“You don’t just watch a Spike Lee movie. You’re part of it” says Alissa Wilkinson. Time for a classic Lee joint.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #Da5Bloods, the Oscar winner from #SpikeLee on #NetflixIndia. This is the story of four 60-year-old Vietnam war soldiers who land back up there to retrieve the remains of their buddy Stormin Norman (#ChadwickBoseman). There is, however, another agenda which is to retrieve the gold that has been buried in that country.
The idea is to smuggle it back to the United States. What unfolds is a tale that uncovers the highs and lows of humanity, greed, honour, friendship and revenge. All told in an unhurried, characteristic style that is in your face and critical of the political winds in the States.
In the backdrop of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in the United States, the angst of being thrust into a war against their wishes bears heavy. The number of blacks who were drafted into the Vietnam war was 3X their population. The resentment comes through in the dialogues and emotions of the lead characters.
The film starts with Mohamad Ali and concludes with Dr Martin Luther King. Both were opposed to the war and had to bear the consequences – one lost his career and the other his life.
#DelroyLindo is superb in the central character of Paul with distinct right-wing leanings. Supporting him is a cast that plays diverse characters – there is #ClarkePeters who plays the peace-loving Otis, #NormanLewis plays Eddie who acts as the mediator in the group and #IsiahWhitlock as funny-man Melvin.
#Da5Bloods is intense, poignant and has a wry wit running through the film around the aspect of discrimination on the base of race. A topical theme for a film told in characteristic style and totally worth your time.
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