Over the past few years, Netflix has emerged as one of the top players on the awards circuit, with titles like Roma, The Irishman, and Marriage Story all earning considerable attention at the Oscars. The streaming service is looking to make another big splash this year by teaming up with legendary auteur Spike Lee for Da 5 Bloods. Fresh off winning his first Oscar for BlacKkKlansman, Lee is back with another hard-hitting drama that deals with complex themes and issues. The end result is one of the director's most compelling and interesting films, as well as one of this year's best. Da 5 Bloods is proof the Vietnam War genre is still ripe for fascinating stories, thanks to great performances and Lee being at the top of his craft.
Da 5 Bloods follows four African-American Vietnam War veterans, Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), and Eddie (Norm Lewis), who return to the country in the present day to retrieve the remains of their fallen squad leader Stormin' Norman (Chadwick Boseman) and collect the gold they buried during the war. On their journey, the men are forced to grapple with their difficult pasts and the various hardships they currently face in the years after the conflict. Paul in particular is devastated by a horrific case of PTSD and struggles to overcome his personal demons in the jungle.
Despite being (partially) based on a war that's decades old, Lee's latest is as timely and relevant as ever with its themes and messages depicting American race relations. That unique perspective is what helps set Da 5 Bloods apart from classic Vietnam War films (some of which are referenced directly here), providing intriguing food for thought throughout its running time. The basic setup is strong enough to carry the movie, but Lee - as usual - digs deeper to find the compelling subtext at the narrative's core. Da 5 Bloods' examination of Black soldiers' relationship to the war and their home country gives the film a lot of rich material to work with, tackling topics in ways some people may have never considered before. Lee isn't known for using subtlety to get his points across, but that approach is what makes Da 5 Bloods so effective. There's also a number of setups and payoffs, so there's nary a wasted moment in the screenplay.
The writing is complemented by Lee's sense of style, as Da 5 Bloods' aesthetic is one of its best elements. Lee and his cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel choose to present the film in multiple aspect ratios and alternate between shooting on film and digital, depending on when the scenes take place. Flashbacks of the main group's time in Vietnam is shot like old war footage, making the viewer feel as if they're watching a piece of history. The modern day sequences also do a great job of immersing audiences in the dangerous Vietnamese jungle. Overall, Da 5 Bloods has a distinct cinematic feel thanks to the variety of visuals on display, even though it was made for Netflix and will be watched at homes. Lee and his team went the extra mile to ensure Da 5 Bloods looked great and drew viewers in.
All the merits of the technical filmmaking would probably have been moot if Da 5 Bloods didn't have a talented ensemble to bring these former soldiers to life. As a team, the actors have a strong sense of brotherhood, selling their collective history and individual dynamics within minutes of screen time. However, it's Lindo who steals the show as Paul, delivering a truly captivating and heartbreaking turn that brilliantly portrays the pain the character is going through. It's awards-worthy work, responsible for many of Da 5 Bloods' most memorable and wrenching scenes. This isn't to discredit any of the other excellent performances, but Lindo is the one many viewers will remember long after the credits have rolled. Boseman also makes an impression in a limited role, showing why the surviving Bloods had a great deal of reverence for him as a leader.
Da 5 Bloods demonstrates that more than three decades after Do the Right Thing, Lee continues to have a passion and sense of urgency that permeates through his films. It's a movie that works on multiple levels, and one history buffs and Lee fans should definitely add to their Netflix queue. It's easy to see why the streamer had such high hopes for this one coming into the year, and it would be a surprise if Da 5 Bloods is not part of the Oscar conversation in the months ahead. Obviously, 2020 hasn't had many landmark offerings for cinephiles to look forward to, so for many reasons Da 5 Bloods is coming out at just the prefect time.
Da 5 Bloods is now streaming on Netflix. It runs 154 minutes and is rated R for strong violence, grisly images, and pervasive language.