Historical, current, and timeless all at once

Rating: 9/10 (13 June 2020)

Only Spike could make this film...and it is his best in a LONG time. He somehow combines a little Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a little Three Kings, and a lot of Marvin Gaye into an outright masterpiece. Not only that, but along the way he reminds us how many of our greatest supporting actors (Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr) could have been absolute stars in a parallel universe. The entire film feels so original and so familiar, which is not easy to pull off. When you are in Vietnam, you are transported to another era and place. When you are with these characters, you are reminded of the current moment. And yet it is timeless all the same. There have not been many films this year, but this was a reminder of what great stories can do. Let's have an Oscar ceremony just for Spike and Delroy Lindo. It will be well deserved.