Film Review: BlacKkKlansman (2018)
When I was in 9th grade, I wrote an essay on Spike Lee’s 1989 film Do the Right Thing. It was probably badly written, and I have no recollection what my grade was, but I do recall that I was the only kid in my class to choose it out of a list of “political films” we were given as options. This was right after the riots in Los Angeles protesting the Rodney King verdict and the release of Lee’s Malcolm X (1992), and at the height of Lee’s controversy. His message was unfortunately lost on or misunderstood by many Americans who weren’t quite ready for his unapologetic take on race relations – especially in the lily-white small Wisconsin town I lived in. Some twenty-five odd years later, the filmgoing public – and hopefully a chunk of white America in general – has finally started to catch up to Lee’s messaging. BlacKkKlansman may take place in the 1970s, but make no mistake, it’s a critique on the right here, right now we’re living in today.
Based on a true story, BlacKkKlansman is almost too crazy to believe. A black police detective named Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) poses as a racist Klan wannabe over the phone in an effort to infiltrate the organization. When he’s asked to meet the group in person, he sends a white officer (Adam Driver) wearing a wire in his place as to not arouse obvious suspicion. The ruse works so well that he’s admitted as a member of the Klan – membership card and all – and becomes a favorite and personal telephone confidant of David Duke (Topher Grace). It’s outrageous, but it happened.
Naturally, some dramatic license is taken to add some flair and direct confrontation, but what may seem like some of the film’s most contrived moments (the photo with Duke, for example), really did happen. Putting fact and fiction aside for a moment though, what Lee has crafted is not only a throwback to his early days but an expert analysis of the contemporary political climate in America. He cleverly – and sometimes not very subtly – draws direct lines from the rhetoric of David Duke in the 70s to the language and attitude of our current administration. And, just to be certain his point has been made, he includes footage of the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, VA and the president’s statements in the aftermath. Spike Lee is showing us definitively and without question what he’s been trying to tell us for decades but weren’t ready or willing to hear yet – and he does so in a slick, cool, and very funny way.
BlacKkKlansman lives in that nether-world between comedy and drama that can be difficult to navigate. The sheer audacity its premise necessitates comedy, while the real-world implications of the Klan demand a dramatic touch with plenty of tension and danger. Lee hits both marks with a smooth hand, balancing it all with smart dialogue and great performances. The premise may be over the top, but the comedy or how it blends with the dramatic elements aren’t. It’s very easy to believe it when Ron dupes David Duke into becoming friends, for example, because of the humanity the actors deliver to their roles. Across the board, the cast exemplifies this humanity, even when their characters don’t deserve it.
I’m glad to see Spike Lee back at it. In today’s polarized and divided climate, we need filmmakers like him – one’s who’ve never been afraid of controversy or of speaking their minds, regardless of who’s listening. It just so happens that BlacKkKlansman is funny, intelligent, and well made on top of being topical and sadly relevant decades after Lee hit the scene. Its comedy is dark but be sure to ask yourself what it is you’re laughing at and why. An honest answer may determine what purpose BlacKkKlansman is meant to serve you.
