There are many things I want to say about this film.

I had the opportunity of watching a screening of this film at the Projector yesterday (thanks Kris), and in the following 12 hours since I watched Shaka King’s “Judas and the Black Messiah”, my mind has been consumed by the conflict of wanting to judge the movie as a piece of theatre, and wanting to evaluate it as a piece of pro-black media in the movement against years of systemic white oppression.

I think oftentimes, when films look at events rooted firmly in reality, especially when it involves repression and subjugation of an entire race of peoples, the frustration and revulsion felt toward the ruling class of bigots taints the movie reviewer’s critique of said movie. Certainly, I am still finding it difficult to separate my feelings about this piece of media from its historical context, and its significance in advancing public consciousness of the endemic racism and bigotry that is inseparable from American Southern heritage.

Nonetheless, I will try and look at “Judas and the Black Messiah” (subsequently abbreviated to “JATBM”) based on its merits, theatrically first, and thematically second.

As theatre

One of the most profound things about King’s cinematography is the visual flair of “JATBM”. Far from his directorial debut, King has long worked with prolific actors, including the stellar LaKeith Stanfield (Bill O’Neal), with many of his films espousing the struggles and inner lives of the black community in modern day America.

Perhaps that’s why his latest movie, the 2021 biopic revolving around the Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, activist Fred Hampton, caught so many of us off guard. Despite the social justice and reparations movement having gained traction since early 2019, King’s daring at painting the white-dominated governmental bodies within “JATBM” as oppressive whilst refusing to absolve the internal violence of the black community, ultimately results in a film tainted in ambiguity. (This will be elaborated on more later!)

Anyway, back to the visual flair of the movie. Much of the credit must be yielded to Sean Bobbit’s cinematography within “JATBM”, the stylistic cuts to black at critical moments of the film, accompanied by the rapidly broiling tension resulting in sleek visual disjunctures that punctuate the weight of O’Neal’s betrayal of his brethren, alongside serving as a countdown to Fred Hampton’s demise.

While I can scarcely mention more than 10 visual cuts that actually impressed me, Bobbit’s masterful intersplicing of jazz and sombre cello plucking bathes the entirety of “JATBM” in the sleazy, racially charged atmosphere of 1960s Chicago. The almost metronomic beat that permeates the entirety of the film brings to mind other works, particularly (and oddly enough) “Don’t hug me I’m scared”’s second episode, similarly revolving around the indomitable march of time. In all honesty, the soundtrack of “JATBM”, written by duo Mark Isham and Craig Harris, adds a tangible weight that bears upon the hunched shoulders of every black person in the film, acting as an omnipresent reminder of the less than fair circumstances they have been lumbered with

Visually, the textual contrast drawn between the sterile coldness of the FBI briefings to take down Fred Hampton, and the noisy, hearty overtones of the Black Panthers enriching the local community situates audiences firmly on the sides of the Panthers (for most of the film, at least). The ominous undertones that underlie every scene involving the FBI, with every member of its organising body partaking in direct (and often blatant) racism, at once destroys any conception of equality, acting as kindling for the scorching hatred that consumes many of the Black Panther party in the second act.

Evidently, King is trying to paint a certain narrative within “JATBM”, and his choice of story, of looking at how the White “Pigs” cause a rupture within the Blacks, by engineering a “Judas” that dominoes into the death of their demagogic orator of a leader, Fred Hampton, sees the rapid demonization of the Whites.

Even as I want to get into the meat of the film however, I must again put emphasis on the visual texture of “JATBM”. One aspect that cannot be discussed enough is how good watching the film feels. Whether it be the smooth camerawork that accompanies the grungy driving of O’Neal, the velvet smooth jazz that garnishes the movement of every actor within the film, or the zoom-ins on O’Neal; and Hampton (played by the legendary Daniel Kaluuya), King uses these simple techniques to create the giant of a Film that is “JATBM”.

Another aspect of the film I cannot go without mentioning are the beautiful, haunting performances of the two leads, Kaluuya (who plays Hampton) and Stanfield (who plays O’Neal). While in truth, every cast member of “JATMB” delivers a 110%, conveying the violence and seething hatred that has become their way of life (regardless of race), Kaluuya in particular manages to embody the silky poetry of Fred Hampton’s speeches. While I was initially afraid that I would be bored by a biopic that featured multiple rallies, I was far from any kind of indifference across the blessed 2 hours 6 minutes that I sat inside the cinema, in large part due to Kaluuya’s complete dominance when on stage as Hampton. Similarly, Stanfield’s portrayal of O’Neal perfectly embodied Bill’s role as the titular ‘black Judas’, who ends up betraying the messianic figure of the selfless Hampton. Interestingly, I found myself mesmerized and fully impressed by the zoom-ins on many of the actors faces, with each crease and wrinkle conveying the ocean of emotion bottled up behind their strained expressions. This rang especially true for Stanfield’s stirring performance as O’Neal, with the close-ups of O’Neal’s face at key decisions of the story painting a sorrowful tale of a man dying on the inside, ultimately culminating in his heartbreaking realisation of the ramifications of his actions.

As mentioned before, when a film has themes so heavy it stifles and chokes viewers, I find it necessary to yield it a pass even if it has less creative visuals and transitions, since the director’s focus is on the themes and content of the story. Impressively, King’s direction sees “JATBM” firmly situating itself as an instant classic in modern Black media, representing a throwback to an extremely accurate depiction of 60’s Chicago, awash in its racism and depravity. In this light, “JATBM” excels as a prime example of theatre that is true to life, with its visuals and soundtrack coalescing perfectly to produce a feast for the eyes and ears.

As commentary

I don’t have much to say here that has not already been alluded to in the previous section. While I do take up some issue with the film’s one-sided portrayal of the Black Panthers as righteous vindicators on their journey to destroy an oppressive white patriarchy, it must be noted that the film’s intention was to tell the tale from the black perspective (and in that light, it serves its purpose), alongside that most of the bigotry is merely a reflection of the horrifying discrimination shown toward the black community in that period of time.

Personally, I find that I have to agree with Roger Ebert’s determination, that “too much time is spent within the FBI” (referencing Henderson’s review of the film; https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/judas-and-the-black-messiah-film-review). While I can appreciate the brevity that the scenes of O’Neal engaging with the FBI bring, I ultimately think “JATBM” would have benefited from priming its focus keenly on the Black Panthers, with the “pigs” only featuring as calefare that contextualize O’Neal’s relationship with Hampton. Similarly, Dominique Fishback (who plays Hampton’s girlfriend Deborah Johnson) gives a stellar performance that encapsulates the tenderness and intimacy of her relationship with the prolific leader of the Black Panther party in Illinois. The heartbreaking scene of her subdued rage and sorrow at Hampton’s sudden and unjust death similarly highlight the atrocity being committed in plain sight, with audience’s experiencing the injustice afresh.

Overall

Ultimately, “JATBM” serves as a fantastic film that has gained both commercial and critical approval, and it really isn’t that hard to see why. Despite my minor gripes with the film, King has crafted a masterful piece of stirring media that drags many untold stories of deep-seated racism to light, and in doing so, has forced audiences to reflect on America’s bloody history of lynch mobs and slavery that predates the current social justice movement by a few decades. This might be what I consider “JATBM”’s greatest achievement. Namely that, even as it acts as a critique of bigotry and forces self-reflection, it is able to stand on its own merits as a film. For that reason alone, I highly recommend catching it in Cinemas while you have the chance!

Again, as mentioned in my previous post, I suggest paying the Projecter a visit. (Have to love the Blue room’s beanbag chairs!) Will definitely be trying the intermission bar’s nachos on my next visit.