When most moviegoers enter their local theater, they aren’t expecting a politically charged message on the screen. Still, most contemporary films contain at least a cursory reference to the politics of our time, and many touch upon complex issues in an attempt to offer an opinion, analysis, or solution. This summer, there were two releases that were rare in that they both were well-made, well-received films, and they were obviously politically charged. Where BlacKkKlansman and Sorry to Bother You differ is in their level of publicity, but more importantly, in their political messages themselves.
The plots of BlacKkKlansman and Sorry to Bother You are both rather complex, but exist for different reasons. BlacKkKlansman is the story of a cop, Ron Stallworth (played by John David Washington), who is inspired to infiltrate the Colorado Springs branch of the Ku Klux Klan after attending a Kwame Ture speech undercover. Stallworth, a black man, cannot attend meetings in person, and sends his colleague Flip Zimmermann (Adam Driver) to fraternize with the Klan. All the while, Stallworth dates black radical Patrice (Laura Harrier), to whom he lies about being an officer. In the end, Stallworth and Zimmermann are able to stop the KKK from killing anyone, but the Klan is shown as still active with a cross-burning in the end, as well as clips from 2017’s Charlottesville Unite the Right protests and fights. There is much attention paid to the hateful rhetoric of the Klan members, the veneer of respectability put on by Klan leader David Duke (Topher Grace), and some more racist elements of the Colorado Springs Police Department. Near the end of the film, Patrice aids Zimmermann, Stallworth, and other colleagues in arresting an officer who earlier abused her and Ture. She and Stallworth are united by the KKK’s hate after Stallworth claims he can be simultaneously committed to the liberation of his people and be a cop. The film is based on a true story.
Sorry to Bother You is simply the story of a down-on-his-luck Oaklander who gets a big break. Cassius (LaKeith Stanfield), a former high school football star, is hired by a telemarketing company where he quickly makes his way up in the ranks after learning how to use his “white voice” from a co-worker (Danny Glover). Meanwhile, his friends Sal (Jermaine Fowler) and Squeeze (Steven Yeun), as well as his girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson) try to organize a union for the workers at the telemarketing company. Drama ensues when Cassius is promoted, crosses the picket line of the union’s strike, and starts working for the largest corporate presence in the film—WorryFree. WorryFree is a company that runs large-scale facilities which provide housing and meals to people who sign a life-long contract to work for them. WorryFree then provides this labor to other companies. The film is truly unpredictable and spoiling it here wouldn’t do it justice, but suffice it to say that by the end of the film, Cassius returns to the side of the union, and the film’s anti-police, anti-capitalist ideology is made clear.
The divide in ideology and message in these films is perhaps best illustrated by a comparison of their directors. BlacKkKlansman director Spike Lee has directed numerous successful films, starting in 1986 with She’s Gotta Have It. As a prominent black filmmaker, Lee has an important voice in American culture, which he has used to discuss issues affecting his community. At the other end we have Boots Riley, director of Sorry to Bother You. Whereas Lee has been directing films for most of his adult life, Riley debuted as a director this year after a long career in hip-hop. As lead vocalist of The Coup, Riley has publicized his radical views for more than 25 years. He brings a wildly different perspective into his film. Riley has organized various political efforts, and has been involved in movements such as Occupy Oakland. Riley calls himself a communist, and is not shy about it. In the contrast of the directors and their lives, we can find what divides these seemingly similar films.
While BlacKkKlansman is undeniably well-made, it lacks something. The film offers a look at a lot of problems prevalent in both 1970s society and today, but fails to even hint at any coherent solution beyond something along the lines of the police and black people working together. The reminder that the US still struggles with racism is much appreciated, but hearing it again is simply not enough. Lee does take liberties with some of the factual aspects of the story, which gloss over some aspects of the real Ron Stallworth’s character. The ending, complete with footage that brought me close to tears, does not do much beyond reminding the audience of the existence of fascism, and does not include or even imply any sort of call-to-action. The film is beautiful, but its message fails when held to any sort of actionable standard.
As a stark contrast to the feebleness of BlacKkKlansman, Sorry to Bother You is unafraid with its ideology. Riley fully acknowledges all of the parts of society that he feels are problematic, possibly to a fault. Still, all of these are handled with care, and none are as straightforward as they may appear. For one, the “white voice” gimmick is not at all a one-dimensional criticism of racism in America that the trailer makes it out to be. Instead, it involves class, race, and the effects of contemporary society on the need for falsity and lying. Neither political side is spared, such as when he portrays and criticizes the hypocrisy and fake “wokeness” of the left, exemplified by Detroit, who profits from the guilt of rich white people by invoking Africa. At the heart of the film is an attack on capitalism and all the disorder, disunity, and distress it creates. The film also offers a much more inspiring, provoking ending, with Cassius and his allies taking matters into their own hands, rather than waiting for the powers-that-be to concede or aid them. I do not claim to be an unbiased observer, but I came out of the theater after seeing Sorry to Bother You energized, with a clear vision of what Riley wanted me, and everyone else who saw the film, to do.
By offering a clear-headed, albeit maybe too obvious, view of the negatives of capitalist society, Sorry to Bother You distinguishes itself from the average film, and especially from BlacKkKlansman. Spike Lee is a talented, accomplished director, but his latest effort shows precisely why fresh voices like Boots Riley are needed—voices that are in tune with the real-world problems of black communities and disadvantaged white communities, rather than with the community of rich men and women who prosthelytize about the horrors of racism from their fortresses of wealth. The very act of making a film isn’t going to change the world, but if more creators are emboldened by Riley and in turn embolden a generation of organizers and activists, the world just might change anyway.