The world is witnessing a modern “black cinematic renaissance.” After watching Spike Lee’s new film BlacKkKlansman where it debuted the 2018 Cannes Film festival in May, the experience left me wondering: Is Spike Lee the father of this renaissance? Are we witnessing a harvest from the seeds sown from his prolific and illustrious film career over the years? BlacKkKlansman, which also won the Grand Prix at Cannes, feels like it was generations of American, film and Hollywood history in the making. This is clear when the movie begins on a literal cinematic note. The film opens with a famous scene from Gone With The Wind in which its heroine, Scarlett O’ Hara, stumbles through a train station filled with wounded Confederate soldiers. At some point in the film, there’s also a scene in which KKK members proudly watch the film D.W. Griffith’s The Birth Of A Nation. That film is the first major “Hollywood blockbuster” on the record. It tells the story and glory of the “birth” America with the KKK as its heroes. This is important because while there is much to celebrate about BlacKkKlansman, this is could be key to understanding the very thesis of Spike Lee’s film (and Spike Lee cinema). BlacKkKlansman, with all of its genre-bending and entertainment value, at its core, may aim to course-correct the sins of an American and American cinematic historic, much of which are intertwined,. President Woodrow Wilson at the time said of The Birth Of A Nation was “history written with lighting.” If that’s the case, then the story of BlacKkKlansman is the roar of thunder to follow many decades later.

BlacKkKlansman is based on the true account of Ron Stallworth, a black detective in the 1970s living in Colorado Springs, who goes undercover and infiltrates a local chapter of the Klu Klux Klan. After Mr. Stallworth wrote his memoir (of the same name) Hollywood came calling. The movie adaptation was originally offered to Jordan Peele, who was fresh off of his success with the film Get Out.  But Mr. Peele assessed the material and suggested that while he would produce it, he would rather Spike Lee direct it. I think what Jordan Peele was really saying is ‘this film requires the vision of a much wiser and greater than mine.’  Peele took part in a The Hollywood Reporter roundtable earlier this year where all of the black director Oscar nominees were present: the other three of which are Barry Jenkins, Lee Daniels and John Singleton. All four lamented the fact that Spike Lee was not present at the table and so did I. Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing remains one of the top ten great American films, and he wasn’t even nominated for Best Director. When the movie was originally released, movie executives and critics deemed it inflammatory, and felt it was a movie that could spark riots. It was this white fragility that missed the whole point of the film, and the whole point of Spike Lee. Spike Lee is electric. And electricity, if applied constructively, becomes a wholeheartedly positive tool. Spike’s “anger” that some fragile audiences cite is never destructive. It is always constructive.

BlacKkKlansman’s anger feels fresh and more relevant than ever. But don’t let that distract you from the fact that this is also a hugely entertaining film. It’s Spike Lee’s most commercial film in years.  Mr. Lee, who’s not a genre filmmaker in the least, masterfully balances drama, comedy, satire, thriller and even subgenres like the blaxploitation and buddy-cop film into a complete whole. And most of this, if not all of this, is carried on the shoulders of a magnificent John David Washington (yes, son of Academy Award-winning icon Denzel Washington) as lead. Denzel Washington is somewhat of a legend, fixture and trope in Spike Lee cinema  (the two having done four movies together) but John David Washington makes his arrival known as a very centrist Ron Stallworth. Mr. Washington has charisma, charm and even comic timing to spare. Adam Driver is also good here as Flip Zimmerman, who reluctantly agrees to join the undercover Stallworth. When I spoke to Mr. Lee at Cannes, he told us that there was originally another ending to the film that was written. But while in the editing room on the movie, the Charlottesville marches happened. You’ll see just how David Duke (who is also in this film played by a really good Topher Grace) and President Donald Trump’s now infamous “ there were good people on both side” response to the Charlottesville marches and subsequent massacre helped shaped the movie’s new ending.

BlacKkKlansman is one of the best and most topical movies of the year. Watching it, one gets the feeling of ‘early Spike Lee’ and ‘later Spike Lee cinema.’ In fact, his pairing with John David Washington feels like ‘post-Spike Lee cinema.’ More importantly. it cements Spike Lee, for me, as the father of this black modern cinema. I can give you many stories and homages as to why, but one, in particular, Nate Parker’s very own The Birth Of Nation. I remember Mr. Parker going on about how he had Spike Lee watch the original cut of the film and welcomed any notes Mr. Lee had.  I remember all reading much of the film criticism of Justin Simien’s Dear White People and critics were attributing it to an “early Spike Lee”. I also remember attending a talk at Cannes 2018 where Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) was speaking. When asked what movie had the most impact on him growing up, his response was “Malcolm X,” and then he shared the story of his father taking him to see that movie.  Ryan Coogler could possibly be up for a best director Oscar next year and if there is some justice, Spike would be there in category, too. A seat at table for Mr. Lee?