Directed by Spike Lee; starring John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier
Imagine that you're a rookie African American detective who happens to be the first of your race to serve in the role in the Wonder Bread city of Colorado Springs. The 1970s in all their radical glory are happening around you, and you've committed to "serve and protect" the citizenry. You express your black identity by wearing your hair in an Afro, albeit carefully maintained to regulation length. In short, you're straddling two worlds.
Unfortunately, the powers that be in the police department aren't exactly sure what to do with a college-educated you, so they put you in the records room until you press for more challenging work. You get moved to a desk in the situation room, but the desk has nothing on it but a phone. No cases to work, no evidence to evaluate. While you're at the task of manning that desk, you peruse the paper, hoping the phone will ring. One day, you notice a recruitment ad for the Ku Klux Klan, and on a whim, you make a call. The Klan has an answering machine, so you leave a message. Unbelievably, someone calls you back, and before you know it, you're part of an undercover operation. Of course, there are a few inherent problems....
Sounds unlikely, doesn't it? However, this is a true story artfully brought to the screen through the epic storytelling of the great Spike Lee. John David Washington (son of Denzel) stars as Ron Stallworth, the black officer in charge of the Klan undercover project. He is joined by Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), the white officer who, of necessity, becomes the face of the operation. After all, Ron can’t meet the Klan members in person, can he? Or can he??
What prevents BlacKkKlansman from becoming a whacked-out police procedural is entirely due to Lee’s keen observations and insights about his characters and the world they inhabit. As we watch the undercover officers infiltrate the Klan, Ron and his sidekick are forced to confront their own identities and prejudices as we, the audience, share the experience.
BlacKkKlansman is a thoughtful, readily accessible feature film from Spike Lee that infuses the Human Comedy with a deadly serious message. (KB)
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