Spoilers Alert:
The legendary director Spike Lee co-directs THERE 5 BLOODS a drama about brotherhood and conflict set in the Vietnam War and in the present. We reveal in our review how convincing the Netflix film is.
The veterans together in a club.
Unlike “BlacKkKlansman,” however, Lee occasionally gets bogged down here – the running time of over two and a half hours is not only filled with captivating monologues in the best Spike Lee style, there are also a few speeches that lack the finishing touches. And both the war action flashbacks (captured in a smaller format and grainy) and the return of the treasure hunter storyline once the film’s true identity is revealed are a bit halting, robbing it of a trace of its great urgency. But the burgeoning animosity between the main characters, who actually want to have each other’s backs as brothers and yet ultimately hinder each other due to external influences and different political opinions, is written in such a captivating way that it can largely be forgiven. This is also due to Delroy Lindo (“Point Break”)who gives a complex, grueling performance in the central role of Paul: his constant struggle between doing justice to the black community, taking care of himself and being proud and patriotic (even if that means being a Trump supporter ), is a tour de force.
“Unlike “BlacKkKlansman,” Lee occasionally gets bogged down here – the running time of over two and a half hours is not only filled with captivating monologues in the best Spike Lee style, there are also a few speeches that lack the finishing touches.”
But the rest of the cast also give committed performances, thanks to which the painfully intended moments really hurt and Lee’s biting, smug satire (this is how Vietnam veterans celebrate exuberantly, while the poster for the anti-war classic “Apocalypse Now” fills the hall) and lands strong hits again and again.
Conclusion: Like other master directors, Spike Lee also allowed himself to be carried away by over-extending some scenes in his Netflix opus. “Da 5 Bloods” could have been a little shorter. Nevertheless, it is a captivating, urgent film that fits the eye of the day like a glove.
“Da 5 Bloods” is now available to stream on Netflix.
