The Good, The Bad, The Bants

Rating: 7/10 (11 September 2018)

Spike Lee is one of those directors that I like, though not perhaps one that I laud as I would others. He has made many films that I have enjoyed - indeed one of my all time favourites in "Do the Right Thing" - though while interesting, innovative and always politically-charged in his work, his films tend to be flawed in some way or other. Having said that, apart from 2013's misguided "Old Boy" re-make, I can't say any of his films haven't been worth my time.
It would also be fair to say, however, that like many other directors, as his career has got longer, his body of work has become less impactful. With much of his work over the last decade coming in the form of TV, documentary and music video, "BlacKkKlansman" is a welcome return to feature film form delivering his best film for many years.
Based on, but moving away from, his memoir, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first black police officer on the Colorado Springs force. Left in archives, however, his uniqueness on the force see him used for undercover purposes to make sure a student rally doesn't get "out of hand." This taste of active police work sees him quickly moved to Intelligence, where apropos of nothing, he calls the local branch of the "Organisation" (the Ku Klux Klan to you and me) pretending to be a harmless white racist, eager to join. Discussions developing, the head of the Colorado Springs branch is keen to meet.
There is just one problem with that.
Enter fellow undercover Flip Zimmerman (face-seen-a-lot-these-days Adam Driver). With Stallworth the voice and Zimmerman the face, they create an alter-ego Klan member Ron Stallworth. Gaining further trust, they soon gain recognition within the Klan at a national level. As such, they soon uncover a secret plot among some members against student groups.
As the scenario suggests, there is something of a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour throughout "BlacKkKlansman". Stallworth able to convince members of the Klan that his is the voice of a white man, much to the amusement of his colleagues, particularly when making the rookie mistake of using his actual name and address. Sending a Jewish man to play the face also leads to numerous references to showing his penis to prove his whiteness (and not just with how small it is). As ever with Lee, political rhetoric comes with a sense of humour.
But there are more political messages - attempts at least. Stallworth, as the sole black police officer, sees himself as a pioneer, while his relationship with student activist Patrice (Laura Harrier) throws questions at him as to how a black man can ever work for a racist police force. But why can't he be both a police officer and proud black man? Zimmerman is a man who doesn't define himself by his Jewish heritage, but once spending time with the Klansmen, he soon becomes more aware of white society's views towards him. These are perhaps left unexplored to a greater extent, with entertainment more of a key factor, as well as lampooning certain individuals. One gets the sense that Lee and his fellow writers, Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmot, are making not-so-subtle references to the current political situation in the US throughout.
And it is thrown square in your face on the film's conclusion. A seemingly Hollywood happy ending, with lives saved, victory achieved and knockabout goofs thrown in, the team are told to destroy all evidence of the case, much to their frustration. This is then followed by a literal barrage of now well-known video footage of cars ploughing into protestors, alongside speeches from Donald Trump and David Duke (featured at a younger age in the film). From the euphoria of cinema, we are brought straight back to reality in a brutal way, timed and measured for maximum impact: true images more shocking than any fiction.
Much more slick than his earlier films, there are still flaws here: perhaps an indulgent dance scene showing Lee's music video influence; and some plot holes that could use some covering - natural when fictionalising true events for entertainment. The more mainstream edge on show here - less radical than his works in the Eighties and Nineties - lead to criticisms as to the changing of the script and Lee's (lack of) showing the reality of what happened. Is the police "racism" Stallworth experienced shown as little more than childish name-calling here? Are the Klan members simply pantomime villains? Perhaps. Lee's recent work with the police to help improve minority relations could be seen as a motivation for some of the changes to story and character for a more positive outlook.
But the truth is this is a mainstream film - Lee a more recognised name in the industry than in his younger, more aggressive days - and Hollywood will always change the script in the name of entertainment. One cannot, therefore, be shocked by the lack of overall truth; and the choice for entertainment over education. For the merits of the film itself: Lee shows that he can still make feature films that cover the full range of making you laugh, cry, enjoy, rage and think. Your thoughts as to that though may not be so positive.