Eavesdropping At The Movies

We breathlessly debate BlacKkKlansman, Spike Lee's comic drama based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, a black police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s. With limited time - Mike has to leave for work at some point and he'll only let himself be so late - we dig right in. Discussed is the film's point of view on culture and particularly cinema, arguing that a single film can wield the power to affect an entire nation; John David Washington's performance, the influences we can see in it, and whether a more charismatic star might have been beneficial; our attitudes to Lee's pamphleteering and the pros and cons of propagandistic cinema; the film's direct address of Trump's America and its tragic, somewhat surprising ending; and more. We question whether the film's comic treatment of David Duke, head of the KKK, carefully undercuts our delight in mocking him or dangerously indulges it. Duke is rendered a figure of fun in some notable and hilarious scenes, but the film ensures we recognise th