BlacKkKlansman

BlacKkKlansman

Starring John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace

Directed by Spike Lee

The Story:
In the 70s, racism is still unrelenting and nonstop, but this doesn't deter Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) from doing what he's always wanted to do - be a cop.  At first, he's harassed by his fellow officers, but is given an undercover mission by the chief to infiltrate a civil rights rally, where he meets activist Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier).  After this meeting, he decides he wants to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan, but there's the obvious issue that Stallworth is African American.

His solution is to bring in another police officer - Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) - to play him in person, while he communicates to the Klan through the phone.  Flip, a non-practicing Jew, reluctantly agrees to the mission, and as he spends more time with the racist, anti-Semitic group, he grows uncomfortable and has to face his own prejudices and beliefs, while trying to maintain a facade that's constantly under fire by radical KKK member Felix (Jasper Paakkonen), who believes Zimmerman is a Jew.

As they continue their undercover work, they learn of a possible attack by the KKK at another civil rights rally, and when Grand Wizard David Duke (Topher Grace) visits town, Stallworth finds himself at a battle with time as he has to find the credible threat before Patrice pays the ultimate price.

The Synopsis:
Spike Lee has never shied away from exposing racism and anti-African American sentiments in his films, especially "Malcolm X" and "Do the Right Thing," but it's "BlacKkKlansman" that rises among the others and becomes his most powerful piece of work to date.  Blending a true story with modern day fears, it becomes apparent that, although we're seeing a loosely-true biography on a man from the 70s, we're also seeing how little we've come in the idea of racism in America, and how damaging it still is today.

Ron Stallworth managed to infiltrate the most racist organization in America, despite being a black man, by brilliantly using his words against the KKK itself.  He doesn't "talk" like black people do, according to the likes of David Duke, so he manages to convince them that he's a white guy who hates black people as much as they do, allowing entry to the mysterious and downright dangerous group.  John David Washington - the son of Oscar-winner Denzel Washington, who starred in Lee's classic "Malcolm X" - truly has his father's talent, as he gives a terrific, commanding, and downright chill-inducing performance as Stallworth, having to walk a thin line as he becomes the first person of color on the Colorado Springs police force, enduring the racist slurs of his fellow officers, and contacting members of the Klan (including Grand Wizard David Duke) through the phone.  There's several moments where he truly shines, but most notably is a quiet moment after the Klan finishes practice shooting.  He finds that the targets are caricatures of black men running, and Spike Lee told Washington that they weren't props - they were actually purchased by Lee off eBay, proving that they were actually once used in a racist way.  The way Washington stares at the targets sent chills through my spine, as he fully expressed through his face the disgust and anger we all feel.

As strong as Washington's performance was, it would've been nothing without his other half.  Adam Driver has slowly risen among the ranks of stellar actors, apart from his crowd-pleasing performances in the new "Star Wars" trilogy (look no further than "Logan Lucky" to see him truly shine).  Here, Driver gives the performance of his career as Flip Zimmerman, the white man who has to infiltrate the Klan in person as Stallworth talks to them over the phone.  This adds breathless tension to the film, as at any moment his cover could be blown, since the two men don't necessarily have the same voice (which is often mentioned by the Klan members).  Flip walks his own tightrope as he endures constant taunts and threats to the Jews - of which he's a non-practicing believer - and the often angry moments thrown at him by unhinged Klan member Felix, who believes Flip is a Jew himself.

In another chilling moment, Felix forces Flip to take a "Jew detector" test at gunpoint, and shares that he doesn't believe in the Holocaust.  Flip then says he does believe in it, and then adds a long pause - long enough for me to gasp as well as the rest of the audience with bated breath to what would happen next.  Flip then says that "it was beautiful" in a way that's so powerful and moving you can't help but feel it inside.  Flip doesn't believe it, but he has to say it in order to maintain secrecy.  He knows he's in enemy territory, and has to put aside his own issues in order to maintain his own safety and those of the innocents the Klan is planning on attacking.

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" star Laura Harrier tackles a serious, grown-up role as Patrice, the leader of a civil rights group in Colorado Springs who showcases a fearless, icy resolve to push for the equality of African Americans, and doesn't hold back on her feelings.  Equally stunning is Topher Grace (who I wouldn't be surprised to see receive an Academy Award nomination himself) as David Duke, one of the most vile people in human history.  Even Grace has gone on the record saying he was often depressed in playing such a vile person, and he absolutely nails it to a T.  It's haunting and memorable, one performance that sticks with you long after the film ends.

Lee uses old prejudices to showcase how people still hold to their racist views today, most notably using the 1915 racist film "The Birth of a Nation" to show how the KKK rose to power and how much members still cherish that rubbish film then and now.  There's a moment where both camps are having meetings, and as the KKK members are shouting and cheering on the racist film, the civil rights movement meeting is solemn and moving, as a man named Jerome Tuner (played by living legend Harry Belafonte) tells the crowd the atrocities he saw during the Civil Rights movement.  It all culminates with both sides shouting "white power" and "black power" in a way that truly makes you feel there's a new Civil War at hand, as both sides are vehemently supportive of their own causes.

The Summary:
Delivering a bold, powerful film that focuses on the issues of racism then and now, Spike Lee gives one of his best films with "BlacKkKlansman" with stellar performances by John David Washington, Adam Driver, and Topher Grace, and becomes a film that won't soon be forgotten - and shouldn't be.

The Score: A+