The trajectory of Spike Lee It has had its ups and downs in various aspects. Qualitative and also popularly accepted, with films that have been completely ignored even by the industry to which they belong, and periods where it has remained in irrelevance. But she has always returned, and almost always by the least unexpected way.
Despite being a director who has almost always opted for daring formal decisions, or films with controversial themes -that is, racism in the United States-, he has had his points of make truly remarkable commercial films that audiences have openly embraced. This is the case of one of the most recent, which raised him to the elusive glory of the Oscar Award (not honorary, which he received in 2015, but competitive). We talk about ‘Infiltrated in the KKKlan‘, newly added to the Netflix catalog.
Infiltrated to the kitchen
Based on the real story and the book of police officer Ron Stallworth, the film tells us how the African-American police officer from the modest location of Colorado Springs managed to infiltrate the heart of a Ku Klux Klan commando. A peculiar and dangerous mission with infinite elements at stake which the film explores in an interesting way.
Of course, the racial question is of the utmost importance for Lee, who takes advantage of the profession and race of his protagonist to make one of his classic cinephile reflections -of course, being a scholar and professor at the New York film school-. A discussion about black representation in exploitation cinemawhere they are always portrayed as tough cops or pimps -and that’s men-, captures the director’s ambitions to make a police movie that revises some of its foundations and clichés.
There is a lot of reflexive and social discourse, and not exactly subtle at some points. But that doesn’t clash with one of the most accessible and entertaining films he has made in his careerpulling exaggerated humor at times to capture the ineptitude and separation from reality of the people involved in racist organizations.
‘Infiltrator in the KKKlan’: fast-paced police investigation
It is also very effective in pulling on an investigative thriller to solidify the skeleton of the film. Moments of tension and some action on the street manage to give the film a vibrant energy, making its most dialectical aspects more digestible, where the most intensive reflections are made on the social role that its community occupies, especially in areas such as the police. It also has very attractive formal elements that show his abilities beyond the script.
This original script was the one that got him the Academy Award, although it is true that there are many elements worth mentioning. The leading duo of John David Washington Y Adam Driver works like a charm, the setting exercise through music is a delight and the pace is fast from start to finish. When he wants, Spike can reach everyone.