BlacKkKlansman

Rating: 7/10 (6 September 2018)

It had been some time since Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated director Spike Lee (She's Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Inside Man) brought out a film, or "joint" as this one is referred, many fans would have been delighted with this one, a "stranger than fiction" fact-based story, the trailer definitely made it look appealing. Basically in 1979, Ron Stallworth (Golden Globe nominated John David Washington, Denzel's son) is as the first black officer in the Colorado Springs, Colorado police department. He is initially assigned to work in the records room, where co-workers give him constant racial slurs, but he demands to be transferred. Stallworth is assigned to go undercover, to infiltrate a local rally, at which national civil rights leader Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins) is to give a speech. There he meets Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier), the president of the black student union at Colorado College. After the rally, Stallworth is reassigned to the intelligence division, while reading the paper, he finds an advertisement to join the Ku Klux Klan. Stallworth calls and pretends to be a white man, he speaks with Walter Breachway (Ryan Eggold), the president of the Colorado Springs chapter, claiming his hatred for black people and other minorities. Stallworth recruits his Jewish colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Adam Driver), to act as him in order to meet the Ku Klux Klan members in person. Zimmerman attends a meeting and meets Walter, along with the more radicalized member Felix Kendrickson (Jasper Pääkkönen), he also hears another member named Ivanhoe (Paul Walter Hauser), who cryptically refers to an upcoming attack. Zimmerman and Stallworth continue to cultivate their relationship with the local Klan chapter. Stallworth calls Klan headquarters in Louisiana to expedite his membership, he is shocked to be speaking to David Duke (Topher Grace), the Grand Wizard, they soon engage in regular conversations on the phone. Kendrickson, who is very suspicious, almost makes Zimmerman take a "Jewish lie detector test" at gunpoint, but Stallworth causes a distraction, throwing a rock through the Kendrickson house window. Stallworth begins dating Patrice but does not tell her that he is a police officer, and he learns after meeting an FBI agent that two Klan members are military personnel stationed at NORAD headquarters. Duke visits Colorado Springs for Stallworth's induction into the Klan, while the real Stallworth is assigned to protect Duke during his visit. After Zimmerman, masquerading as Stallworth, is initiated, Felix's wife Connie (Ashlie Atkinson) leaves the ceremony to place a bomb at a civil rights rally. Stallworth realises her intentions and alerts the authorities, acting on Felix's backup plan, Connie tries to plant the bomb in Patrice's mailbox, but instead leaves it under her car. Stallworth tackles her when she tries to escape, but uniformed officers detain and beat him as he protests he is working undercover. Bomb maker Walker recognised Zimmerman from a prior arrest and conviction; he, Felix and Ivanhoe arrive and park next to Patrice's car, they set off the bomb, not realising where it was hidden, and are killed in the explosion. Zimmerman arrives and frees Stallworth, and Connie is arrested. Stallworth celebrates the case being closed and tricks a drunken Landers into bragging about his assault on Patrice, whilst wearing a hidden microphone, leading to Landers being arrested. Police Chief Bridges (Robert John Burke) congratulates the team for their successful operation but orders them to end it and keep all details from the public. As he is packing up, Stallworth receives one last call from Duke, Stallworth reveals to him that he is a black man before hanging up on him. Later, Patrice (who found out he was a police officer) and Stallworth discuss their future together, they are interrupted by a knock at the door, in the distant they see a large flaming cross on a distant hillside surrounded by Ku Klux Klan members. The film ends with footage from the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, including footage of the white supremacists, the real David Duke giving a speech, and President Trump's statements after the events. It also shows the memorial to Heather Heyer, the car attack victim, and an upside-down American flag, which fades to black and white. Also starring Alec Baldwin as Dr. Kennebrew Beauregard, singer Harry Belafonte as Jerome Turner, Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Mr. Turrentine and Michael Buscemi (Steve's brother) as Jimmy Creek. Washington in his major film role rises to the challenge as the determined black cop who infiltrated the KKK, Driver as always is reliable playing his colleague, and Grace does well as the calm but quietly nasty head of the cult, Eggold and Pääkkönen are also scary. The Ku Klux Klan have been one of the most reviled and dangerous cults over the centuries, so it was most interesting to see Lee bringing to life a fascinating story of a black man brave enough to tackle them head on and stopping any planned attacks, there are many chilling scenes of tension, and a wonderful sense of absurdity throughout, many are relevant and mainstream to events today, it does take things seriously, but manages to squeeze in well-timed moments of humour as well, a most interesting biographical comedy drama. It won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel and Kevin Willmott, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Original Score for Terence Blanchard and Best Film Editing, it won the BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay, and it was nominated for Best Film and Best Original Music, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama. Very good!