Da 5 Bloods: Another Timely And Urgent Spike Lee Joint
Spike Lee returns with Da 5 Bloods, a present day Vietnam epic with much more than war on its mind. Co-written by Kevin Willmott (who also co-wrote Lee’s Chi-Raq and BlacKkKlansman), Da 5 Bloods shows Vietnam from the black perspective, blending comedy, heist, and war elements together into a tasty stew with a modern bend. The result is gloriously messy, wholly satisfying, and one of the most urgent and timely films of Lee’s long and illustrious career.
Four African-American Vets — Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) — battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam to search for the remains of their fallen Squad Leader (Chadwick Boseman) and the promise of buried treasure.
If you frankensteined together Going in Style, Dead Presidents, Apocalypse Now, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, you’d have something kinda close to Da 5 Bloods. A whirl of social issues and pulpy, escapist thrills bookended by segments of Muhammad Ali and MLK, who both suffered for their strong opposition of the Vietnam War, this sprawling War epic explores the nature between racism and war, brotherhood and greed, with exciting and explosive force. Using our politically corrupt and racially tense modern times as its backdrop, Da 5 Bloods looks at the Vietnam War from over its shoulder, ruminating on how it has impacted and influenced the today — and not just in terms of its four primary characters, but the lives of all Black Americans. The film is, in essence, a rescue mission, a heist, and an urge for a better tomorrow, today, all at once, and it sizzles and crackles with Lee’s energetic pizazz.
When Paul, Otis, Eddie, and Melvin reunite in in Ho Chi Minh City, things look more like a vacation than a rescue mission or heist. After the four reconnect, they go boogie-oogie at a Vietnam night club aptly named “Apocalypse Now” for a bit before grabbing a quiet table to chat. Lee and Willmott give the viewer ample time to get acquainted with the four remaining Bloods and soak up the dynamic of their relationship; Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) is the joker of the bunch, Otis (Clarke Peters) is the level-headed one of the group, Eddie (Norm Lewis) is the most financially successful, and Paul (Delroy Lindo) is the quick-tempered, Trump-supporting wildcard (and the most psychologically complex member of the Bloods). However, outward appearances aren’t entirely as they seem to be, and Lee and Willmont play with these characters in explosively satisfying ways.
Firmly set in the present day with fluid 4:3 16mm flashbacks that slip in and out of Vietnam like a fever dream, we learn the importance of the Bloods fifth member and their leader, Stormin’ Norman, who died in the War. Norman holds a special place in each of the Bloods’ hearts, as he is the one who teaches them the history of Black people dying for their country, a “home” that doesn’t appear to love them back. It’s also Norman who devises the plan for gold bars that the Bloods find in a gunned down CIA chopper. The gold was originally intended as a payoff for the Vietnamese people for the destruction caused during wartime; however, Norman views their find as their long overdue reparations, which they can use to elevate their own lives and communities back home.
Exhuming Norman’s body and returning with the gold is no easy task though. In order to get the gold out of the country, the Bloods seek help from a Frenchie by the name of Desroche (played by Jean Reno), which they acquire through a mutual connection, Otis’ old wartime flame Tiên (Lê Y Lan). Things are further complicated when Tiên reveals to Otis that he’s the father of her grown daughter, and Paul’s son David (Jonathan Majors) shows up to make sure his dad is OK. Before the four remaining Bloods and David set out looking for gold and the bones of their fellow brethren, they first bump into a few members of LAMB, an organization dedicated to clearing landmines, in a bar. Slowly but surely, as things move closer toward its finale, all the major players become intertwined, pushed to a solitary location where the bullet-ridden climax unfurls.
Overall, the film is as messy and complicated as our current times, and it’s all the better for it. Da 5 Bloods digs in deep to its heavy, socially relevant themes, and comes up with pure gold. The stylistic nuances of Lee’s vision may not work entirely on every viewer, but there’s no denying the power and potency of its overall message — and there’s no better time for it.
Recommendation: Absolutely give Da 5 Bloods a watch if you haven’t already! It’s a popcorn blockbuster with purpose and brains, now who doesn’t want that?!
Rating: ✊🏿 5 proud fists outta 5 ✊🏿
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!