Watching "Judas and the Black Messiah" for me was more academic than entertainment. Some years ago I read the Jeffrey Haas book titled "The Assassination of Fred Hampton," so I was apprised of all the events surrounding Fred Hampton's death. More importantly, I went through several stages of anger when reading the book which prepared me for the movie. So, the question for me going in was: how will the movie measure up factually to the book I read?
I say that the movie was brilliant. It was a fair and honest assessment of the Black Panther Party (BPP) especially at that time and it was a fair representation of Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya). As far as the Judas in this saga, William O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield), I knew very little about him and I didn't care to know much about him. I knew all I needed to know: he provided the floor plan of Fred's home for Chicago P.D. to bust in and kill Fred in his sleep. Still, "Judas" gives the audience a deeper look into the life of O'Neal just before his involvement with the BPP up until the fateful day on December 4, 1969. We get a picture of a confused man who, while working for the FBI, seems to want to help the BPP in its goals. But, in all of his confusion he remains selfish in that self-preservation comes first for him.
Fred Hampton, on the other hand, is the total opposite. Self-preservation and selfishness is not a part of his DNA. And what needs to be remembered is that Fred Hampton was only twenty-one when he was killed. He was a bright, charismatic, and sincere young man who accomplished much good and could've accomplished so much more, and I think "Judas" did a phenomenal job portraying that.
I'm biased, I know. I have an affinity for Fred Hampton and the BPP though I wasn't alive during their reign, so any positive portrayals I'd probably like. Having said that, I still look for accuracy and I've read enough to be able to spot BS. Every movie is going to add dramatizations and an event here and there to increase the drama and I think that's acceptable so long as it doesn't significantly alter the facts. "Judas and the Black Messiah" toes the fact-line and also entertains.
I say that the movie was brilliant. It was a fair and honest assessment of the Black Panther Party (BPP) especially at that time and it was a fair representation of Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya). As far as the Judas in this saga, William O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield), I knew very little about him and I didn't care to know much about him. I knew all I needed to know: he provided the floor plan of Fred's home for Chicago P.D. to bust in and kill Fred in his sleep. Still, "Judas" gives the audience a deeper look into the life of O'Neal just before his involvement with the BPP up until the fateful day on December 4, 1969. We get a picture of a confused man who, while working for the FBI, seems to want to help the BPP in its goals. But, in all of his confusion he remains selfish in that self-preservation comes first for him.
Fred Hampton, on the other hand, is the total opposite. Self-preservation and selfishness is not a part of his DNA. And what needs to be remembered is that Fred Hampton was only twenty-one when he was killed. He was a bright, charismatic, and sincere young man who accomplished much good and could've accomplished so much more, and I think "Judas" did a phenomenal job portraying that.
I'm biased, I know. I have an affinity for Fred Hampton and the BPP though I wasn't alive during their reign, so any positive portrayals I'd probably like. Having said that, I still look for accuracy and I've read enough to be able to spot BS. Every movie is going to add dramatizations and an event here and there to increase the drama and I think that's acceptable so long as it doesn't significantly alter the facts. "Judas and the Black Messiah" toes the fact-line and also entertains.