternal brotherhood among man, woman, and race. Sadly, the curtain comes crashing down and the final still of the movie destroys what good it had done. I cannot and will not spoil that for you. Know this, if you want to tell a story about overcoming differences, do not polarize the audience again as soon as they are about to leave the theatre.