Teachers, Leave the Audience Alone

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2019)

Story of first African-American detective in the city's police department as he sets out to infiltrate and expose the local Ku Klux Klan chapter sound so incredible that it just has to be true.
There are so many interesting and subtle elements in movie that make great addition to story. Spike Lee does good job in portraying situation, surroundings and reasons why it's so hard to make a change - even with a people willing to make one, it's dangerous turn it into reality. He also dares to start questioning the individualism of movements - when does "me" become "we" and individual becomes idea (even if it is for good cause) undistinguishable from the rest of crowd? Footage from Gone with the wind with "wounded" Confederation flag and Ku Klux Klan part in The Birth of The Nation is provocative remainder (although not first to mention it) of past times and raises interesting question.
There is just one problem with movie that for me makes all the difference. Films (and plays) are there to give experience, not to teach. The thing Lee avoided so elegantly in the past films is exam he fails so clearly in this one for one simple reason: in his best work it was never about teaching audience, but simply telling the story. This is what he does in first 1/3 of BlakcKkKlansman and when the movie is at its best with no pressure in "making the point". As soon as he tries to make one (in fact in moment when any director tries to make one) it starts to fall apart and falls into cliches he is trying to avoid. It starts with Trump miniatures in dialogues that seems as nice auteur expression at beginning, continues with inserting "change the world" parts in otherwise engaging dialogue (something director would say, not characters), Harry Belafonte giving monologue about African American suffering that seems so obligatory and culminates with Charlottesville footage, for all people who didn't watch the previous 98 minutes of movie.
Loosing respect for audience intelligence is one of the worst things that can happen to film director. He resembles parent who wishes to teach children by lecturing them, while children at same time crave for real life experience. It will not work for simple fact that we all have organic adversity of being programmed by other people. We are truly touched by other people's experiences that makes us think.
Ironically, but not illogically, Lee does his best with limited sources. I remember accidentally stumbling on Do The Right Thing on TV many years ago. I signed up for comedy, ended up with movie that stuck with me till today. All it tried to do is tell a simple story about hanging pictures in one pizzeria, and ended up telling story about human character, relationships and love. I kept thinking about it hours after it ended. BlackKkKlansman took different approach - it's more direct story that tries to be larger than life. I was doing my best to be touched, I honestly did, but there was nothing left for me to do since Lee did it all the thinking for me.
There is one thing I was left with, although not sure director did it intentionally. As I scrolled against the list of Oscar nominees for last couple of years I couldn't help noticing it was less and less about movies and more about political correctness. Let's be honest - Oscar never was about auteur cinema, but in most cases it had respect for quality that would stand the test of times. I hope that after it pays its due to all movies with agenda, it will turn to filmmakers in pursuit of telling the story. I cannot help myself thinking about Paul Thomas Anderson, caucasian middle aged auteur from San Francisco who usually tells interesting stories about "ordinary" people. It's just about character's lives and relationships, nothing more. It's something Spike Lee used to do.
There is parole in BlacksKkKlansman that says: All Power To All People! (which actually doesn't make a sense if you properly think about it). I propose another one: All Power To Story Telling Filmmakers!