Staff Pick (Intern Edition): Film Intern Kolby Davis reviews Blackkklansmen
When looking for an escape from the world’s realism, it can be tempting to watch an animated dreamscape of low-stake fun. However, a few hours of creative realism depicting a truly meaningful story from the past is worth it, especially if the film in question is BlacKkKlansman, where the dichotomy of twoness is more than a metaphor.
The nature of the first act involves delving the viewer into the swiftly evolving 1970s, featuring heaps of radicalism, love, self-reflection, and empowerment that Kevin Willmott bridges with a distinct groovy reoccurring instrumental to set the tone. Ron Stallworth, our main character and Black Police Klansman, is presented as a determined, charming, clever protagonist who starts as an ambitious rookie looking to make headway in a newly desegregated forum. As he finds his feet within his assignment as an undercover detective, the viewer is openly welcomed into a world of black escapism through smooth nightclub living and dancing. It’s moments when Ron and his love interest Patricia, president of the local Black Student Union, dance together while singing Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose’s “Too Late to Turn Back Now” that all these crumbs in the screenplay come together and warm your heart.
In terms of characterization, I find Ron to be such a complex person who can easily be misunderstood within the film’s narrative. He demonstrates levels of naivety surrounding the political temperature of the country regarding potential hate and radical cultivation from white supremacist groups such as the Klan/ “The Organization.” As a result, he has a different way of going about “change” than other more well-known black protagonists. He doesn’t fully skepticize the police, and even finds the potential of a racist President in the future to be nearly impossible. On top of that, Ron’s motivations are not overtly stated for the sake of character development. In short, he is a man who dances to the beat of his own drum. His priorities go against my assumptions of how a character like him should act, but his characterization pays off immensely by the end of the story thanks to the film’s incredible writing.
This film will have a pit in your stomach for the entire runtime as you wait for the ball to drop, and for chaos to inevitably ensue. The last thirty minutes are a whirlwind of tension that leads to explosions, sickening racist patterns, and an eventual moment of relief. This film hits you with so many profound emotions that can only be attributed to a rivetingly told story of identity, connection, and radicalism that is still woven in our society today. Frankly, this film is timeless.
Join us for a Conversation With Kevin Willmott
Austin Film Festival is excited to host Oscar® and BAFTA award-winning Kevin Willmott on August 9th at Huston-Tilson for our Conversation in Film Series. Willmott will discuss balancing messages of social justice with entertainment, working with famed director Spike Lee, and writing BlacKkKlansman, Destination Planet Negro, and Da 5 Bloods.