Review of Chi-Raq (2015) by Brandon E — 05 Dec 2015

I grew up watching Spike Lee films. It's kinda awkward given that most of his films are R-rated. My parents made me cover my eyes during scenes that weren't suitable for children (even though I did the little trick that every kid does, spread their fingers apart). For some reason, Spike's films hold some memories of my youth. I remember going to see Malcolm X with my family in 1992. Even at the age of 5, I could tell that I was watching something that was so grandiose, so epic. I remember seeing the dance number at the 1920's jazz club, the voyage to Mecca and the tragic ending. Malcolm X is Spike Lee's "Lawrence of Arabia".

Spike Lee's films took a slump after Miracle At Santa Anna. I barely made it through Red Hook Summer, couldn't finish Da sweet blood of Jesus and let's face remaking a popular Japanese film where everyone knows the famous twist was a failed attempt at an easy cash grab.

I know that Spike Lee catches a lot of flack for his interviews, people have called him racist or anti Semitic. However I beg to differ when you see his movies. The films he does that talks about race, end on the note of racial equality and harmony. For example "Do the right thing" shows what happens when people try to ignore the issue of racism. What led to the outrage in the third act was all of the hatred that each character had bottled up inside. In the ends it leads to the destruction of their own neighborhood. Another great example is Malcolm X, when the main character visits Mecca and notices the different races practicing the same religion, he has an enlightened moment. Spike Lee's films promote discussing the ongoing issue and seeking a way of all races working together, setting aside their differences to resolve the issue.

Unlike the Spike Lee clone that was Dear White People, it felt only right to see how the master puts together a satire. After a few slumps it's safe to say that Spike Lee is back! Chiraq is about the constant murders that have taken place in inner city Chicago. With so much gun violence in America, it seems only right to focus on the city where homocides double each month. This film is an adaptation from a Greek play. While I haven't seen the play it seems to be the perfect setting for the surrealist world created by Spike Lee. And Damnit I love it when he does surrealist satire. The tone is very reminiscent of Bamboozled and one of my favorite of Lee's School Daze. Where Dear White People failed to capture the tone of School Daze, It works for this tale. Two gangs dominate Chicago the purple donned Spartans led by Nick Cannon and the orange repping Trojans ran by Wesley Snipes aka Cyclops. Even though Snipes seem a bit too old for the part. It's still good to se him acting again, even in a Spike Lee film. Speaking of regulars it was great to see the actors that usually work with Lee and also Easter eggs that take place in the Lee universe such as Da Bomb malt liquor. Back to the story, the female sets of each gang get together with a plan of abstaining from sex in order to stop the killing. This sex strike encourage all women around the world to do the same. The female sets remind me of the Gamma sorority from School Daze, whenever they move in a choreographed fashion it reminds me of the film. The females also remind me of the Warriors given how over the top their gang wardrobe is.I also like how everyone has a rhyming scheme in the film. The film has the look of a Broadway play. I love how Lee can take something so dark and add a satirical look to it.

This film is Lee at his best, everyone was great in this film. It is a surrealist film executed to perfection.