Republished from the show notes of my other site, Fuds on Film.
We join John David Washington’s Ron Stallworth in Colorado Springs, 1972, as the first black policeman in the CSPD, hoping to make a mark but running into some headwinds due to prejudice, and to be fair, because he’s just walked in the door. However, he’s allowed to transfer to the undercover department when the local black student union, headed by Laura Harrier as Patrice Dumas, organises a speech by ex Black Panther Kwame Ture.
What’s supposed to be a simple observe and report turns into a relationship with Patrice, who’s kept unapprised of Ron’s day job due to her stance that all cops are bastards. At any rate, Ron’s moved on to investigating a resurgent Ku Klux Klan, apparently brazen enough to advertise for members in the newspapers. Ron dials up and Ryan Eggold’s chapter leader Walter Breachway is eager to meet, which would perhaps present logistical issues for Ron.
So, a white copper is drafted in to play a physical counterpart to phone Ron, namely Adam Driver’s Flip Zimmerman – a lapsed Jew, so still a fairly spicy choice for the operation. In short, the two work together to gain the confidence of the Klan in an effort to spoil their plans, be that burning crosses or, as Jasper Pääkkönen’s particularly nutty nutter Felix Kendrickson pushes for, more explosive actions.
Despite the subject matter, or in parts because of it, BlacKkKlansman is very funny – particularly the phone relationship between Ron and head Klan jackass Topher Grace’s David Duke, with likable performances from Washington, Driver and Harrier, and roundly hateable, pantomime performances on the jackass side of the aisle.
It is not, of course, subtle, in line with Lee’s usual modus operandi, however to be fair it’s not the sort of subject that brooks a lot of subtlety. There are not, in fact, good people on both sides, although even with that in mind the point where the characters essentially harangue the audience for Donald Trump’s existence perhaps seems a bit much. More successful is the reminder at the conclusion of the film that these knuckledragging bigots are knocking around in Space Year Now. Even if that does harsh out the mellow of the perhaps the film’s funniest moment. No justice, no enjoying the laughs in peace.
All told, this is great stuff – the most commercially successful of Lee’s recent works which for once I’d argue actually reflects the quality of the work. Highly recommended.