Da 5 Bloods
(Netflix)
By Lucas Allen
The subject of race in America is certainly a hot button topic that remains hotter than ever recently. The movies of Academy Award-winner Spike Lee like “Do the Right Thing” and “BlackKklansman” have been a symbolic and timely reflection of these long-standing issues that also become essential viewing. His latest film, “Da 5 Bloods,” is a great addition to these films as it also reflects on one of the darkest times in our American history.
Returning to Vietnam after nearly five decades, war veterans Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis) and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) want to pay their final respects to their fallen squad leader, known to them as “Stormin'” Norman (Chadwick Boseman). Paul’s estranged son, David (Jonathan Majors), follows them there knowing his father is obsessed with finding the gold the squad had discovered during the war. Soon enough, the squad is able to negotiate with a shady French businessman, Desroche (Jean Reno), along with having a guide (Johnny Nguyen) take them through the jungle. Along the way, David is worried his father’s PTSD and extreme hatred could mean trouble for the squad’s journey.
Upon making it through the jungle, the squad manages to find both the gold and Norman’s remains, which is an emotional moment for all of them. But once they take the gold, seeds of mistrust are planted when the group cannot agree on a fair share. Things start to escalate fast when Paul’s sanity finally breaks. He kidnaps three members of LAMB, Hedy (Melanie Thierry), Seppo (Jasper Paakkonen) and Simon (Paul Walter Hauser). Then a group of rebel soldiers led by the vengeful Quan (Lam Nguyen) suddenly appear demanding the gold from them. It all leads to a final standoff where good and evil once again battle on the very land they fought all those years ago.
While his other movies were more straightforward, Lee delivers a more powerful story about race, acceptance, and the impact the war can have on anybody. The movie goes back and forth between the present day and early-1970s Vietnam where many battles were fought inside and outside the front lines. The director also makes some stylistic choices throughout the film to emphasize the changing times with different aspect ratios including the flashbacks looking like a grindhouse feature shot in 8mm. Film fans will highly appreciate the effort the director put into conveying America’s troubling times in both the past and the present.
Then there’s one weird stylistic choice of having the older actors play their younger selves in the flashback scenes without the use of any makeup especially CGI de-aging. One might see it as the older characters returning to the past like they never left. At two-and-a-half-hours, this movie could’ve used a good trimming to move the plot along. Losing one of the movie’s few subplots would not hurt the story at all. Still, the running time is forgivable when the movie has a great story to tell.
While each of the older leading actors were able to bring personality and pathos to their performances, it’s Lindo who deserves the most attention. His portrayal of a soldier broken by the past and turned in to an unhinged individual help bring the story to life and add to the intensity of the film’s drama. It’s worth noting that Boseman only appears in a handful of the flashback scenes, but still manages to give a magnetic performance among the cast.
Despite the long running time, “Da 5 Bloods” manages to remain powerful and alive throughout. Once again, Lee is at his best when he combines his filmmaking skills with timely issues worth exploring.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for strong violence, grisly images, and pervasive language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.75 Stars (Out of Four)
