Black cinema excellence. Spike Lee has once again given us a glimpse of his genius. This time we're heading in a different direction, but we're not going too far from familiarity. Da 5 Bloods tells the story of four Black Vietnam veterans, Paul, Otis, Eddie, and Melvin, who return back to Vietnam. This time their mission is to find their Squad Leader's remains and also buried gold. Paul's son David stows away to join this mission, but the real challenge is how the Vietnam War has impacted them years after they came home. Subtlety is not Spike Lee's style, and it never should be. This is one of many examples in his career that he should unabashedly stick to everything he knows because he's doing it right. This movie was a battle of the heart and the mind. It demonstrates how war impacts veterans long after it's over. These four men are no exception. I enjoyed how the nuanced complexities of what it's like to be a Black American veteran. These four men were motivated by wanting to bring back their beloved Squad Leader home. But they were also wanting to find gold bars they hid around their jungle battlefields. They had a moral obligation and also a monetary one too. However, it seems that Lee gave something us something deeper - the emotional journey it takes to open old wounds. Vietnam left behind bigger scars than many of them ever anticipated. It's a reminder that war impacts everyone. Vietnam looks recovered and modernized now, but many people still hold resentment about what happened in the war. (Rightfully, so.) This intimate look at how race goes beyond words - it's deeply embedded in history and something we can't ignore, but often is. Lee doesn't hold us back when we have to see what we're dealing with here. Is his message always delivered perfectly? No, but the tone comes across clear. It's passionate about the Black experience. I doubt you will walk away from this movie without agreeing with a lot of what Da 5 Bloods is trying to get across. As I said, it's not subtle, nor does it need to be.
Give these men awards now, please!
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