BlacKkKlansman

“There’s never been a black cop in this city. We think you might be the man to open up things here.”

Ron Stallworth is a little bit of a legend. Eloquent, heroic, angry, and in this film, he happens to be played by John David Washington and Adam Driver. Well, sort of. Directed by Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman is the ingenious, funny and bold film that tells the mind-boggling but true story of an African-American cop who successfully infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. 

Set in the late 1970s, Ron becomes Colorado Spring’s first African-American police officer. As a rookie, he is subjected to racial slurs, intimidation from other officers and moments of indirect prejudice. Flicking through a newspaper, Stallworth eyes an advertisement for the Ku Klux Klan. He makes the call and enquires about their recruitment process, spewing out racial hate, and blessing White America. To the astonishment of his fellow officers, he enlists Flip Zimmerman (Driver) to pose as him and attend KKK meetings. Ron and Flip crack through the echelons of the organisation in hopes of bringing them down. Through a series of phone conversations, Ron builds a rapport with the Grand Wizard himself, David Duke (Topher Grace), while Flip navigates risky waters as he surrounds himself with the gun-toting, unstable and distrustful gang of haters. 

BlacKkKlansman shines in the usual scenes you would expect to see in a film that features character switching. The near misses and misunderstandings are exceptional, original and suspenseful. The chemistry between Washington and Driver is electric and fun. The tongue-in-cheek reference to a recent U.S. election is also a good time. The romance between Ron and Patrice (Laura Harrier) is endearing, especially in moments where the conflict in Ron’s mind, of who he is and what he stands for, is plain to see. 

Based on the autobiographical book, Black Klansman, the film is part thriller, romance and comedy. Importantly, though, the film dissects racial tensions, and gives oxygen to both sides of the coin of what America ‘should’ look like. The ambitious recreation of Gone with the Wind’s iconic scene of injured soldiers languishing at the train yard is bookended by extremely graphic scenes of the 2017 race riots and protests in the streets of various American cities. A crude reminder that we have a long way to go. 

Despite its powerful message, BlacKkKlansman is imperfect. The running time of 128 minutes felt, at times, to be a little tedious. Some scenes were drawn out for no apparent reason. For instance – and this example stands out – the telephone rings and Ron contemplates answering, proceeds to leave the office till he goes outside, then dashes back in to pick up the phone in time. Although it may be nit-picking, this style of shot cropped up in various scenes where they were in desperate needs of editing. 

To walk in expecting to watch a feel-good cop comedy is a mistake; BlacKkKlansman is wiser, more frightening and more confronting than that.

BlacKkKlansman 
In cinemas Thursday, 16 August 2018
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