Da 5 Bloods

I once again go to Netflix to continue my sprint towards 2020's best movies. Da 5 Bloods is Spike Lee's latest joint. Yesterday, it was voted Best Film by the prestigious National Board of Review. Who knows if it will win the Oscar. But it won't be ignored on nominations day.

Vietnam, 1971. "Stormin" Norman (Chadwick Boseman) leads the Bloods - Paul (Delroy Lindo), Eddie (Norm Lewis), Otis (Clarke Peters) and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr) - into battle. One day, they are assigned to secure a box of gold bars from a downed CIA airplane. The gold bars are meant for Lahu fighters against the Viet Cong. Norman and the Bloods decide to take the gold for their fellow Black Americans. Norman is killed by the Vietcong and the treasure is seemingly lost.

Before last year. A mudslide has uncovered the gold's resting place. Norman's remains aren't that far behind. The surviving Bloods return to Vietnam to get both of them back. They're joined by Paul's estranged son David (Jonathan Majors), Hedy (Melanie Thierry), a French anti-landmine activist, and Vietnamese tour guide Vinh (Johnny Tri Nguyen). Paul's erratic behavior makes the trip tense. A French businessman named Desroche (Jean Reno) and his mercenaries aren't helping either.

Lee and his BlacKKKlansman co-writer Kevin Willmott rework a screenplay from Paul De Meo and Danny Bilson. Its main plot will instantly remind one of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre; there's even a homage to that line. The whole story revolves around Paul, who runs the gamut from cool old guy to angry bigot to erratic vet to deeply insecure man. It's a test of the audience's sympathy ultimately rewarded. Delroy Lindo's dynamic performance will keep you watching for the whole 156 minutes. 

The cast definitely earned that Best Ensemble award the National Board also gave them. David, the film's deuteragonist, has an arc as strong as his dad's. The final shootout with Desroche and his men gives David the chance to be a hero. It's rewarding to see. The other Bloods are a likable bunch with their own affairs to settle. Their first scene at a Vietnamese hotel says a lot about their past before we see it. Their happiness when they finally find the gold is infectious. Naturally, it puts the audience on edge when the Bloods face danger. A lot of danger. Finally, Boseman as Norman makes the most of his limited screen time. 

Newton Thomas Siegel's cinematography is the standout technical achievement here. The film switches through aspect ratios depending on locale or time period. It felt extra significant, for example, when the jungle trek unveiled its full 16:9 aspect ratio. The flashbacks look straight out of a 60s news report. Speaking of which, the present Bloods play their past selves without visual trickery. It makes sense considering what they've been through. 

Meanwhile, the action scenes are perfectly tense thanks to editor Adam Gough and the sound designers. The standout scene is when the Bloods, Hedy and her friends, team up to extract David from a landmine. It's a riveting scene you need to watch for yourselves. The soundtrack is populated by a few Marvin Gaye songs from his What's Going On album and an emotional score by Terence Blanchard.

Da 5 Bloods is a strong story about facing one's past. It's also about how trouble can start with good intentions. It's not an easy sit, both in tone and length, but it gives one a lot to think about. So much that it might require their own movie. It's still ready for a Netflix home matinee. See it if you want a wild and crazy experience.