“Some men speak the Queen’s English. Some speak Jive. I’m fluent in both”– Ron Stallworth (paraphrased from memory)
Director Spike Lee’s latest picture tells the 1972-set story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) who becomes the first black police officer Colorado Springs has seen. Stallworth decides to lead an undercover investigation of the Ku Klux Klan, with a Jewish officer (Adam Driver) standing for Ron during the in-person portion of the infiltration. Meanwhile, Stallworth must also maintain a second facade around his love interest Patrice (Laura Harrier), the militant leader of a black student union he met while undercover at a Black Power event.
This is a great movie. One could devote plenty of digital ink to the political and cultural commentary of the movie and writers far more skilled and able to than I have and will. Although I will address some of that, this review will focus on the film as a movie.