ting, but as the film progresses,
and even as his actions become
as awful as his rhetoric, we can’t
help but get behind him. Despite
the title, Da 5 Bloods is practically
a one-man show, with the
rest of the men taking a backseat
to Lindo’s Paul. Thankfully it’s a
career best turn from Lindo - you
can’t take your eyes off him, and
the more menacing he gets, the
more you lean into him. Later on,
when a character treats his MAGA
cap in a disrespectful manner,
you might even find yourself outraged
at the treatment of such a
usually offensive item. It’s refreshing
that in an age when cultural
commentators scorn protagonists
who don’t reflect good morals,
Lee digs his heels in and forces
us to get behind a frankly reprehensible
man. No white American
filmmaker would dare give
us a “hero” like Paul (well, maybe
Zahler), but Lee recognizes that
African-American thinking isn’t
monolithic.
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 72
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