Directed by Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods follows four African American vets who battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their squad leader, and the gold fortune he helped them hide during the war.
Spike Lee has proven to be a masterful filmmaker many times over, creating impactful and relevant films that have touched the hearts of many people, but have also not been fully recognized by others. And this film might just be my new number one favorite of all his works.
This is a timely and powerful film that I absolutely loved from start to finish. It has powerful characters, fantastic themes and very thought provoking questions that make this Spike Lee’s most ambitious film yet. He tackles a lot in this film and manages to pull it off beautifully.
Delroy Lindo is absolutely fucking phenomenal in this movie. His character, Paul, is a black veteran who had served the US under the belief that he will one day be accepted as an equal in society, just like many others who joined the war to do the same. With that belief he was lured into a vicious war against a nation of other people of color, which has permanently damaged his mind and has made him lose focus of the important things in life. Lindo has always been a great actor but this is honestly the best role he has ever had. The jungle monologue scene alone makes him deserve an Oscar.
Everyone else’s performances are also really strong, including Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman as the fallen leader of the former squad. While he is primarily featured in flashbacks, he brings such fantastic energy on screen and serves as one of the main emotional drives of the story. You can’t help but smile every time he comes in, and it shows he can do more than just be a Marvel Superhero.
Everyone in this movie really brings their A game and they were all under superb direction. The story is very strong, tackling a lot of major and relevant subjects while also delivering an engaging and emotional adventure.
However, besides having a mostly serious tone, the story is not afraid to inject some humor here and there to liven up certain moments. Spike Lee doesn’t hold back on anything with this movie and does not shy away from certain topics, which I absolutely loved. It is also incredibly brutal and hits you hard with surprising scenes that shift the tone of the film in unexpected ways and keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat. There are uplifting scenes but then there are also shockingly violent scenes, both of which are given proper balance and never take away the impact the story and characters have on the viewers.
There is also stellar cinematography and editing that oozes perfection and really enhances the experience of every scene and can truly affect the viewers. That, combined with the strong performances, had me completely captivated. And oh my god the music in this movie is heaven to listen to. There is one thing I do want to discuss though.
The one thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that every major studio Spike Lee went to actually refused to even get this film off of the ground. While no exact reason has been given as to why the studios refused to make it, I think this just reflects how a lot of big movie studios have lost faith in extremely talented filmmakers over the years, especially ones that have had multiple critical and financial hits. It also really reflects how America seems to want to forget the horrors and lasting effects of the Vietnam War.
The characters in this film even criticize the way that the war is glorified in films, not truly showing the hell that it was and the treatment of veterans, especially vets of color. And while there have certainly been pushes for diversity by major studios (some doing it better than others) the fact that they choose not to pursue this story and its impact really says a lot. Also, since Spike Lee isn’t afraid to tell things like they are, I think that was something the movie studios were also afraid of pursuing. I am thankful Netflix was able to recognize what Spike Lee wanted to do and was able to help him deliver a film that everyone needs to see. I’m going to give Da 5 Bloods an A+.
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