BlacKkKlansman Movie Review

BlackKkKlansman (2018)

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Written by: Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee (written by), Ron Stallworth (based on the book by)
Directed by: Spike Lee
Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, Alec Baldwin, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Corey Hawkins
Rated: R
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Plot
In a story based on actual events, Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader.

Verdict
It's an absurd premise, but true. While this movie is never subtle, that's also the point.  Overt racism displayed in the '70s is becoming more prevalent today. Ron is fighting racism as a cop while dealing with it from fellow cops.
This is a satire and at times it's comical, but that's a double edged sword. There are people that think like the characters in this movie. What's funny is also quite sad as some of the silliest characters in the movie have or will obtain power. The only downside is that the editing could be tighter, trimming this down would give it more punch.
It's a good movie that tackles a difficult topic. As much fun as this movie is at times, it doesn't quite cover how depressing the subject is.
Watch it.

Review
This jumps right into it, showing clips from Birth of a Nation and spouting all the nonsense racism associated with that movie. This is less than subtle, but it isn't trying to be subtle. This is pointing out what has happened and is still happening.

John David Washington plays Ron Stallworth.

On a whim Ron decides to call the local klan. When Ron gets his first callback from klan member Walter, Ron has to play a racist. The cops in the room turn to look at him shocked at what Ron is spewing. The reactions are funny, but you think about what he's saying. The between the lines is Ron has heard that stuff. He didn't make it up. Their shock is that it's happening, not because of the content in Ron's words.

Ron gets it from all sides, but he perseveres. There is this dichotomy of Ron fighting racists as a cop while putting up with other racists in the precinct. How do you beat racism? He's fighting it with people that if not racist, are at least discriminatory. If not for Ron, the precinct wouldn't have tried to stop the klan at all.

Topher Grace plays David Duke.

It's satire and seems over the top, but it's not as fictional as it should be. "With the right white man we can do anything." Ron throws the subtle racism he's heard right back at his coworkers, but they don't even realize it. There's a jab at President Trump, and the depiction of David Duke by Topher Grace is quite funny. Funny, until you realize Duke is still around today.

Adam Driver's Flip is Ron's physical stand in at meetings. Flip hide's the fact he's Jewish from other cops and from the klan. While Ron wants to take them on, Flip would prefer to avoid it. That also shows just how flimsy the rules are. The racists hate Flip based on some ignorant principle, but have no problem with him when they don't realize his ancestry. It's the same with Ron on the phone, he spouts nonsense and they accept him.

The script isn't very tight. This could be a bit shorter. Cutting twenty minutes out of this would give it more punch. Though the editing is notable. A couple times two scenes are flipped in chronology, but it works. The big finale is powerful. It's a culmination of violence and racism from the klan and cops, though this has a follow up scene that tries to give this a happier ending. That is before the biggest punch.

You look at this, set in the 70s and you think we're over this, we've moved on. In 2009 people (inaccurately) proclaimed racism was over, or at least retreating. When this movie cuts to footage from Charlottesville 2017, it's a statement of fact that it was never gone, just outside of visibility.