A Spike Lee Joint for the Ages

Rating: 9/10 (12 June 2020)

Da 5 Bloods, feels like an awfully relevant film to release right now, providing some powerful imagery and showcasing immersive storytelling. The film has all the makings of a Spike Lee Joint from the high quality cinematography that makes use of a diverse range of film and adds something genuine to the story, as well as provide Oscar Worthy Editing that transitions through aspect ratios smoothly. Spike seems to be on a roll with making some of his most powerful films off the back of his superb Blackkklansman. The performances in the film are Oscar worthy making you feel empathetic to the cause as well as giving insight into the unfairness African Americans faced when it came to the Vietnam War, the two notable performances in this film being Delroy Lindo and Chadwick Boseman, I loved both performances and will be some of my favourites for the year, also Jonathan Majors gives a noteworthy performance as well. The writing for this film is powerful and when needed, builds tension, relationships and the conflicts the characters go through during this film. I will also say the use of real footage throughout the film is extremely powerful and adds an extra layer showing the problems that the USA has faced throughout its history right to this day.
If I were to pick out a flaw with this film it would have to be the score which was quite forgettable and at times didn't match the moment that was presented on film, and at times it could have a minor impact on the scene itself, which was quite disappointing as i found the Blackkklansman score to be memorable and matched the style of the film really well.
Overall, Da 5 Bloods is a film that is extremely relevant and powerful, showing that Spike Lee is still in great form as a director 40 years in and is maybe better than ever. The use of the Vietnam war felt appropriate and the characters felt authentic. The performances were fantastic, and most technical aspects to the film were at an Oscar Level. This is a film that everyone should try.