Da 5 Bloods (2020) User Reviews

A mixed bag of feelings

[ronakkotian · 5/10 · 21 June 2020]

Spike Lee is one of the most interesting filmmakers out there. His films have a lot to say and he isn't afraid to voice his opinions. I thought BlacKkKlansman was pretty good but this film is definitely a step down from that.

Da 5 Bloods is about four soldiers that return to Vietnam years after fighting in the Vietnam War and try to find their fallen squadron leader and the gold they all hid.

This film really put me on the fence. There are parts of it which I like and other areas which I didn't like. I get what Spike Lee was trying to convey relating to African Americans in the war and the problems with it but I feel his execution of the subject was lacklustre.

A few things I did enjoy were the four main cast members. At the very beginning of the film I really felt a sense of camaraderie between them and I especially liked watching Delroy Lindo's performance throughout. The use of archival footage added to the realism of the film with some creating a very intense and uncomfortable feeling to the viewer. I thought the changing aspect ratios worked for the most part. The war scenes that were shot in 4:3 seemed like footage that was actually filmed long ago.

Apart from that, the film is flawed. A huge technique which bothered me throughout was how Lee wanted to tell the audience the film's themes. There are many moments where the characters just talk about the film's themes without us trying to figure it out ourselves. It gets to a point where it feels preachy. Clearly subtlety is not a strong factor in this film. There's a sequence where a character miraculously finds something which seemed way too convenient for that to happen. The dialogue was pretty bland and I wasn't a fan of some of the editing choices. With a runtime of 2 hours 30 minutes, it could've been cut down to be a tad shorter as some scenes drag.

I don't think Da 5 Bloods is as bad as some people say it is or as good as some critics say it is. There are good parts to it but it's unfortunate Lee took a few bad decisions to convey a story that had potential. You can watch it if you want but I would skip out on this one.

So Much Promise....

[jamaisj-838-93732 · 6/10 · 21 June 2020]

There's a lot of really cool stuff going on in this movie, but the directing and writing gets in the way. Ultimately, the movie tries to link the Viet Nam war and racism, and fails miserably. In trying to fight the two different wars, it loses a lot.

There's a lot of issues with the movie, but they come down to three issues: 1) It needs to decide which movie it's remaking. It basically tries to combine Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Apocalypse Now, and Three Kings and fails at it because of how different the three movies are. 2) The length; this movie could have been told much more effectively in almost half the time. I know it's trying to combine three movies, but that's no excuse for just taking too much time on things. 3) The over-the-top racism. I know this is a weird call, but the movie could have been a lot more effective had it toned down the racism. Also, some of the incidents involved contribute to the length of the movie without really adding anything.

The apparent lack of any military knowledge on the part of Lee (the sheer number of military gaffes, such as salutes and ammunition) as well as the obvious call-backs to movies involved keep throwing watchers out of the movie.

This had the potential to be an incredible movie, especially as the acting is incredible and the cinematography is gorgeous, but it's just too long and too many issues to be even a satisfactory movie.

Da Mess; Da Length; Da Lack of Judicious Editing

[ilikeimdb · 6/10 · 13 September 2020]

Seems Spike Lee has caught the George Lucas disease regarding pruning back an out-of-control bush of a movie. You have a couple of main themes in this very preachy but often action-packed movie about Vietnam War Vets trying to reconcile their pasts and improve their lots in life. But there's like three-movies-in-one here and Spike Lee seems to have fired the editor who should have removed 30 minutes of drag from this often dramatic effort. Interesting but overly long, sentimental in bizarre places, preachy nearly beyond redemption.

Could of been good but loaded with boring cliches

[skispeed69 · 7 March 2021]

I really wanted to like this movie, but the writing was all over the place and the pace was so boring. This is not a classic war movie, it's just a bunch of guys complaining how they got treated badly by the man. Just boring.

Terrible film, great performances

[grinningelvis · 6/10 · 16 January 2023]

Nothing about "Da 5 Bloods" works. Nothing. In fact, it's so arrogant in it's premise and execution that it almost pulls off a sort of B-Movie charm. Not a complement. Here's a bunch of great actors with plenty of scenery to chew up and a script that assumes a certain weight that it can't quite deliver. What's left is a laughably self-serious movie that looks like garbage, is filled with leaden emotions, and betrays a couple of veterans actors slumming for the privilege of working with the ultimate hot/cold writer-director.

When Lee is on, he's one of the best filmmakers of the last fifty years - full of substance and style. But when he's off, you get overheated tripe like "Bloods" - a film that manages to be hilarious when it's supposed to be thinking, and deadly somber when we're supposed to be winking. Memorable only as a great misfire for everyone involved.

Spike Lee is both the best thing and the worst thing about this movie

[isaacsundaralingam · 6/10 · 23 April 2021]

There are enjoyable aspects to this movie, certainly... but as a whole, it feels disoriented. And I'd place the blame (and the credit) on director Spike Lee's directorial choices.

An aspect of his directorial style I loved was the 4th wall breaking monologues as delivered by actor Delroy Lindo in the final act of the movie... It was a creative choice that I felt added more weight to the character. But then there are other aspects of Lee's style that just doesn't do it for me... And as was in his last feature BlacKkKlansman... he has a tendency to be overbearingly loud about his messaging when in fact he doesn't have to be. The historical contexts added into the movie (as displayed through a collection of images interrupting the flow of the movie) feel unnecessarily preachy in a script that has very little to do with any of it.

Leaving all that aside, there's still a little charm left in the movie, courtesy of the chemistry the lead actors share on screen. And they all do a great job with the material handed to them, although I felt like the script they were working with could have been a little more accommodating to their talents. The script... although follows a very interesting premise, fails to meaningfully add any depth to it all.

Overall, I'm not saying I hated it, but it's a movie that's very difficult to love. I have nothing but respect for Spike Lee as a director, but this just doesn't do it for me.

Great movie. Not for everyone.

[atochterman · 8/10 · 12 June 2020]

A Spike Lee Joint. Those familiar with his work will recognize his trademark style mixed with homage from some of the most brilliant war films of all time. Thats not to say Spike Lee rips anyone off, but instead incorporates themes and elements from some all time classics (no need to list references here). The film is incredibly relevant in these times, and can be a difficult watch, but a necessary one. Spike's film can seem disjointed at times but in an incredibly artistic way. Not everyone will appreciate this. I could go on and on about the brilliant oscar worthy performances of the actors, but let's be honest, you're either gonna watch this or not. Watch This.

"Our Fight Is Not in Vietnam"

[OMTR · 6/10 · 16 September 2022]

A tagline full of promise, which foreshadowed an essential work on the institutional and systemic racism of the colonial powers and their crimes, both domestic and overseas.

After a powerful and excellent introduction that lives up to our highest expectations, the problem lies in the clumsy plot development and messy film aesthetics between this very promising beginning and a similar conclusion.

With the notable exception of a few scenes that prove the rule, the story is too erratic and hazy to give the film the grandeur it deserves. Because it is America-centric and fails to apply genuine anti-imperialist analyze with a consistent depiction of Vietnam as nothing more than a war.

A bleak Reminder Of What Memory Can Do

[Aziatik · 8/10 · 12 June 2020]

Film Director Spike Lee is back in form behind the camera with another whiplash piece of Cinema. Da 5 blood explores four Black Vietnam veterans back on war soil to retrieve lost gold left by a fallen soldier played by Chadwick Boseman. In this Film, the use of flashback is what stings like a dagger forcing the viewer to ponder about how memory can be an affliction , especially in the context of War. Spike Lee sets the past in the present by having the main characters re-living war memories at their actual old age. This technique puts the emphasis on how war can be a never ending cycle even where the battlefield is absent. Fine acting also helps this movie get his point accross, but man, here, actor Delroy Lindo shines with his portrayal of a war veteran facing his demons. Different themes can be observed in this film, one element that caught my attention is the idea of how humans failed to love. Although Americans usually claim to be God fearing Christians who are buddy with The Christ, love clearly slipped off their hands by throwing themselves into war. The decision by the big wings to go to war was a decision that would mark humanity for ever. The film is well written, has a good score and a fine reminiscing use of music with a brillant use of Marvin Gaye's accapella. Spike also uses tactics of framing and re-framing which puts the viewer in sync with time and perspective.

If you love Cinema and respect an acute vision, do not skip this piece of Filmmaking, you will feel the love.

Not as good as it's made out to be

[spidermonkeycoleman · 6/10 · 9 December 2022]

Note: Spoilers start in the 5 paragraph

Don't get me wrong, this definitely isn't a bad film, but by the end instead of feeling satisfied I was left with a feeling of, "Wait, that's it?"

This should come as no suprise, but the acting is great. The cast plays off each other well and even when the the film gets slower, the performances kept me watching.

Along with the acting, the visuals are stunning. There are some beautiful shots in this movie as well as disturbing, but it all blends together nicely and fits with the feel of the movie.

The soundtrack was also decent, though not as good as it coudl've been. There were a few scenes where they don't play any music when it would've helped the scene, but overall I never felt like the score hurt the movie in any way. Though at the same time, I'm not sure how much it helped it either.

Now onto my main issues with the movie...

The characters are a mixed bag of quality. While some are dense and investing, others are deliberately not built on much. At first it doesn't make sense but then the characters start dying and guess which ones die first? The characters who weren't given much story.

It's a lazy way of filmmaking in my opinion, to not give depth to your main characters because they're going to die first. Like the first of "Da 5 Bloods" to die (the one that dies from the landmine) was in the movie so little that I hardly remembered he was a character until his death scene. And then the guy who was having sex with the french girl, he gets blown up too and he probably only has 7 or 8 lines in the whole movie. These characters, main characters, are so weak that I don't even remember their names!

On the topic of deaths, none of them were done well. When the first of the Bloods gets blown up, it's sad and starts to get emotional but they ruin the scene by hardly acting like it happened. Like the guy dies and then literally 5 seconds after, we move on to a tense scene where another character steps on a landmine. He was one of the main 5 characters and they don't give you any time to feel emotion.

Then there's another one of the Bloods who jumps on a grenade for no reason and the rest of the characters don't even acknowledge he's dead! Hell, they hardly tell the audience that he died because once again, as soon as he dies the movie jumps into another scene and doesnt give you any time to process the death. And why'd he jump on the grenade anyways? Nobody was close enough to be hit by it, not even him. He jumps over to it. Again, its lazy filmmaking and killing characters for no reason.

They also kill characters off just for the sake of it. I never felt like any of the main character's deaths had any impact on the movie because of the way the movie treats the deaths and the characters. It's a slap in the face to the audience who has to sit through 2 AND A HALF HOURS for there to be no respect given to the characters and their stories.

The ending was anticlimactic as well. You'd think after making a movie so long they'd give a proper ending but nah, they kill the bad guy, we see Jonathon Majors read a note over a montage, and it ends. No satisfaction or impactful moment, it just ends right after the final fight, which was lackluster as well.

Da 5 Bloods isn't a terrible movie. I admittedly enjoyed it a little, but it is frustrating more often than it is enjoyable. The characters aren't well balanced and the deaths are mostly pointless. The runtime isn't justified, though the acting and visuals are solid and the story is entertaining enough... mostly.

A Spike Lee Disjoint

[DJWinston · 4/10 · 13 June 2020]

Much as I admire Spike Lee's talent and audacity, this film just didn't work for me. Too many preposterous plot points while the motivations (of everyone, it seemed) were never clear. The whole thing was just confusing.

And yes, disjointed.

Not an easy movie to watch...

[NoelNettur · 8/10 · 12 June 2020]

... and if you're looking for Vietnam war action, don't watch. But if you want a movie about friendship, PTSD, racial tension, usa's (dubious) role in history? Watch.

Noble Aspirations Can't Save a Sloppy Shoot

[Metaflix · 6/10 · 26 June 2020]

There is no more prescient of a time for Spike Lee to put out a film. He's arguably the world's most important Black filmmaker and his latest movie, "Da 5 Bloods," hits screens at a time when race relations in America are at their most pivotal point since the civil rights era.

Lee's films nearly exclusively center on race. To this day his debut feature film, "Do the Right Thing," is not only dissected, discussed, and analyzed everywhere from the streets to academia for its filmmaking prowess, but also for the clarity and depth of what the film has to say about the Black experience in America.

Not stopping there, Lee set his sights on the life and times of Malcolm X, turning out a three-and-a-half hour epic that lays bare the noxious pretense of equality in America that existed during Malcolm X's lifetime, at the time of the film's 1992 release, and still exists to this day.

Lee's latest, "Da 5 Bloods," is centered on four old war buddies from Vietnam who travel back to the country to retrieve a stash of gold along with the remains of their fallen friend.

The opening of the film is not for the faint of heart. It depicts real life photos and news footage of some of the more horrifying memories of the Vietnam War era, such as the burning monk or the captive Vietnamese man executed in the street with a bullet to the head. Equally repulsive is the notion that war, oppression, racism, and corrupt politics isn't some figment of our distant past but every bit as widespread then as it is today.

A number of scenes in "Da 5 Bloods" contain fun to spot Easter eggs or homages to its cinematic brethren. Some are rather obvious, like the "Apocalypse Now" writing on the wall of the dance club or the usage of the song "Flight of the Valkyries," harkening back to the same movie. Others are a bit more meta, like the one-legged Vietnamese man throwing fire crackers at the feet of the protagonists, playfully referencing the terrifying "Dance!" scene in "Platoon."

But as much as Spike Lee might've wanted "Da 5 Bloods" to represent his own "Apocalypse Now" or "Platoon," it just isn't. Not even close. Far too many corners were cut while making the film for it to be considered in the same realm as such distinguished titles.

Just look at the blood spatter CGI used throughout "Da 5 Bloods" as an example. It looks no better than the stock blood spatter effect in Adobe. Matter of fact, it probably IS the stock blood spatter effect in Adobe. Why not spend that Netflix money and use squibs? Alternatively, if the effect is going to make the film look like a B-rated zombie flick, why use anything at all?

And what are the chances that someone looking for buried gold on the side of a mountain goes to dig a hole to take a dump in and his shovel hits ... gold. A million to one? A billion? Who cares because Spike Lee is an acclaimed writer and such mind-numbing coincidences should never make it onto the page, much less into the film?

The full list of frustrating coincidences found throughout the film is about as long as this entire review, so I'll spare you the details. The bottom line is simply that "Da 5 Bloods" isn't the film we all hoped it would be. Spike Lee is among the finest filmmakers alive. Kubrick is Kubrick because he never settled for "just good enough." Scorsese is Scorsese because he never settles for "just good enough." After watching "Da 5 Bloods," I find it very disappointing at how many times Spike Lee apparently settled for "just good enough."

Did I watch a different film to the critics?

[eddie_baggins · 4/10 · 15 June 2020]

Since his first true feature film She's Gotta Have It in 1986, Spike Lee has remained one of the most passionate and hard-working filmmakers in the industry, with each of his projects being born from the mind of an outspoken individual who isn't afraid to tackle issues and subject matters others would do all they could to avoid.

While this passion has made for some outstanding individual results and moments, Lee has also continued to be one of the most eclectic directors when its comes to quality control, with audiences unsure whether they are getting a new masterpiece or a genuine dud, such is the wide ranging variation of his projects.

For every Do the Right Thing, The 25th Hour or BlacKKKlansman there's an Oldboy, Miracle at St. Anna or Red Hook Summer, works of an artist that sometimes loses focus on quality control in his quest to tackle the often controversial material his bringing to life.

One of his most high-profile releases of the last decade, Lee's first feature since the Oscar winning success of BlacKKKlansman is his long time coming Vietnam passion project Da 5 Bloods, a well-cast Netflix production that shines a light on black service man in the Vietnam war, whilst also offering a thrilling treasure hunt plot-line with aging African American veterans returning to the battlefields of the war torn country.

It's an incredibly intriguing set-up and one that allows Lee to explore topical race related scenarios while also operating in one of his biggest cinematic playgrounds yet but this two and a half hour exercise is the type of let-down of a film that is littered throughout Lee's career, as his poor pacing, editing, story developments and intrusively scored effort continually disappoints throughout.

Loaded up with a cast full of talent with Delroy Lindo, The Wire's Clark Peters and Isiah Whitlock Jr, Jean Reno and Black Panther himself Chadwick Boseman all involved, Da 5 Bloods appears on paper to be ripe for the best type of Lee film but with a collection of mostly unlikable characters, long in the tooth scenarios and situations and an abundance of atrocious plot contrivances (hello gold discovery during a toilet break), Lee's exercise has too many flaws to overlook and more often than not feels amateurish, not the work of an Oscar winning writer.

It's not to say the film is bereft of good ideas or moments, there are numerous touching scenes exploring the effect of war on these man, particularly in how they returned to a country that seemed to not value their services or still continued to judge them by their skin color and some of the interplay between the experienced actors makes for both funny and heartfelt viewing but too often than not Lee is hammering his audience over the head with the films topics with all the care of a sledgehammer, instead of refining his product into a polished offering it was so desperately in need of becoming.

Final Say -

A hugely disappointing effort from Lee, Da 5 Bloods may have found its share of critical acclaim but while its themes and subject matter should be commended, as a film; this Netflix release is as unpolished and unfocused as they come.

2 gold bars out of 5

Maybe just not be rated...

[gcarpiceci · 12 June 2020]

Whoa....this was a hell of a ride! Now, if you are expecting Da 5 Bloods to be a movie in the sense of a story with a beginning, a middle and an end, it might not work for you. I am not sure myself it worked for me but I didn't feel like I could just ignore it either. This is like a pile of political, emotional and historical statements not necessarily linked in one single bundle. At times it ends up being a Tarantino-like mess, but with relevance. It is surely timely, it is heavily politically loaded, it is emotional and intense, angered but also ironical and lighthearted at moments. Maybe not to be judged, let alone rated, but just to be absorbed.

Inconsistencies!

[dtelgin · 6/10 · 15 June 2020]

Looks like Spike got lazy and called this one in. Daughter conceived 50 years ago looks like a 25 year old, the mother looks 40, not 65. Gold got washed away in a mudslide but went uphill? Plot mimics Treasure of Sierra Madre, gold drives men to insanity due to selfishness. Hard to follow the flashbacks because the younger men looked like the older men. Would have been a 10 if final editing was not a rush job.

Empty movie

[luizedumedeiros-82678 · 7/10 · 12 June 2020]

Sometimes it has the atmosphere of a comedy movie. The movie has good actings, good edition and photography, but it felt like empty critics without fundament were more important than a good story for the director. The thread had a big potential, but surely the director couldn't reach it.

Good morning, Vietnam.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 8/10 · 15 June 2020]

'Da 5 Bloods (2020)' is engaging and alarming. It confronts its audience with some harsh truths and, at times, is an uncomfortable experience because of it. It's also an important experience, though, as it tangles with themes of exploitation, racism, post-traumatic stress and war with a surprising degree of nuance. Though the piece is an odd mix of black comedy, traditional action and shocking archive footage, it somehow comes together as a fictional tale that conveys quite a bit of truth. It's effective in almost all its aspects. The thing does feel long but that's principally because it's constantly unpredictable, shifting in tone and, even, genre often within the same scene. Its formalistic elements often catch you off guard, too. At times, it's truly horrifying; I mean, some of its graphic stock footage is the sort of thing you can never unsee. Its frankness is a part of its DNA, though. While it isn't necessarily a fun film, it is one worth watching. It offers a new perspective on an often misrepresented time-period. It rings true despite its fictional plot. 8/10

Great performances, pretty decent plot with a strong theme but overlong slow running time.

[cruise01 · 7/10 · 13 June 2020]

Da 5 Bloods (3.5 out of 5 stars).

Da 5 Bloods is a pretty fair war drama film. About foue Vietnam vets that go back to the jungle in modern time to search for their best friend remains while searching for hidden treasure they buried.

The plot is good also focusing on modern times of race and black lives matter concept. The film also shows the struggle each vet is going through mentally and physically. Delroy Lindo delivers a powerful performance that he is struggling with. The cast is good with there performances.

The film does have a sense of style with Spike Lees direction with the narrative switching between Vietnam war to present day. I did not think this was Spike Lees best movie. But it was entertaining. I did have issues with how long the movie was. It was overlong and needed some editing to help with the pacing.

Not Lee's best but still very moving and important

[Thekeybaldemasterrises · 9/10 · 14 June 2020]

Challenging, thought provoking, and downright chaotic. Spike Lee's new joint Da 5 Bloods is a wild one, and he does not hold back any punches here. What starts off as a road trip/reunion film about a group of Vietnam vets looking for the remains of their old comrade and their treasure, turns into something brutal and raw. It's a war movie, but it's a movie about humanity too. It doesn't just signify the cost of war and the effects it has on the individual, but the hate that's created from it. What I love about Lee is his insistence on making the audience a part of the film and not just the "observer". When he wants you to see an image he really wants you to SEE it, and boy are there a lot of haunting images in this film. I think what people have to understand is this isn't just about the black experience of the war, it's the experience of being human and the path we walk. The character of Paul is a symbol of someone who chooses to walk the path of hate and how they refuse to stop walking that path. I'm a little bummed that Lee decided to make that character a straight up Trump Supporter as I find that to be less subtle and more likely to trigger people into turning on this movie since that could ignite it into a more politcal conversation. It's like Lee gave up some of the subtle tactics to ensure the audience is receiving what he's getting at but I honestly don't think he neeed too, the dialogue and the characters are profound enough to get that message across. Showing a MAGA hat becomes a little too on the nose and I know people are just gonna trash all over this movie for that reason, but hopefully I'm wrong. This isn't Lee's best film, but it's a deep and interesting one. I love how he cuts between different aspect ratios and makes the flashback scenes look 16MM it made it feel that much more immersive. I think he could've trimmed down the first half as it's at least 20 minutes too long, but that didn't stop me from really feeling moved by what he did here. It's a hard watch, but it's a necessary watch, and it only adds to the conversation right now of the black experience I can't stress that enough. It's a disturbing, violent, and graphic film, but it needs to be seen. 9/10.

Da Spike Lee joint.

[Azanspy · 7/10 · 12 June 2020]

Da 5 Bloods is not as good as Spike Lee's last movie, BlacKkKlansman. But this movie is very entertaining and has Spike Lee's artistic touch all over it. I didn't like the starting phase of the movie but as it went along and when the story unfolds slowly, it began to take my attention. The music and the cinematography is very good and the shots in Vietnam forest was very good. The performances of the whole cast was top notch and some deserves Oscar recognition. As for the whole movie, eventhough it may get nominated in some category, I don't think this will be in the Best Picture nominee. Nevertheless, Da 5 Bloods is a good movie that you should watch in these difficult circumstances. P.s. what a coincidence.

Just the worst

[deciphamusic-105-249143 · 1/10 · 16 July 2020]

Just don't understand why the past actors were also the present actors in the story line, did we not have a budget to cast younger actors to portray the flashbacks? I mean everyone just looked tired and not good at all. Why were there so many corny lines cheesy and lame set ups, and why were the monologues so long and pointless. I got the point a million times, I think I'm more disappointed that I allowed myself to think there would be More knowing there were so many great actors cast. I expected more from Spike.

A Spike Lee Joint for the Ages

[kaneeddy · 9/10 · 12 June 2020]

Da 5 Bloods, feels like an awfully relevant film to release right now, providing some powerful imagery and showcasing immersive storytelling. The film has all the makings of a Spike Lee Joint from the high quality cinematography that makes use of a diverse range of film and adds something genuine to the story, as well as provide Oscar Worthy Editing that transitions through aspect ratios smoothly. Spike seems to be on a roll with making some of his most powerful films off the back of his superb Blackkklansman. The performances in the film are Oscar worthy making you feel empathetic to the cause as well as giving insight into the unfairness African Americans faced when it came to the Vietnam War, the two notable performances in this film being Delroy Lindo and Chadwick Boseman, I loved both performances and will be some of my favourites for the year, also Jonathan Majors gives a noteworthy performance as well. The writing for this film is powerful and when needed, builds tension, relationships and the conflicts the characters go through during this film. I will also say the use of real footage throughout the film is extremely powerful and adds an extra layer showing the problems that the USA has faced throughout its history right to this day.

If I were to pick out a flaw with this film it would have to be the score which was quite forgettable and at times didn't match the moment that was presented on film, and at times it could have a minor impact on the scene itself, which was quite disappointing as i found the Blackkklansman score to be memorable and matched the style of the film really well.

Overall, Da 5 Bloods is a film that is extremely relevant and powerful, showing that Spike Lee is still in great form as a director 40 years in and is maybe better than ever. The use of the Vietnam war felt appropriate and the characters felt authentic. The performances were fantastic, and most technical aspects to the film were at an Oscar Level. This is a film that everyone should try.

An urgent and important film on racism and War Veterans.

[pranayjalvi · 7/10 · 12 June 2020]

Da 5 Bloods is an urgent film on racism that's always been a major problem. The fight for America yet there wasn't no equality even after the justice.

The performances from Delroy Lindo and Clark Peters were outstanding along with the cinematography. The film stretches a bit in its runtime of 2hr 35 mins, but did succeeds in showing the ugly reality behind the beautiful display.

A simultaneous play between the war moments and the current situation of the veterans, Spike Lee does a great work in transitioning the emotions.

My Rating : 3.5/5

Wasted potential unfortunately

[ryanbonner-99754 · 2/10 · 5 February 2021]

I discovered Spike Lee through 2018's 'BlacKkKlansman' which I loved. 'Do The Right Thing' and 'Malcolm X' are also career highlights of his. 'Inside Man' is also a great film and so I was excited for 'Da 5 Bloods'. With the drought of cinema due to COVID and the current political climate I thought this film could not have landed at a better time. Sadly I think the creative team, particularly on a script writing level, should have waited longer. I was very disappointed by the film.

I have since let my thoughts settle on the film since the initial Netflix release. The current discourse around the omission of 'Da 5 Bloods' from the Golden Globes nominations prompted me to revisit the film and my feelings have not changed unfortunately.

On a technical level, the film is wildly unruly which some have praised as inventive or anarchic even but I personally found to be disengaging. The film is 2 hours and 36 minutes long but unfortunately feels far longer. There is nothing wrong with a film being long if it has the content to justify the runtime but 'Da 5 Bloods' unfortunately doesn't. Equally the plot amounts to very little and the characters all seem to change their motivations and personalities from scene to scene in order to pad out the runtime of the film, which adds to the disengagement.

On an aesthetic level, many of the most memorable moments are clunky homages to much better films such as 'Apocalypse Now' and 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre' which just leave you wondering why you aren't watching these films instead. Don't get me wrong, homage is no bad thing, and Lee himself has done it successfully before, Radio Raheem's knuckle dusters in 'Do The Right Thing' for example. However, in a film this I'll disciplined they only serve to exacerbate the problems that the film has.

On a positive note, the cast themselves are not terrible, as some have said, rather they do the best they can with a bad script. Much praise has been given to Delroy Lindo for his work in the film, and I would agree that his performance in the film showcases his acting chops in as much that his character is perhaps the worst written in terms of inconsistencies and Lindo manages to elevate the character to a level that the script has not earned. And so to a degree Lindo deserves praise and certainly he deserves more casting opportunities because he is clearly a great actor. Chadwick Boseman is definitely the stand out in the cast and his charisma oozes off of the screen, his Stormin' Norman is easily the films most believable character and I would attribute this entirely to Boseman. Unfortunately he isn't in the film nearly enough to redeem it however but the film is infinitely better whenever he is on screen.

The film also looks great, Newton Thomas Sigel's cinematography is really good. The 16mm film flashbacks are particularly great. The soundtrack is also great, and the nod to The Temptations in the character names is a nice touch though the characters don't all necessarily resemble their namesakes in their behaviour which leaves it as a slightly confusing or empty choice to an extent.

The film also doesn't de-age the actors for the flashbacks which is a bold choice and definitely could have worked as a distinct visualisation of the psyche of the characters if the film wasn't so confused otherwise. But the film is so confused which unfortunately makes this choice become a distraction more than anything else.

Then there is the political aspect. 'Do The Right Thing' in particular but also 'BlackKklansman' to an extent showcase that Spike Lee can make extremely political films with nuance. Unfortunately 'Da 5 Bloods' suffers from a severe nuance deficiency.

Telling a US Vietnam soldier story from the perspective of Black Veterans is a smart choice and is a unique perspective that hasn't been focused on as much before in such a singular way that I can recall. This ought to be the great innovation of the film and is an incredibly interesting idea and absolutely a worthwhile and fresh endeavour for a film. However, the film misses the mark quite considerably.

The level of knowledge on the Vietnam war evidenced in the film seems to be that which a year 9 history student could have attained by half paying attention in class and then watching 'Apocalypse Now' . This substandard understanding is then uncomfortably warped to then fit Lee's own ideological issues about present day America. This is a real shame, because, outside of works on Muhammad Ali, I don't think there is much mainstream coverage of the black experience in Vietnam but here it is very clumsily handled.

The worst of this is in the portrayal of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people themselves for the most part. As awful as the experience in Vietnam must have been for US soldiers of all races, though there is a unique aspect to the black experience that could have been explored better here, the war did happen in Vietnam. Vietnamese people had to deal with an invasion from a global superpower and suffer endless bombing campaigns and atrocities such as the My Lai massacre at the hands of the US and the various invaders before them. The film makes gestures to such events through archival footage which is far more impactful than any of the fictional scenes in the movie and rightfully so but it leaves you wondering why such harrowing footage is being intercut with Da 5 Bloods (technically Da 4 Bloods) and their farcical treasure hunt. Juxtaposing the iconic and haunting image of Phan Thi Kim Phuc for example with Delroy Lindo and his mates playing Dora the Explorer comes across as just a bit distasteful. Though I don't believe this is the intent by any means but unfortunately it is the end product.

Equally the Vietnamese characters in the film could generously be described as 2 dimensional at best. The treatment of the Vietnamese in 'Da 5 Bloods' is eerily reminiscent of the portrayal of Native Americans in some of the worst westerns of the 50s. Which, would be reprehensible enough, but in a film which places so much emphasis on racial injustice it only highlights the appalling depiction of the Vietnamese characters in the film and undermines the cumbersome delivery of a relatively straightforward political message. Lê Y Lan does nothing more than be a love interest for Clark Peters' Otis while Johnny Trí Nguyen plays the stereotypical tour guide role and they are perhaps the best served by the film. Practically every other Vietnamese character in the film is used as either canon fodder for the Westerners to play target practice with or they fit other quaint stereotypes such as Chu, the chicken seller.

This combined with a bizarre third act which seems to have been lifted straight from a Michael Bay film all seem to reinforce very uncomfortable Neo-Colonialist narratives which all seems completely at odds with the political argument that Spike Lee seems to be trying to make with the film. There is genuinely a line in the first act which pokes fun at the Rambo movies for being crass and nationalistic which on first viewing made me chuckle slightly but seems completely ludicrous when the film just completely devolves into the exact same infantile claptrap by the third act except it is entirely Po faced and without any sense of irony in doing this. 'First Blood' is a far more nuanced look at the Vietnam war and ptsd than 'Da 5 Bloods' could ever dream of being and it is this complete lack of self awareness that is the biggest flaw of the film.

Don't get me wrong, the film has very noble aspirations but it fails to meet them in quite spectacular fashion, contradicting itself at virtually every turn on a filmmaking level but also more disturbingly on a political and historical level. The worst of it all is that Spike Lee has proven before that he can pull this off and I am sure he will do it again but this really is not the one.