‘Da 5 Bloods’ hailed as Spike Lee’s masterpiece, Netflix viewers predict Delroy Lindo will win Oscar
Spike Lee’s Vietnam War film ‘Da 5 Bloods’, which released on Netflix on Friday, June 12, was well received by not just viewers but critics as well. The story revolves around four African-American Vietnam War veterans' return to the country, more than 40 years after the war is over. They return with two objectives. One, finding the body of their old platoon leader, Stormin’ Norman (Chadwick Boseman), who was killed in action during the war. And two, finding the gold they had hidden in the jungles.
The film’s stellar star cast features Delroy Lindo as Paul, Clarke Peters as Otis, Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Melvin, and Norm Lewis as Eddie, and Jonathan Majors as David, Paul’s son, and the story switches between the present day adventure and 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War.
The film addresses a lot of important issues missed by regular war films. For starters, it tackles race. The movie juxtaposes the war with the civil rights movement and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It also examines post-traumatic stress disorder, the cost of war, and the idea of camaraderie.
Fans of the film have not been able to stop talking about the stupendous performance given by Lindo in this feature. Lindo is already an actor known for his heavy roles and meticulous performances. But with Paul, fans are already calling for Lindo’s nomination for an Oscar.
In the film, Paul is a Trump-supporting black man, who harbors racist ideas about the Vietnamese (and all South-East Asians for that matter; he uses the derogatory term “g***” on them), and has disturbing notions about immigrants in America. But he’s more than that. The war took a toll on him. So much so, that even more than four decades later, he is not okay. He suffers from PTSD, and in his own words, he sees ghosts.
Lindo’s performance as an irate, angry veteran who struggles to love his son, and struggles with his demons -- it was his bullet that killed Norman -- was undoubtedly fantastic. And with that, fans are calling it the “performance of the year”. A fan wrote on Twitter, “This year in cinema is relatively short but at least we have Delroy Lindo's Oscar win to look forward to.”
But more than Lindo’s performance, people on social media were unable to get over the sheer amount of meaningful commentary in the film. A fan wrote on Twitter, “#Da5Bloods is powerful, chaotic, poignant and immersive. Spike Lee has crafted a rich, tumultuous look into Black history through the lens of ‘Apocalypse Now’ meets ‘Treasure of Sierra Madre’. A slew of magnificent performances and much needed social/political commentary.”
Another wrote, “#Da5Bloods is a marvelous Spike Lee odyssey about greed, loss, brotherhood, and the wars we face within ourselves and the world around us. My favorite film of 2020 so far and an absolute must-see.”
Yet another review says, “Spike Lee’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’ is f****** powerful and one of the absolute best war films EVER made. It is simply overflowing with passion, urgency, and ambition. A masterpiece if I’ve ever seen one.”
‘Da 5 Bloods’ is available for viewing on Netflix.