This may seem like an unusual choice, because I generally review movies that have the biggest names. Can you really blame me, though? It's already a burden upon the reader to actually read my writing in the first place. I certainly wouldn't ask you to read anything about a movie for which you don't know exists; nor would I write about a movie for which I had nothing or little to say. Believe me: I go to a plethora of movies, but whether I write about them is another story. I mean, I don't have that much free time. (Disclaimer: "free time," in this context, is a substitute for the word, "motivation.")
Since that criteria has been demonstrated, you should have a newly found interest in my choice to write about BlacKkKlansman. Not only is it excellent from a filmmaking perspective, but it provides a historical drama the likes of which are extremely hard to find. My own reservations about Spike Lee aside, he has presented a uniquely powerful and intelligent film riddled with notably impressive filmmaking techniques.
Plenty of folks have understandable issues with Spike Lee, but his excellent directing ability is undeniably apparent in BlacKkKlansman. Unnecessary expositional shots are minimal, and the pacing of the film is ideally smooth. Additionally, the editing is unique and engaging, allowing for an optimal portrayal of information while minimizing spoon-feeding. If a scene is just one profile shot or establishing shot after another, I don't care how rich it's substance is; it's going to become boring very quickly. Conversely, good editing choices can allow an inherently boring scene to seem compelling; although the latter is quite difficult. Thankfully, BlacKkKlansman demonstrates substance-filled scenes that are brilliantly directed, and each are more entertaining than the last.
As a general rule, it doesn't matter how captivating a plot is if it is told through shoddy writing. Similarly, even the best dialogue cannot save a structureless narrative. BlacKkKlansman, however, has an excellent premise that is executed through even better writing. The suspense, pathos, humor, and necessarily gritty dialogue adds so much to the film's goal.
Similarly, the characters are absorbing, and every actor executes their role extremely well. You'll be rightfully sympathetic, ambiguous, and absolutely loathsome of all the intended characters at all the intended moments. Amazingly, I'm familiar with very few of these actors, but I hope to change that. I'm particularly excited about seeing Adam Driver diversify and subsequently nail his roles, especially since I'm having continually mixed feelings about Kylo Ren. Regardless, any actor that can avoid being typecast this early in their career is quite admirable.
While the structure of the narrative is seemingly flawless, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one aspect that had me wishing for more. BlacKkKlansman has a premise comparable to The Departed, but one key distinction between the two lies within one word: Thrilling.
To be fair, the goal of BlacKkKlansman (unlike The Departed) is not to be a "thriller" per se, but an audacious and suspenseful overture to historical and contemporary issues. In this sense, the goal is accomplished thoroughly, but the build-up for a suspenseful and, yes, thrilling finish was almost brilliant. What could have been the most gut-wrenching scene was only intriguing. What's more was that the "big reveal" was fizzled and replaced with something much less gripping. I know why Spike Lee did what he did; I just would have preferred if he hadn't.
It's been roughly a week since I've seen the film, and there's still one thing I can't quite understand: the cinematography. There's no doubt it was idiosyncratic and engaging, but I'm not sure that means it actually added more to the film as a whole. There seems to be something inherently wrong with my criticism of uniquely interesting cinematographic methods, but I'm still not sure if I loved it. But I didn't not love it (yes, that's a double-negative, leave me alone) because it was bad; I simply don't know why it seemed to hit the target but not the bullseye.
I had other issues with BlacKkKlansman, but I'll save those for personal conversations. Regardless, it has been one of the few 2018 films that has really stuck with me, and I hope that this isn't the last I hear about it. It's not a perfect 100%, but it's a close 92%, and obviously
Theater worthy
Comments
Post a Comment