An Emotionally Riveting, Essential Piece of Filmmaking

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 2020)

When it comes to Spike Lee films, I've now come to expect a film that's at least good. Do the Right Thing is one of my favourite films of all time and BlacKkKlansman easily made my Top 10 list of 2018. It's very clear when you're watching a Spike Lee joint (as he likes to call them). Da 5 Bloods is his most recent directorial outing and streaming seems to be the saving grace for a lot of movies this year. Netflix has recently released it for all subscribers to view, and although a lot of the subject matter may be a lot to take in, I believe, especially due to the timing of the release and how it relates to society today, it is an essential piece of filmmaking.
After losing one of their own in war, four American veterans return to where they lost him in order to uncover his body, as well as try to find the gold that they hid away. After this film sets the overall story in motion, it becomes a long, slow journey from beginning to end, but it's very much worth the investment. Becoming close with what seems to be new allies, a new plot begins to unfold, adding a huge layer of reality to the movie as a whole. It was very hard not to compare the notions throughout this film to that of the ones we're dealing with today, and for that reason alone, I believe this film is even more impactful than it already was upon completion.
This film begins with real images and footage that are incredibly impactful and eye-opening. Throughout the movie, real images are cut to in order to exploit the harsh realities of certain things. That small aspect of the movie alone will be too much for some to handle. There are some horrific images that are not recreated for the movie, but rather just blatantly displayed on-screen, conveying some of the most emotional messages I've seen in a film in quite some time. On top of that, this movie relies heavily on the characters at the forefront of the story and if you don't buy their chemistry and their history together, this movie would've been a mess. Thankfully, there are some award-worthy performances here from everyone involved.
In particular, as most viewers have been proclaiming, Delroy Lindo as Paul delivers one of the very best performances I've seen in a while. His screen presence here is electric and if any of the awards shows were coming soon, I could even make the argument that he deserves to win. He truly brings his A-Game here and I've never seen him better. Granted, this is the most acting I've ever seen from him, so it left quite an impression on me. In addition, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Norm Lewis, Clarke Peters, and the eventual joining of Jonathan Majors, all played off each other as if they were real-life friends. The acting in this film is off the charts.
Written by Danny Bilson, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee, and Paul De Meo, it was very clear that this was a collaborative effort. This film came from the heart and I was most surprised to see Paul De Meo's name attached. He's had his hand in writing video games in recent years, but in terms of feature films, his last notable screenplay was for The Rocketeer in 1991. I really hope to see him return to feature film screenplays in the future. From the way each character interacts with each other to the long monologues given (particularly by Lindo), this movie had me glued to the screen.
In the end, Da 5 Bloods is an eye-opening film, to say the least. The story itself is very telling in its own right, but when you compare certain elements to our daily lives, this can be a huge lesson for some viewers. As I said, certain imagery will be too much for viewers to take in, so be wary if you're either squeamish or know that certain things will be stuck in your mind forever. Filled with a stellar cast, backed by superb direction, and written with a lot of care, Da 5 Bloods is a must-see. It's now streaming on Netflix and I highly recommend checking it out. It's also quite possibly the best movie that will be released for a while as well.