The Genius of 'BlacKkKlansman'

After thirty years of filmmaking, director Spike Lee was finally nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for 'BlacKkKlansman.' The reason behind the nominations were more for Lee's sociopolitical Oscar retribution rather than his filmmaking, but it does not detract from 'BlacKkKlansman's genius. The movie sheds a nuanced look at race through an idiosyncratic lens. It plays up the exaggerated, absurdist feel of its events, letting us laugh at its hyperbolic portrayal of characters, only to reveal that these horrors are real and relevant today.

The events of 'BlacKkKlansman' center around Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), an aspiring young, black man who becomes Colorado Springs' first black police officer. Forced into an office job, Ron desires action and purpose; leading him to undercover duty. His first assignment is to infiltrate and survey a speech by Kwame Ture, a longtime activist and former Black Panther leader speaking for the Colorado College Black Student Union. While undercover, Ron falls for the union group’s president, Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier), whose character represents radical change outside the system, contrasting with Ron's who fights for change within the system.

Afterward, Ron stumbles upon an ad in a local paper for Ku Klux Klan recruitment. Posing as a racist, white American, Ron calls the Klan leading to a formal invitation from a Klan leader. However, Ron is black so he brings a colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), in on the case to impersonate Ron. Ron communicates by phone and Flip poses as Ron in person, which proves to be too effective: Flip is promoted to be chapter leader. From this, Ron and Flip uncover plans for specific acts of terrorism, prompting an official investigation on the Klan.

The concept of 'BlackKkKlansman' can be seen as a companion piece to Lee's most infamous film, 'Do the Right Thing': a story that devastatingly critiques police brutality in a black neighborhood. 'Do the Right Thing' focuses more on a radical perspective on change versus 'BlacKkKlansman,' which offers a more moderate change. Ron states, "I always wanted to be a cop, and I'm still for the liberation of my people.” His statement is not just a testament to how he feels, but also representing Lee's evolution as a filmmaker and as a person; becoming more open to working within the system. The purpose of this movie is to grant a voice to both sides of the debate (radical vs moderate), which pushes the main message that despite what we believe we are united in the fight against racism.

Films have the potential and power to influence members of society. 'BlacKkKlansman' alludes to this by mentioning the impact of certain films on the black race. 'The Birth of a Nation,' one of, if not, the most racist film in history, was used as a way to dehumanize black people and promote Confederate sympathy. In addition, the popular Blaxploitation genre turned black characters into heroes, but at the cost of playing up damaging stereotypes. Lee is reminding us that – while we might think of cinematic history as an academic topic removed from our every day life – movies have real power in our society. But by responding via his film, Spike Lee takes control, shaping our perceptions through cinema himself.

(Minor Spoilers) Lastly, I want to discuss 'BlacKkKlansman's ending. It’s one of those perfectly neat endings, where racism appears solved. Viewers might recognize it from a lot of movies about the subject (Driving Miss Daisy, Green Book), but this is Lee faking us out before he goes on to underline that this couldn’t be further from the truth. The movie ends with real footage and news clips of the Charlottesville Car Attack, addressing one of many present atrocities in our country. It may be demoralizing to recognize how little lasting progress we can point to, but the best thing we can do is to heed Spike Lee’s message to wake up and unite. It's an ending that initially feels politically tacked on, but its purpose is to differentiate between Spike's fiction and our reality.

'BlacKkKlansman' does everything right. It has heart, it has comedy, it has an exciting premise, but most importantly it has a message. A message that needs to be heard now more than ever. That wherever we stand within the system, we are fighting the same fight. For all of these reasons, I believe 'BlacKkKlansman' is a genius film. Let me know what you thought of this movie and how it made you feel in the comments below.

Citation:

Brody, R., & Lane, A. (n.d.). "BlacKkKlansman," reviewed: Spike lee's vision of resistance to white supremacy. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/blackkklansman-reviewed-spike-lees-vision-of-resistance-to-white-supremacy

-USED ONLY FOR PLOT SYNOPSIS