Spike Lee Tackles Race and Politics During the Vietnam War in “Da 5 Bloods”

A new Spike Lee film is just what we need, as we continue to feel the effects of the pandemic, which has halted a lot of Hollywood movie rollouts and premieres. Coming to Netflix on June 12, 2020, Lee’s latest film, Da 5 Bloods, tells the story of “Four African-American Vets — Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) — who return to Vietnam. Searching for the remains of their fallen Squad Leader (Chadwick Boseman) and the promise of buried treasure, our heroes, joined by Paul’s concerned son (Jonathan Majors), battle forces of Man and Nature — while confronted by the lasting ravages of The Immorality of The Vietnam War.”

It is great to see the huge welcoming for Lee’s upcoming film. Lee, who is fresh off of his historic Oscar win for the 2018 comedy crime film Blackkklansman, is often snubbed by Hollywood, even though he remains a staple in Black households. Da 5 Bloods explores race and politics in America during the 1960s when Black soldiers were conflicted fighting a war for a country that continued to oppress their people. Even more conflicted as it comes off the heels of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When talking about the film to Vanity Fair, Lee said “The United States Armed Forces came close to being torn apart when black soldiers heard that Dr. King was assassinated. They also heard that their brothers and sisters were tearing shit up in over 100 cities across America. The tipping point came very close; the black soldiers were getting ready to set it off in Vietnam—and not against the Vietcong either.”

We can always count on Spike to keep it real, for over thirty years and counting.

Check out the trailer below.