Da’ 5 Bloods - Review
Spike Lee’s newest look at America’s past and present makes a lot of good points.
Director: Spike Lee
Writers: Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee
Starring: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clark Peters, Norm Lewis, Isaiah Witlock Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Melanie Thierry, Johnny Nguyen, Jean Reno
R 2hr 34min War, Drama Netflix June 12, 2020 Netflix
Grade: 5 of 5 stars
Spike Lee is at the top of his game! Da’ 5 Bloods, his follow up to the Oscar(r) winning hit, Blackkklansman, delivers a powerful narrative that speaks directly to its audience and isn’t afraid to make direct eye contact. Spike Lee is a master of his craft weaving history, metaphor, and genre together in a collage of filmmaking genius. Da’ 5 Bloods is already the best movie of the year and in my opinion, is among the best work he has ever done.
Da’ 5 Bloods follows four black vietnam war veterans returning to Vietnam to find and return the remains of their group's leader “Stormin’” Norman, played with a lot of heart by Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther). Norman was the group's leader both literally and spiritually, his death marking the end of their comaraderie and becoming a hardship they each in their own way feel honor bound to make right.
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All the performances are good, but Delroy Lindo steals the show as Paul who suffers from PTSD, giving an Oscar worthy performance that is raw and moving. Paul is a proud red hat wearing MAGA supporter, much to the dismay and confusion of the rest of his crew--and his son. Paul shares absurd MAGA talking points that would make Kanye West proud. Indeed, I'm sure that is the point, however, even though Paul is antagonistic in his personality, the film makes clear he is not the “villain”.
Blackkklansman was meant to be a reflection on our time, using the past to inform the present. It is sending a message to black and jewish communities that they are in the same boat in the eyes of white supremacists and that jewish people won’t be able to hide as “white” in a society infiltrated by the KKK (Remember: “The jews will not replace us” - Charlottesville Nazis) and that they should stand together as minorities under fire from racist extremists.
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Equally, Da’ 5 Bloods is a continuation of that method and message. When the group loses their leader, the heart and voice that holds the men together, we are reminded of how hard it has been for the black community to hold on to their leaders and how they have struggled to find voice and unity because of it. Messages of love and forgiveness and unity are strong throughout—but seem to fall on deaf ears without Stormin’ Norman, as some members of the group have given up past ideals in favor of looking out for themselves.
It also speaks to the plight aisans have suffered at the hands of white America and how they were used similarly to the black soldiers were—for the profits of the corporate war machine. Again, Spike makes the call for the minorities to stand together when Paul makes the argument to the group that they are all, including Vinh (Johnny Nguyen), their Vietnamese guide, “niggas” in all the ways that matter; that being their shared systematic oppression by white people/countries.
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Just as importantly Da’ 5 Bloods was made to honor the black soldiers who served in past wars whose stories haven't been told. Though it is not based on a true story, the characters were inspired by real people, and for good measure Lee goes out of his way to just bring some up anyway. Right on, Spike.
I don’t normally try to get overly political in a movie review—it often feels like something for a different kind of article—but it is hard to avoid when Spike Lee is involved, because he asks hard questions and demands answers. He should. It’s what good filmmakers do. It’s why I like him even though I might not always agree with him. In the current political climate Da’ 5 Bloods will have its detractors, but ultimately it’s hard to deny the truth that Spike speaks.