There is no doubt that "Da 5 Bloods" is Spike Lee on Vietnam and Racism in both the armed forces and still in our American homeland. The Vietnam Black G.I. is a hero of untold pain and burden as those in the front lines of a war that we never should have fought. What "Da 5 Bloods" does so well is a blending of many different themes, genres, ideas, media and more. Spike Lee is undoubtedly a masterful filmmaker and the ability to synthesis all of these movies into one idea is quite effective and incredible. I believe myself that this is one of Spike Lee's best films.
What feels at first like a trend of movies of "old men go back to their war days" (Last Flag Flying, more) is quickly something NEW in both a matter of directing approach and in screenwriting. This is both a war statment film on caliber of "Born on The Fourth of July" from the Black perspective and also a treasure hunting island adventure like "Lost" (do not have a better example at my finger tips).
Delroy Lindo is exceptional. Lindo's monologues into camera reflect the tortured nature of his soul, a reflection of the Black struggle in the world to both find redemption and fight tyranny. Norm is a spiritual leader, the four other men's "Malcom" or "Dr.King." Norm is beautifully performed by Mr. Chadwick Boseman in both compassion and strength.
What Spike Lee does so well is provide a new perspective on this classic "Apocalypse Now" type Heart of Darkness material without wading in familiar waters of the genre but instead to lend an intelligent, thought provoking, heart-wrenching and even necessary new chapter to it. His approach is just as strikingly different. Biblical/archetypical references to paradise, the serpent, God/the sun, the trickster are powerful in their own quiet way. These are the invisible threads of history that we as men feel woven into the fabric of our time and our stories.
If there is one take away from "Da 5 Bloods" it is that if we did not recognize the pain and sacrifice of the Black G.I. in Vietnam before...we should. For that matter and in the world today, the Black sacrifice is one we must also appreciate and consider. "Da 5 Bloods" is a hell of an achievement in a chapter of war that has been done so solidly it seemed impossible to lend a fresh angle. We enjoy here excellent action, truthful characters, political statement and entertaining war film without being too much of just one these component parts.
Something Old but also NEW: The old men are not sitting around talking. Spike Lee carefully and aggressively takes the lessons of films in the past (even something like Once Upon a Time In America) and applies them well. This is no boring "Old guy film" where the old man lives only in his storytelling and his memories. This type of format - Spike Lee is teaching us - is BORING. Why? Probably because the audience knows that we will not be in danger when we are with the old man telling the story.
LOOK OUT! Not in "Da 5 Bloods" the movie and every level of it has characters in life-threatening and meaningful conflict: arguments, gun-fights, impactful action, conflict and resolution.
LOOK OUT! Not in "Da 5 Bloods" the movie and every level of it has characters in life-threatening and meaningful conflict: arguments, gun-fights, impactful action, conflict and resolution.
Something Borrowed: 16MM combat footage brings us back to the Vietnam war in a way that feels familiar but effective still. We are on solid ground when we see Vietnam this way...but an entire film like this would probably be boring. Spike Lee is very smart here as expected - but we can learn from it. He places the older men IN THE ACTION too and guess what - people die, blow-up, get shot at and more. This works wonders for the pacing and balances the storytelling on all sides.