Review of BlacKkKlansman (2018) by Brian B — 24 Aug 2018

I'm still grappling with the fact that I may grow to like this film more than Do the Right Thing. One thing I like about it is how it provides middle ground to both races. This extends to the police as one of the cops is corrupt and even the black characters such as Ron's love interest Patrice, who believes all cops are racist and often refers to them as 'pigs'.

Speaking of her, the love interest sub-plot doesn't feel tacked on as her character adds a lot to Ron's arc such as her differentiating views on the police which challenge Ron's own and how she demands he fight to grant power for all people, not just his race.

The acting was also really good. Even though John David Washington isn't as experienced of an actor as his father, he did a great job as he displayed lots of subtlety. There's also quite a number of memorable scenes such as when Felix and Connie lie in bed and talk about how their actions with the KKK have enriched their marriage.

This scene seems intimate on the surface, but is actually quite disturbing due to the nature of it. While some people call Lee's films convoluted due to all the ideas he tries to cram in them, they shouldn't find that issue here as the thematic montages are cleverly woven into the film by how they give a bookend structure to it.

The opening minutes detail the U.S.'s long history with racism, and the conclusion to this timeline serves as a chilling reminder that despite what Ron accomplished in this film, we've yet to see an end to racism.

It's a bold and striking message which any director who'd turn this story into Oscar bait wouldn't dare to go near. I have this at an 8/10 now (I need to watch a film at least twice and it must be over a year old to be eligible for a 9/10), but I could see it going up in the future.