#will berson

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

Directed by Shaka King

America's on fire right now and until the fire is extinguished don't nothin' else mean a goddamn thing.

The brutality of revolution

(Review of ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’)

The story of chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton, has featured in more than one major film production this last year. Firstly, he played a quite forgettable part in Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’, in which he - through Sorkin’s artistic freedom - came to play a part in Bobby Seale’s trial. However, this was neither the part nor the portrayal to put Hampton on anyone’s lips. Just as Sorkin’s film portrays Seale’s involvement in the bigger trial as ‘racial bate’ for the jury, you can almost describe Hampton’s presence in the film as the same thing just for the audience. But enough about Sorkin’s misuse of Hampton and his fate, because there is a new film in town, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’, in which we get to see a fully fleshed, way more complex and significantly more compelling portrayal of Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party in general.

The film explores the three years leading up to Fred Hampton’s assassination in 1969, but not in the typical biopic fashion. Hampton is not our main lead here; instead we follow Bill O’Neal, a former car thief turned FBI informant as he infiltrates the Black Panther Party in order to get closer to Hampton and the party top. The film is a brutal depiction of the full on war between the Chicago Police and the state’s many minority groups with the main focus obviously being the Black Panther Party. It highlights many aspects of this war and never becomes too one-sided; we get too see both the peaceful sides of the BPP (setting up its own food banks, healthcare offers and child care programmes) and the ruthlessness of their actions and revolutionary ideas. The violent confrontations with the police are depicted with sheer brutality that sadly makes you realise how little has changed here fifty years later with cases such as Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Jacob Blake just within the last year. It does, however, never feel calculated or exploitative in relation to recent events; mainly because director Shaka King refuses to soften the nature of the Black Panthers’ work. They were revolutionaries, they did call for violent action to be taken and it is brave for King to not fall into the typical biopic trap of softening your main focus’ own actions, which often ends up feeling a bit of a betrayal of the real people it portrays. 

The two titular characters of O’Neal (Judas) and Hampton (the Black Messiah) are complex, nuanced and believable characters here. As O’Neal, LaKeith Stanfield, is the film’s main character. Stanfield knocks it out of the park as a conflicted man who in reality is nothing but a weapon in the war between the police and BPP. It is extremely interesting to follow the constant battle within “Wild Bill” as he becomes closer and closer with the top of the BPP, while the FBI simultaneously asks bigger and bigger things from him. Stanfield shows incredible range with his portrayal of O’Neal, who never becomes a one-dimensional character. You feel the growing paranoia, fear and self-doubt as he is pushed further and further towards the fatal conclusion, while he more and more desperate struggles to find some kind of righteous path to hold on to. The idea of recreating the only ever broadcast interview with a then 40-year old O’Neal at first seemed gimmicky, but in the end it actually adds another layer to the Judas-like character as it slowly unveils the longlasting, ongoing effects of his own choices on his life.

Had it not been for Daniel Kaluuya’s Fred Hampton, I reckon that we had seen a lot more awards buzz for Stanfield's intense performance. But, Kaluuya is here and he gives a towering performance as Fred Hampton, with which he steals every single scene he is in. He is simply impossible to take your eyes off, and that is particularly due to King’s unapologetically honest depiction of Hampton and Kaluuya’s complete dedication to the role. We get to see a fully three-dimensional version of a man who is as intense when holding a microphone in front of a roaring crowd as he is tender when being all alone with young Deborah as she praises his speeches. Kaluuya brings a physical presence to the role, which - along with his rhetorical work with voice control and intonation - shows us exactly why so many people met Hampton with respect, awe and inspiration. He is revolutionary with heart and soul, but in the more intimate scenes with Deborah or in O’Neal’s car we get to see Hampton for what he also was. A young man still trying to learn the way of life and simply just enjoying his youth. With all this in mind and given to Kaluuya, the film’s Black Messiah becomes one of the most compelling and awe-inspiring supporting roles in recent years. (The only minor complaint about the two is that they, physically, simply do not look like young “boys” who are just out of their teens. Their acting, however, makes us forget about that.)

In much smaller, but also impressive, supporting roles, Dominique Fishback as Deborah and Jesse Plemons as FBI Agent Mitchell adds further nuances to our two main characters, while having interesting character developments themselves. Fishback’s Deborah adds some tenderness to Hampton and helps nuance his character through their growing relationship. She is, however, not only there to add a romantic (read: emotional) aspect to the story; she herself is very much part of the revolution and the party’s work. Fishback balances her character’s tender and resolute sides in a poignant way - especially as her circumstances change in the middle of the story. In the other camp of the war, Plemons’ FBI agent is equally nuanced. While he will stop at nothing to put pressure on O’Neal to deliver results he also starts to question the bureau’s mission as the ruthless nature of their missions is slowly unravelled. Plemons is icy cold in his scenes with O’Neal, but he also shows the cracks in his hard shell as reality shows itself. This makes him way more chilling than J. Edgar Hoover, who in Martin Sheen’s presence feels like the only slightly one-dimensional character who borders on being a caricature under his heavy (and bad) make-up.

I have praised the courage of director Shaka King and the actors for not giving in to the biopic “classics”, but that praise of course also belongs to the script by King and Will Berson. The film and its dialogues are extremely well-written and the overall storyline is as tight as it should be for it to stay focused and be as nerve-racking as it is. It is partly down to the script that the film feels so real and it flows so naturally, but it is also thanks to some brilliant cinematography from Sean Bobbitt, who will - hopefully - finally be recognised by the Academy with a nomination, which he easily could have deserved previously for ’12 Years a Slave' or ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’. In ‘Judas’ Bobbitt shows an observant eye and especially the way he frames Hampton’s speeches and the confrontations between the people and the police is of the highest order. Hampton’s speeches are impossible to look away from or to not be drawn into; the reason - apart from Kaluuya’s magnetic performance - being Bobbitt’s intimate framings. In the police confrontations he never “blockbusterfies” the action making it way more potent and shocking to witness. Both the script and the cinematography are complimented by a fascinating soundtrack by Mark Isham and first time composer, Craig Harris, who adds some interesting, jazzy tunes to Isham’s intense pieces.

Shaka King delivers the punches that Hampton promised to deliver to the fight for equality, but he never glorifies him by hiding his more controversial aspects. He makes the story of Hampton and his slow betrayal at the hands of an FBI-threatened informant struggling to find the right path in a situation where none exists, into a fascinating, thought-provoking and necessarily brutal tale of revolution, police brutality and the (still) on-going battle for a more just and equal America. At its centre stands Stanfield, Kaluuya and Fishback, who all gives career-best performances. Thus, you simply cannot take your eyes off the three of them or this film. And you shouldn’t do that either. 

4,5/5

Episode 103: Judas and the Black Messiah, the Black Panther Party, and School History

We're jumping back into movie reviews by starting with Judas and the Black Messiah and boy, do we have a lot to talk about! From the Black Panther Party to not compensating college football players, there's a lot of info in this episode. Thanks for listening!