Da 5 Bloods

Co-writer/director Spike Lee's DA 5 BLOODS, released on Netflix last month, is one of his biggest and most expensive productions.  But his sincerity and fire are still in evidence.  Just as much so as when he was making low budget location shot pics in the early '80s.  While he has made a few questionable choices for projects over the years (OLDBOY remake, anyone?), Mr. Lee has never betrayed his mantras, or his passion for imbuing his storytelling with heartfelt observations on race and equality.  Fair treatments of these complex subjects? Mostly. There is always an honesty, a raw from-the-gut point of view no matter the storyline.  A majority of his films detail the plight of the African American in the United States.  Needless to say, the George Floyd tragedy of this year was one of many in a long, long line of gross injustices against not only his race, but mankind.  So the timing for this film was quite optimal.  Sadly, just about every year is timely for Spike's fist shakes.

And yes, the director has his indulgences.  All well meaning, but indulgences just the same.  And he makes no apology for them.  In DA 5 BLOODS, they're front and center, from opening to fadeout.  The repeated references to and images of real African American heroes, often in a brash, in your face manner that is commanding but perhaps sometimes a bit too obvious.  Subtlety has never been Spike's strength or desire.  For what I believe will always be his masterpiece, 1989's DO THE RIGHT THING, he used fourth wall breaking and preachy stylistics to such a delirious effect that the film pulsed with righteous energy.  Angry, but hopeful.  He could never quite duplicate or best that in his subsequent films, but the spirit continued and continues to burn.

This story concerns four Vietnam vets who return East to find the remains of their comrade and squad leader.  A young man named Norman (Chadwick Boseman) remembered for his bravery and refusal to do anything but promote love among his band of brothers.  Alas, he did not return home.  Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddies (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) still live with the nightmares and shell shock.  Paul is especially wrecked and damaged with the ravages of PTSD.  He is not pleased when his son David (Jonathan Majors) arrives unannounced in Ho Chi Minh City to make sure his father doesn't go off the deep end on this mission.

But there's another purpose for the men's trip - retrieval of long buried treasure.  A cache of gold bars had been found by the "Bloods" in a downed CIA plane, but was unable to be taken after a napalm attack leveled the area.   This gold had been intended for some of the Chinese who helped in the fight against the Cong.  The men wanted and still want it for themselves, though Norman felt it should be given to "the People".  Their people.  But charitable distribution is far from the minds of the remaining four bloods, all of whom have had financial hardship of late.

This sets the stage for a sort of TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE.  In addition to the expected (and valid) lectures on the treatment of young black men pre- and post enlistment, DA 5 BLOODS tackles the evil of greed.  Increasingly so as the film progresses.  The screenplay, along with Lee penned by Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, and Kevin Willmott, nicely complicates the scenario, though also falls prey to war film cliches (soldier meets daughter he never knew, man walks backwards a bit too long, telegraphing a land mine explosion, etc.).  The film also rather awkwardly works in some anti-Trump sentiment, mostly in the form of MAGA hat wearing Paul, a proud 'merican who can spew the right wing huey about immigration with the worst of 'em.   But this character is the meatiest, and no one can accuse Lindo of not giving his all in a powerful performance.

The other actors are also fine, including Peters and Whitlock Jr., together again several years after The Wire.  The latter even gets to toss off one of his trademarked lines from the show at an appropriate moment.

As significant as DA 5 BLOODS may be, this is still ultimately one of Spike's lesser efforts.  Overlong, predictable, and somewhat repetitive.  The action film elements didn't really add much for me.  Well edited, directed, and shot at times, but often this just reeks of, yes, another Netflix production.  And Spike, that CGI bloodletting looks really, really bad.  A squib looks much more realistic, sir.