A Black detective infiltrates the White racist Ku Klux Klan. When? Where? Why? How? If you want to know the details and want to be entertained while you catch up on this bit of Americana history, just set aside 2h 14min and watch this screen adaptation of the memoir Black Klansman. It’s a very true and eclectic story about a brave man and a very gullible bunch of bigots.
In the mid ‘70s, Detective Ron Stallworth broke the color barrier at the Colorado Springs Police Department. He went undercover to attend a pro-Black rally sponsored by a college group that featured Black Panther Party’s Kwame Ture (aka Stokely Carmichael) giving a fiery speech. Shortly thereafter he got the idea to join the local KKK, who was revving up a membership drive and sanitizing their hatred by calling themselves “The Organization.” By phone, Ron joined the group to investigate their activities and thwart any violence. Talking to them over AT&T was one thing. Seeing them in person was gonna be a tough job.
And so, the subterfuge begins, the charade gets more devious and success follows to the point of the Black Ron Stallworth getting assigned as a security guard for KKK head David Duke (Topher Grace). In real life, Duke must rue the day he was outsmarted and duped—by a brother man.
While the satiric shenanigans are on parade, the musical soundtrack (Terence Blanchard) is blaring ‘70s soul music, the editing (Barry Alexander Brown, Do the Right Thing) is keeping a beat, the characters are jetting around in fly period costumes (Marci Rodgers) with the characters sporting afros the size of basketballs. The visuals (Chayse Irvin, cinematography) brim with colors and doodads (Marci Mudd, art direction; Curt Beech, production design) that recreate a time in America when standing up to the man was the thing to do.
John David Washington brings a lot of verve to the Stallworth character. What’s missing is an obvious range of emotions that should run from anger, to fear, to sadness, to elation. Hard to image the real Stallworth was so giddy as he was putting his life on the line and dealing with murderous psychopaths. Laura Harrier as Patrice Dumas, who runs the Black student group that brings Kwame Ture to town, is the perfect counterbalance. Her Duke is sublime, intelligent and politically savvy. Her performance brings sensitivity out of Washington that is needed. Driver is fine as the reluctant doppelgänger. Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton) as Ture brings the juice in his flaming speeches. A cameo by Harry Belafonte adds an unexpected state of grace.
There are moments when David Duke talks to his constituents about making “America First.” At these points it is very obvious to anyone who has kept up with the news in the last two years that this dog whistle language parallels Donald Trump’s spiel. At the end of the film, during a montage of current civil rights moments (e.g., the killing at Charlottesville) there are images of Trump at a podium in front of his followers bellowing “Make America Great Again.” These last minutes of news clips would have been stronger if they were shorter. No need to hit the audience over the head with the film’s most obvious message: the ‘70s made Americans fight against racism, things haven’t changed much, look where we’re at now and what are you going to do about it? The film’s masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
BlacKkKlansman is surreal and stranger than fiction. It is also an audacious racial, social and political statement.
Visit NNPA News Wire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.