Been a loooooong time since I wrote anything here but what the hell…
Given where we are in the country and the hype surrounding the release of this film I felt I should see it when it “opened” which was last Friday 6/12. Filmed in early ‘19 and written originally back in ‘13 it does not have nearly the connections to current events that may critics try and draw. That said, given the ongoing issues regarding the BLM movement and the deaths of African Americans that have driven the aforementioned, it is nothing, if not timely.
First—The criminally under utilized and under appreciated Delroy Lindo dominates the film. No one else comes close. His conflicted Vietnam Vet with an affinity for Trump and MAGA hats is phenomenal. Its his film and his character of Paul is the prism through which we see the events including the death of the larger group’s leader, Norman, who is seen only in retrospect. Lindo’s Paul is more nuanced that critics give voice to. His criticisms of immigrants who take jobs from African Americans and his love of Trump for telling things like it is strikes a chord of truth in how some people of color view the President. Lee won’t see things in that manner but does little here to dissuade the viewer from agreeing with Paul’s strong beliefs. There is no counter to those jobs being taken away or the bluntness of the President’s language—conversely the course language, past relations with whores, children out of wedlock, heavy drinking, male bonding, etc. used here only serves to back the view that Trump talks and walks like a run of the mill American male of all colors and not the pantywaisted waif that Lee’s liberal leanings would have you want.
Second—The film is uneven. It has gigantic gaps in logic and emotion. Primary example? When Paul leaves the rest of “Da Bloods” behind to wander off into the jungle he does so with barely a blink or a tear from his son who has accompanied the group to this point. Nary a mention is made of his absence and none of his end. Its a thread that diverges completely from the rest of the film and it being self contained without impact or impression on the rest of the characters is a major fault. We return to it in the end by means of a previously written letter by Paul which is read by his son David but you sit and ask “Yeah, great, you’re sad now but you didn’t do anything to follow your father when he was at his weakest or even look back? How am I to have sympathy for you?”
Third—it does come off a bit like a Spike Lee film in the guise of Tarantino production. Both have operated in similar veins for years with Lee probly finding such comparisons insulting…but there it is. From the color palates, to the colorful language, the pop culture references, the work with people of color…they are more similar than they are different at this point, particularly since Lee has gone more mainstream vs. his early days of She’s Gotta Have It and School Daze which were decidedly uncommercial works. Here I mention the connection simply because some of the pop culture references are forced—Flight of the Valkyries as the boat goes up river? This is so much the case that the NYT came out with a “pop culture guide to Da 5 Bloods” today in order to key viewers in on all the references Lee makes. This isn’t additive. Its references for references sake…a “how cool do I look that I can include this?” moment. Tarantino does it and here so does Lee.
So what’s the end result? A largely enjoyable film that has Lindo’s performance as its centerpoint but is NOT the cultural voice on the issues of racism, class warfare, BLM or similar that critics wish to portray. Nor is it a real look at the African American experience in Vietnam that others have pushed out. Too little of the film deals with the war at all keeping enemies nameless and faceless and barely mentioned. Lee pays lipservice to the statistical inequities of more African Americans fighting and dying (on a % basis) than whites in Vietnam but that is glossed over in a one sentence description and not delved into further. This is a commercial film despite all its critical trappings—you get the “happy” ending, you get the resolution, the characters get the gold (literally), the good guys win, the bad guys lose, the violence is muted, people dance through clubs in Saigon, etc. Its enjoyable but does it speak to our real problems in a reasoned and impactful way? No. Watch it for Lindo. Watch it again for Lindo. Go back and watch Clockers for Lindo. Then get on with it.