Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

BlacKkKlansman Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 9, 2018

Director Spike Lee's (Malcolm X, Do the Right Thing) BlacKkKlansman is a compelling film focused on race relations in 1970s America, but its also an occasionally tonally disparate film that can be as humorously light as it can be maliciously dark. That contrast between funny and frightening helps ease the burden, but not lessen the impact, of the film's examination of racial strife and hate. Lee allows the script to flow and his actors to have fun at the Ku Klux Klan's expense, but when the narrative grows more extreme and the cards are down, Lee makes sure to turn off the comedy faucet and give the film's full attention and respect to the dangerous situations and fight against despicable extremism.

Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is Colorado Springs' first police officer of color. His first assignment places him in the records room, a dead-end endeavor, but he's quickly promoted to undercover work and given the assignment to attend a political rally featuring flamboyant speaker Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins). Stallworth's mission is to gauge audience reaction to the calls for violence. There, he meets the president of Colorado College's black student union, Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier), with whom he forms a close bond but does not disclose his identity as an undercover police officer. Stallworth later finds an advertisement for the Ku Klux Klan and calls the number listed. He presents himself as a white man eager to join and is invited to do so. Of course, his skin color would be prohibitive to such an undertaking, so he and the CSPD employ the help of Jewish Detective Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) to pose as Stallworth in person while Stallworth continues to build the relationship over the phone, first with the local chapter Klan president Walter Breachway (Ryan Eggold) and later with the Klan's Grand Wizard himself, David Duke (Topher Grace). As Stallworth and Zimmerman, as Stallworth, become further entrenched in the Klan, one suspicious Klansman, Felix Kendrickson (Jasper Pääkkönen), angles to oust Zimmerman as Jewish.

In BlacKkKlansman, undertones are overtones and subtleties are not-so-subtle. Lee's film builds around challenging topics and it faces them head-on, with plenty of humor to play against the more serious currents that shape the movie. He tells a story of organized bigotry and two men's infiltration into one of the most notorious organizations in American history but finds an agreeable balance between the picture's blunt presentation of racism within the Klan's inner circle and the somewhat lighter moments that play around its periphery. Lee masterfully balances the two and the film would not work without the synchronicity they create. John David Washington, who is the son of Denzel Washington and, before BlacKkKlansman, best known for his role in the HBO series Ballers, commands the screen and the material, much like his father, bringing a passion and wit to the part, understanding both the serious currents in which he finds himself (and into which he has placed Flip Zimmerman) while also using humor almost as a defense mechanism against hate.

Adam Driver, who is one of this reviewer's favorite actors working today (anyone who has yet to see Paterson needs to pick it up when ordering BlacKkKlansman), is Washington's match as the Jewish cop who is pulled into Stallworth's investigation as the in-person go-between. Much of the film's drama comes from his his infiltration of the Klan, posing as a non-Jewish white man who must proclaim, and prove, his hatred for both people of color and for people of Jewish descent. Whether he can maintain his cover, build his character, prove his "worth," and tolerate the endless stream of antisemitism and racism is where the movie is most likely to leave the audience on the edge of the seat, particularly as one of the Klansmen, Kendrickson, immediately suspects that there's something "off" about Zimmerman, who is posing as Stallworth. Improvisation, a vocabulary of hate, pretend violent acts on people of color (namely his partner, Stallworth), and pledges of allegiance to racism and the Klan are what will keep him alive and on mission, with Stallworth never far behind, monitoring the situation through hidden microphones and stepping into action as needed to save Zimmerman when he's caught misspeaking or when Kendrickson demand he take a polygraph test to prove the heritage he claims.

BlacKkKlansman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

BlacKkKlansman's 1080p transfer is a beautiful thing. The movie was shot on film and this Blu-ray is undoubtedly sourced from the same master from the native 4K digital intermediate used for the gorgeous UHD. While that 4K/Dolby Vision presentation is assuredly the best way to watch the film at home, those who are still Blu-ray only will not be disappointed with Universal's presentation. Details are tight and refined, naturally sharp and presented within a handsomely filmic frame where grain is light, well manicured, and extremely complimentary. Faces are impressively revealing with sharp, intimate, and tangible pores, hairs, lines, and other features amongst the most obvious examples of the image's stalwart clarity and definition. Clothes, particularly well-preseed police shirts and the patches on them, reveal fine fabric details and stitching with ease. Location specifics are sharp as a tack across a myriad of locations, from police stations to grungy basements, from richly defined outdoor locales to low-light barrooms. The color palette also proves stable and rich. The image presents a light, vintage throwback color temperature that emphasizes period attire. Colors pop with balanced intensity and full-bodied saturation, notably on the most colorful clothes seen throughout the film but also considering natural greenery, car paints, and other more intensive and responsive hues. Skin tones appear natural and accurate. The only real disappointment are iffy black levels; low light and nighttime exteriors tend to look a little raised. Otherwise, the image is a standout. No eyesore compression or source related issues are apparent.

BlacKkKlansman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

BlacKkKlansman's Dolby Atmos soundtrack proves its worth from the beginning with full-stage musical saturation, good low end depth, and rich, vibrant instrumental clarity. Musical excellence is a mainstay throughout the film. Ture's speech is wonderfully wide and naturally reverberating around the entire stage (which includes a mild above-stage component, one of precious few that take any advantage at all of the height channels), while crowd cheers are perfectly immersive and detailed. The track brings every environment to life with impressive spacing and saturation. Police station office din is audibly compelling and sonically detailed. The sound of a ringing phone, which is fairly prominent in the film (phone conversations in general drive much of the plot), often emanates with a sharp, clear ringing across the back, which is amplified considerably in the final minutes. A few gunshots strike with commanding power. Dialogue drives most of the film, however, and the spoken word enjoys rich, natural clarity, firm center placement save for when expansion is necessary, and prioritization above all competing elements.

BlacKkKlansman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BlacKkKlansman's Blu-ray release contains a featurette and an extended trailer. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. The release ship with an embossed slipcover.

• A Spike Lee Joint (1080p, 5:09): The real Ron Stallworth, Jordan Peele, Topher Grace, John David Washington, Laura Harrier, and Harry Belafonte recount the core story, hiring Spike Lee to direct and the qualities he brought to the film, casting and performances, the movie's depiction of racism, and more.
• BlacKkKlansman Extended Trailer Featuring Prince's "Mary Don't You Weep" (1080p, 4:29): A longer format preview for the film set to Prince's song.

BlacKkKlansman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

BlacKkKlansman champions black power but also proper and peaceful race relations; many of the film's best scenes involve Stallworth, alongside one or several white characters with whom he works at the police station, laughing at David Duke, who is unknowingly speaking to a black man on the other side of the telephone. Conversely, the film's most challenging scene features an elderly black man named Jerome Turner (played by the legendary Harry Belafonte) telling stories of the Klan's torture of colored people while several Klan initiates are sworn into the organization in a juxtaposed sequence. Lee makes his points sharply and directly but does so with care and consideration for his characters and his audience. Heroes and villains are clear-cut, and the winner to come out of it all is a tremendously entertaining yet very pointed film that was clearly a passion project for Lee, an acclaimed filmmaker who may have just released his best work yet. Universal's Blu-ray is very good, skimpy on the extras but otherwise boasting a high quality 1080p video transfer and a wonderful Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Highly recommended.