Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘BlacKkKlansman’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When it comes to the bad things that happen in this world, and the bad people that make those things happen, we tend to see them as far away problems. After all, the bad thing happened in another state, and we’re safe from such problems, and even if awful things happen locally, we still tend to compartmentalize them. Because IT happened in another town and the people that are responsible are still miles away and we do this, simply because it helps us to cope. For it provides us with a sense of safety and it allows for us to process the horror we just saw on the six o’clock news. But while there is something to be said about protecting one’s mental health by keeping such matters at bay, there is an issue that arises by keeping these issues in a ‘far away’ place.

In that, we tend to turn a blind eye to the evil and injustices that actually are happening in our community. Because bad things do happen while we sleep or fret over a bill or two and there are at times bad people planning bad things and since they’re not our problem, they go forgotten. But while it is easy to put all of that out of sight and out of mind, the fact of the matter is, we do need to pay attention, and speak up when we realize that something sour is happening in our neighborhood. Because silence lets evil fester, and it just so happens that Spike Lee took the time to make a fascinating film about the importance and the power of standing up to the evil that lurks in our backyards in BlacKkKlansman.

Now in this particular film, one based on a true story, we are transported back to 1972 to spend a little time with a man named Ron Stallworth. Now Ron, who is black, takes a chance on a grand opportunity by signing up to join the Colorado Springs Police Department. Which makes him the first African American on the force and it isn’t long before Ron makes it clear to his superiors that he truly wants to make a difference in his community by going undercover and bringing the worst of the worst to justice and wouldn’t you know it, he gets that opportunity. And once he’s transferred to the intelligence division, he takes another bold chance and reaches out to the city’s local Ku Klux Klan chapter and his first call to this ancient and unsettling organization opens up incredible doors for him. Because he’s posing as a white man over the phone and getting into their good graces and with the help of his partner Flip, the CSPD is able to get unprecedented access to this hate group and their dire plans to cause harm to the local Black community. 

So, let’s just get this out into the open now; this is an utterly brilliant and powerful and unsettling film and rightfully so. Because you are plunged into a world of racism that few of us have ever understood, since Flip (posing as Ron) spends a lot of time around this hate group, and that’s where the viewer is made to feel quite uncomfortable. Because the script holds nothing back, and the twisted views of a group that genuinely believes that White Supremacy is the way, are put on display often, and it doesn’t matter how many times you hear the horrible things they have to say, those words make you squirm in your seat, and they make you cringe and they make you realize that these are bad and evil people and that they simply shouldn’t exist in 2020. But they do, and they’re thriving right now, and what truly makes this film so intelligent and so powerful, is that it takes to time to examine how this kind of crap exists in communities all over America.

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Which is related to the fact that the majority turn the other cheek when it comes to this stuff and let’s explore the proof of that by way of a couple of key plot points. Take for example the fact that the CSPD takes the time to put together an undercover operation to spy upon a Black activist named Kwame Ture. Because they genuinely believe this intelligent and well-spoken man is planning to cause harm to the community and they need to know what his plan is, ASAP. But as it turns out, there is no plan to cause trouble or harm, he just wants those that listen to his words to wake up and see the world for what it is. But despite not finding any clues of pending violence or insurrection, Ron’s bosses press him hard to provide them with evidence of a genuine threat, one that quite frankly meets their narrative, which he is outright unable to do. 
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Something that stands in stark contrast to Ron’s request to investigate the KKK. Because his superiors are hesitant to offer him the resources or the freedom to get the job one, despite the fact that these idiots are planning a bomb attack and that’s just… stunning for certain. Because why on earth would an organization like the KKK, one that has committed horrible acts in American history, get a pass like this? Well they do, because they’re white. Because systemic racism and its engrained nature, makes it seem as though these good ol’ boys and gals can do no harm because hey, they’re just expressing their feelings and thoughts under the rights of the First Amendment, so it’s fine. They won’t cause trouble as long as someone keeps them in check and that is just… horrifying to see play out on the screen, as is the fact that this investigation didn’t see the light of day for decades after it came to a close, so as to not stun the folks of Colorado Springs that such things happen in their own backyard.

But while this motion picture does a phenomenal job of socking the audience in the gut with this powerful and visceral point, it also takes the time to remind us that not much has changed since the 1970s. For the fact that Black people are harassed in this film by unsavory cops, or that our hero is beaten into submission by other police officers when trying to arrest a white and female KKK operative, echoes modern day America a little too closely, as do the views of the KKK since a lot of what they have to say in this film echoes modern politics, unfortunately. If anything, all of these elements help to explain why we are where we are right now. Because we let this happen by letting this kind of crap slide, by writing it off as nothing more than frustrated free speech when in reality, the poison spread and took root and eventually it was brought to a boil.

Granted, all of these elements might make this movie and this review seem quite preachy for certain, but that’s a good thing when all is said and done. Because this motion picture really does challenge the audience, by asking us to think long and hard about what we are going to do in regard to this problem now. For it is has reached its apex, and we now know that systemic racism is a problem in America and that Black Lives Matter… are we going to do what we always do? And wait for the norm to return so that we do this again in a few years? Or are we finally going to speak out, and stand up to the injustices we cannot hide from anymore? In the end, placing that kind of a challenge within the framework of a story of outright heroism is quite powerful for certain, and it allows for this movie to stay with you long after it has come to an end and if by chance you missed this one in theaters, seek it out and see it as soon as possible. Because it is an important film, one that truly motivates you to listen, and learn.

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