Meet Ron Stallworth, the first African-American officer of the Colorado Springs Police Department. The year is 1979. One day, Stallworth sees an ad in the local newspaper seeking members to join a new Ku Klux Klan chapter. What does he do? He picks up the phone, dials the number listed, and proceeds to convince the answering Klan member that he, Ron Stallworth, is a racist white man with nothing but hate for anyone “who doesn’t have pure white Aryan blood running through their veins.” This moment and the story that surrounds it make up Spike Lee’s latest film, “BlacKkKlansman.”
One of the movie posters advertises it as “based on a crazy, outrageous, incredible true story.” Those who watch it will see that there are layers to this claim.
On one hand, Ron Stallworth is indeed a real person, and this story comes from his memoir of the same title. It describes his infiltration of the KKK with the assistance of white officer Flip Zimmerman. Ron uses his silver and “white” tongue over the phone, while Flip poses as him during face-to-face Klan meetings.
One point of interest is that many of the lines uttered in this story don’t sound at all out of place today. A running theme of this film is the parallelism of issues of race, power, and politics in our modern societal system. Depending on how you define it, this true story may not be anywhere near finished.
The unusual premise and timely big ideas of “BlacKkKlansman” lend themselves well to a skilled balance of comedy and drama, one of its many successes. There are countless scenes where Stallworth is hilarious to watch as he plays along with the Klan’s hatred and expresses some of its ridiculous sentiments. These are almost always followed by an often-sickening realization that what should be considered ridiculous is taking place today and seriously supported by many. If enough people don’t view Klan ideals as absurd or evil, then what does the future hold for those targeted by these ideals? The darkness that this question implies is subtle next to some of the film’s humor, but it is certainly there.
All of the above is complemented and embellished by smart cinematography and effective performances by the actors. The scenes are vibrant and fluidly arranged, providing for a viewing experience that engages for the full two hours without missing a beat. John David Washington does a phenomenal job as Stall- worth, creating real empathy for his character early on in the movie through both laughter and struggle. Adam Driver makes Zimmerman shine through moments of both dryness and passion. Topher Grace is the perfect choice to portray former Klan leader David Duke with a memorable air of flippancy.
“BlacKkKlansman” is sure to make you laugh; it may also make you cry. In some ways it is truly disturbing, and it will certainly provoke some thought. For these reasons, it scores a 10 out of 10, and I expect that it will be nominated for Best Picture in the spring.
