Da 5 Bloods

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio Ballarat and South West Victoria on February 19, 2021.

(MA15+) ★★★★

Director: Spike Lee.

Cast: Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Jonathan Majors, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Johnny Trí Nguyễn, Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Pääkkönen, Chadwick Boseman, Jean Reno, Veronica Ngo, Lê Y Lan, Nguyễn Ngọc Lâm.

The men were disturbed by the "boom stick".

It goes without saying that Spike Lee is one of the most important directors in cinema, so when he drops a film, you have to pay attention. There are mis-steps in his career, yes - no one needed a remake of Old Boy - but when he's on form, he's on fire.

Da 5 Bloods is a powerful blend of his skills as educator and entertainer. It's not quite perfect - Lee overcooks things in places when less would do more - but overall it's an outstanding and beautifully realised film that manages to say something while being action-packed and surprising at the same time.

The story follows four African-American veterans who return to Vietnam, ostensibly to recover the body of their squad leader Stormin' Norman (Bosewick), but also to dig up millions of dollars worth of gold they stashed in the jungle during the war. 

Da 5 Bloods' racial overtones give it a power and a passion that elevate it above any cliched "soldiers' secret treasure" yarn - come for the shoot-outs, but stay for the discussions around civil rights. PTSD and mental health problems for veterans are also a major factor in the film, as is the legacy of "the American war", the treatment of black soldiers, and modern American politics.

While much has been made of Boseman's short yet integral cameo, which is definitely worthy of supporting actor nominations, the real focus should be on Lindo, who delivers the performance of his career as MAGA cap-wearing vet Paul. More so than his fellow veterans, Paul has been haunted by the war, and Lindo's turn ensures the character remains sympathetic from start to finish, despite visiting some weird and wild places in between.

He's ably supported by a great cast, particularly Peters, who brings stoicism and depth to the group's voice of reason Otis, and Majors as Paul's son David. But what's noteworthy is the way the film finds depth in each character. Almost every player has an evident arc and backstory, and is given a fleshed-out role in proceedings, sometimes at the expense of padding the film's length a tad much. 

Not that the film is excessively long (it's about two and a half hours), just that it feels long in places. Similarly, it makes its points well more often than not, but occasionally fumbles the delivery of things so they feel unreal against the film's grounded reality. Lee adds some artifice to his editing - hugs are seen twice from two angles, a bar conversation "crosses the line" of camera perspective - which is occasionally jarring. As is the score: Lee's use of Marvin Gaye songs is spot on, but the orchestral score is schmaltzy and distracting.

Less jarring is the use of the older actors playing themselves in the old battle footage without any make-up or trickery. It's a masterstroke actually - it's like these guys never left the war, like they were always there, or that the war made them who they are and that it turned them from boys into troubled men instantly. Whichever way you want to look at it, it's a brilliant piece of symbolism.

Lee is a bold director, and some of his tricks fall flat, but for the most part, they help make this punch hard. As usual, he's found a powerful story that needs telling, and delivers it with explosive intelligence... and actual explosives.