In many ways, this felt like Spike Lee’s response to The Irishman. Both films target pinnacle moments in American history and feature older characters looking back on their pasts and utilized the actors to play both the younger and older versions of themselves, but there’s digital de-aging here. Where Scorsese’s film revisits the “career” of an enforcer for the Irish mob and his connection to Jimmy Hoffa, Da 5 Bloods is a scathing criticism of the Vietnam War and the toll it took on the Black soldiers who fought in it.
Intertwining real footage and tidbits of American history, Lee used his wit and unique style of humor to craft an incredibly detailed group of characters and a wild story to accompany them. I have seen people calling it “preachy” because it folds in some current socio-political dialogue but it’s not as though he rushed it in to shortcut his narrative approach.
The movie is just over two and a half hours and he spends the first 90 minutes or so digging in on who these men are, why they went to war, and why they’ve found their collective way back to Vietnam. Once all the groundwork is laid, the cracks in the foundation of their bond become more visible and Lee’s fantastic character writing takes center stage. I ultimately knew things were going to change gears at some point, but Lee did a great job delaying that part and getting me to invest in the more substantive elements.
Delroy Lindo is amazing as the PTSD riddled, MAGA hat-wearing, Black republican who is fed up with how he’s been treated by his country. I don’t how awards season is shaping up, but this was the best performance I have seen in 2020 so far. Playing his son, Jonathan Majors continues to add to his repertoire with diverse and challenging roles and we got robust supporting performances from the late Chadwick Boseman, Clark Peters, Norm Lewis, Isaiah Whitlock Jr., and Johnny Nguyen.
I finally dedicated the time to this film while going through something of a Chadwick Boseman marathon. As one of his final projects, the portrayal carries some extra gravity as you see what his character represents and how he’s utilized throughout the telling of this story.
This is a great movie. I wasn’t sure what to expect but found myself captivated as I waited to see exactly where it was going. Things eventually line up almost as expected but it’s still an entertaining way to close things out. Da 5 Bloods may not be Lee’s best movie, but it’s a uniquely colorful and entertaining Vietnam War film where his substantial experience as a filmmaker is on full display.
Recommendation: If you can dedicate the time, it’s currently streaming on Netflix. There hasn’t been a ton of high profile new releases this year but this is a quality film with plenty of substance and a fantastic performance from Lindo.