by Josh Sewell
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| Courtesy of Netflix |
Prolific director Spike Lee has made – by my count – at least three masterpieces (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and 25th Hour), several movies that are “merely” great and more than a few stinkers. It’s a track record any filmmaker would kill for, and that’s without mentioning his many powerful documentaries and shorts. However, even though they’re not all winners, they all have something in common: they’re never boring or subtle.
Most viewers know right away when they’re watching a Spike Lee movie. Whether it’s fearlessly tackling controversial subject matter; his unapologetic perspective; his tendency to reteam with familiar actors; his partnership with distinctive cinematographers; or a host of other directorial trademarks (that dolly shot!), there’s a way to recognize his work. All of them are on display in his latest film, Da 5 Bloods, which hit Netflix last Friday.
Most viewers know right away when they’re watching a Spike Lee movie. Whether it’s fearlessly tackling controversial subject matter; his unapologetic perspective; his tendency to reteam with familiar actors; his partnership with distinctive cinematographers; or a host of other directorial trademarks (that dolly shot!), there’s a way to recognize his work. All of them are on display in his latest film, Da 5 Bloods, which hit Netflix last Friday.
It’s equal parts Vietnam War flick, treasure hunt, action yarn and “old guys reunite to reminisce,” with jolting tonal shifts that prevent you from letting your guard down for a second. Lee has made an angry film with a lot to say about how the United States treats veterans – especially black men fighting for a country that doesn’t always treat them as equal citizens – but it’s a movie that’s surprisingly hopeful compared with some of his other work. It also couldn’t be more relevant to our cultural moment, but that’s because the issues he’s been addressing since the 1980s have never gone away.
Like a lot of Lee’s work, it’s shaggy, overstuffed with ideas and a bit too long at 154 minutes. Still, I much prefer an interesting movie that doesn’t gel 100 percent to one that’s technically good but doesn’t take risks. Say what you want about Lee, he’s not afraid to swing big.
Da 5 Bloods tells the story of four black veterans – Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis) and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) – who return to a much different Vietnam than the one they left in the 1970s. They’ve come back because a recent mudslide has uncovered the wreckage of a crashed helicopter and the men know it marks the formerly hidden location of their beloved squad leader’s (Chadwick Boseman) remains, as well as a chest of gold bars that the CIA used to bribe Vietnamese soldiers.
Accompanied by Paul’s uninvited son (Jonathan Majors) and a trio of humanitarian aid workers (Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser and Jasper Pääkkönen), the men must confront the remaining dangers – human, psychological and environmental – of a war that never truly ended for them.
Lee makes compelling technical choices that lend added weight to an already powerful screenplay (credited to Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott and Lee), the most effective of which is shooting the film’s flashbacks in 16 mm to give them an authentically dated feel. In a bold narrative decision, he uses the same actors in both time periods – making no attempt to de-age them – to comment on how these characters never truly left the war, even after the literal fighting stopped.
That means no bad wigs or dyed facial hair, and no creepy CGI facelifts like in The Irishman, another recent powerhouse from Netflix. Seeing the actors, all of them in their 60s (except for Lewis, who’s 57), fighting alongside the comparatively youthful Boseman is intentionally awkward, meant to reflect his character’s heroic, larger-than-life status in the memories of the men who survived when he didn’t. For at least one of them, it’s also symbolic of a belief they can never live a life worthy of his sacrifice.
Lee has a deep knowledge of film history and pop culture, so Da 5 Bloods contain tons of references, both subtle and overt, to its influences, including Apocalypse Now, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Wire, The Temptations and iconic historical images ranging from Vietnam War atrocities to prominent Civil Rights leaders. Not to mention the film’s incredible soundtrack, which includes another evocative score from Lee’s frequent collaborator Terence Blanchard and some great Marvin Gaye songs.
What makes the film truly mesmerizing, even in its shakier moments, are the phenomenal performances. Everyone brings their A-game, Peters, Majors and Boseman in particular, although the latter has far less screen time than you’re probably expecting. However, the clear standout is Lindo. If we have a 2020 Oscar ceremony (and that’s a big “if” at the moment), I think he’s your Best Actor winner.
I know it’s only June, but if there’s a better performance than Lindo’s complex, PTSD-battling, MAGA hat-wearing Vietnam vet waiting out there, I’m certainly curious to see it. The distinguished character actor has appeared in several dozen films (including three others with Lee), but he hasn’t earned a single Academy Award nomination. If that doesn’t change in a few months, something has gone horribly wrong.
Da 5 Bloods is rated R for strong violence, grisly images and pervasive language.
Grade: B+
Lee makes compelling technical choices that lend added weight to an already powerful screenplay (credited to Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott and Lee), the most effective of which is shooting the film’s flashbacks in 16 mm to give them an authentically dated feel. In a bold narrative decision, he uses the same actors in both time periods – making no attempt to de-age them – to comment on how these characters never truly left the war, even after the literal fighting stopped.
That means no bad wigs or dyed facial hair, and no creepy CGI facelifts like in The Irishman, another recent powerhouse from Netflix. Seeing the actors, all of them in their 60s (except for Lewis, who’s 57), fighting alongside the comparatively youthful Boseman is intentionally awkward, meant to reflect his character’s heroic, larger-than-life status in the memories of the men who survived when he didn’t. For at least one of them, it’s also symbolic of a belief they can never live a life worthy of his sacrifice.
Lee has a deep knowledge of film history and pop culture, so Da 5 Bloods contain tons of references, both subtle and overt, to its influences, including Apocalypse Now, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Wire, The Temptations and iconic historical images ranging from Vietnam War atrocities to prominent Civil Rights leaders. Not to mention the film’s incredible soundtrack, which includes another evocative score from Lee’s frequent collaborator Terence Blanchard and some great Marvin Gaye songs.
What makes the film truly mesmerizing, even in its shakier moments, are the phenomenal performances. Everyone brings their A-game, Peters, Majors and Boseman in particular, although the latter has far less screen time than you’re probably expecting. However, the clear standout is Lindo. If we have a 2020 Oscar ceremony (and that’s a big “if” at the moment), I think he’s your Best Actor winner.
I know it’s only June, but if there’s a better performance than Lindo’s complex, PTSD-battling, MAGA hat-wearing Vietnam vet waiting out there, I’m certainly curious to see it. The distinguished character actor has appeared in several dozen films (including three others with Lee), but he hasn’t earned a single Academy Award nomination. If that doesn’t change in a few months, something has gone horribly wrong.
Da 5 Bloods is rated R for strong violence, grisly images and pervasive language.
Grade: B+
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