BlacKkKlansman: 2018

Spike Lee's newest film, BlacKkKlansman is a film everyone must see. It's not an easy film to watch; actually, it's emotionally wrenching at times because of the hatred that has to be present to show just how horrible the KKK is. Yet my discomfort was one reason I needed to see this film; I need to understand better what it's like to be a person of color in this country. BlacKkKlansman is another step for me in understanding that experience more (and here I must acknowledge that I will never be done in taking these steps).

The film is based on Ron Stallworth's experience as the first black police detective in Colorado Springs in the 1970s. In 1978, he saw an ad in the newspaper for the KKK and decided to contact the group. Pretending to be white, he convinced the KKK to let him join (which required him to ask a white colleague to do all face-to-face meetings). Lee's film follows Stallworth's story to a point, taking creative freedom at times to develop characters and create engaging conflicts that make the film riveting. But the main premise, that a black police detective talks to David Duke (the head of the KKK) and Duke has no clue that he's talking to a black man, is true. And that is yet another reason why segregation and prejudice and racism don't make sense. We are all people who deserve equal treatment. Even a man who claims to be superior to other races and leads an organization centered on hatred and racism cannot figure out when he's talking to a person of color.

With a storyline like this and an innovative director like Lee, the film already has so much power. But the acting takes the film beyond amazing into the phenomenal level. John David Washington as Ron Stallworth shows the conflict that Stallworth must have felt working for the police while being a black man. Washington conveys Stallworth's discomfort at times while also making him a strong, honorable man who is trying to make the world safer and better. During the phone conversation scenes, Washington's facial expressions reflect Stallworth's true feelings toward Duke and other KKK members while maintaining a different verbal tone to keep up the undercover work. It's no surprise to me that Washington was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Washington does (and on January 22 I'm expecting him to be nominated for an Oscar). Adam Driver plays the white Ron Stallworth, and in this role, he must switch between being a cop to being a KKK member. What impressed me were the moments when Driver had to be at the meetings and act the part of being full of hate to convince the other members that he meant it. There are subtle moments where Driver shows the conflict he feels in this position, especially since his character Flip is Jewish, and those suspenseful moments drive the film forward, intensifying the danger both the real and fake Ron Stallworth is in.

I can't write much more without giving away more of the plot, so I'm going to end here. I'm so grateful I watched BlacKkKlansman. Now if only the Academy will give it the respect it deserves.