Genre Research: BlacKkKlansman

 

 

What elements of the genre that you chose to base your final task on does this movie have? 

This movie utilizes all the camera shots, movements, angles, and mis-en-scene that a drama typically has. For example, Spike Lee, the director of the movie utilized close ups quite frequently in the film. There are many speeches made by varying groups in this film and closeups are frequently used to capture audience reaction as well as the emotion on the speaker's face. My favorite close-up in the film was during Ron Stallworth's initial call to the Klan; you could see each changing emotion in his face as the conversation with the Klan recruiter, who happened to be David Duke, developed. BlacKkKlansman also tackles the racial tension present among Americans in the 1970s as well as antisemitism. The film shows this from the side of the Black Panther Movement as well as from the side of the Ku Klux Klan. All of this is shown through the eyes of Ron Stall worth, a black man, primarily. The drama of the movie comes into play through the fact that Stallworth must battle racism at his own workplace, as well as cautiously maneuver throughout his investigation on the Ku Klux Klan, which has very dangerous implications if something goes wrong.

What elements of the genre did the movie have that you like?

The dialogue in this movie was superb. The traditionally intense dialogue between opposing forces in drama films was done in a very unique way in BlacKkKlansman. Stallworth was courteous and "buddy-buddy" with the members of the Klan (over the phone), and he seemed to find my hostility at the police department in various ways. This created a refreshing film in which the there was more depth in the relationships between the protagonists and antagonists; the audience knew which group was which, however there were more unique and uncommon scenes between the two. For example, Stallworth had a friendly relationship with David Duke, head of the KKK, but found hostility in his coworkers such as Officer Landers.

What elements of the genre did the movie have that did not appeal to you? 

I felt that the movie was was lacking in tension and anxiety at times. Ron Stallworth was way too comfortable being at a KKK meeting and rubbing elbows with Klan members. The intensity, unsureness, and anxiety that is ever present in drama films was, at times, missing in BlacKkKlansman.