The political division and the racial tensions of recent years in the United States have not yet been reflected in memorable films. In ‘BlacKkKlansman‘ Spike Lee, one of the directors who has a lot to say about these topics, chose to express his opinions by telling a real story that happened 45 years before in Colorado Springs: a undercover police infiltration among the white racist extremists members of the Ku Klux Klan. Their success was all the more spectacular as the leader of the operation, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), was the first black police officer in the city’s history, while his partner, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), was Jewish. It is clear that Spike Lee intended by telling the story of this case that took place decades before to expose the roots of the political situation and racial tensions in America today. Paradoxically, he managed better with the historical part which is well told, with moments of authenticity and humor. Political rhetoric, too explicit, was perhaps not necessary.
What I liked? The action part is narrated in a fluent and engaging manner. The landscape of the ’70s looks authentic on screen, from the dial phones to the clubs with their fantastic music. The soundtrack of the film is remarkable. The most interesting character is that of Flip Zimmerman, the white policeman who very much ignored his Jewish identity before undergoing a call to reality in contact with the racism of the supremacists who targeted Jews as much as black Americans. The relationship between Ron and his girlfriend Patrice (Laura Harrier) reflects a conflict that continues to this day in the African-American community about the most effective attitude to confront racism and the injustices of the system: integration and collaboration, or militant opposition?
What I liked less? I was not convinced by the polarized description of the characters, including the idealized representation of some and the schematic grotesque view of the others. The screenwriters put into the mouths of the70s heroes words that literally or almost literally reproduce political slogans of the 21st century. The intention is obviously to convey the message that the roots of today’s discrimination already existed in the society of those years and in the white American culture of the past (see the film quotes from ‘The Birth of a Nation‘ and ‘Gone with the Wind‘). There was no need, and certainly in such a repetitive way as in this movie. Spike Lee and the film’s screenwriters do not seem to have trusted their own ability to convey their strong and just political and moral message. In reality, the story itself and the way the reality of the ’70s is brought up to the screen are strong enough to convey these messages to viewers. The rhetoric, the simplistic satire and the collages that open and close the film do not help in my opinion, the core itself is enough valuable and expressive. ‘BlacKkKlansman‘ is a good movie packaged as a political manifesto.