Directed by Spike Lee. DP was Matthew Libatique.
Between 'Da Sweet Blood of Jesus' and 'Chi-Raq' Spike Lee has made two of the more visually interesting films I've seen in the last couple years. I've always found the
animadversion in Spike's films towards America to be eye opening and these two were no exception, though they lacked the
puissant charge of his earlier works like 'Do the Right Thing' and 'X'.
One thing I've been obsessed with is how directors integrate new modes of communication in film, specifically texting. It seems we've settled on overlaying text on the screen. I think visually it's distracting. Of course as a critic I have no plan on how to improve things. One thing Spike tries is to blend the colors. You can see above how the text box matches the lighting of the stage.
The beginning concert takes place at the Double Door in Wicker Park. Wicker Park is a gentrified part on Chicago's north side, far away from Englewood where the majority of the story takes place. So you have a black concert, ending in black on black violence, surrounded by a gentrified white neighborhood. Side note: this is the same club used in
High Fidelity.
Samuel L. Jackson, the man can wear a suit. What I wanted to point out about his soliloquies is how Samuel L. walks towards a stationary camera. He becomes larger in the frame not because the camera chooses him, but because he chooses the camera. He towers over the buildings in the background, like a god watching over the land. The two pillars framing him recall Greek architecture, fitting since 'Chi-Raq' is based on '
Lysistrata'.
Spike Lee believes in reading. He always uses bookshelves, packed to the brim, to indicate the intelligence of his characters. Look at the shot below, Angela Bassett's side of the frame is clutters with books. The frame in unbalanced towards her as she is the enlightened one.
I liked the use of gunshots in the background, interrupting their discussion to explain what happened to the daughter, pictured below. Spike doesn't have to resort to exposition by one of the characters. The picture frame, with the gunshot in the background is sufficient.
Before we talked about how Samuel L. moved to the camera. In the preacher scene below, the camera moves with Cusack.
We follow him as he addresses the crowd. It's a choice which makes us an active participant in the sermon. His energy informs the camera's movements and thus what we see on screen. The congregation falls more and more to the background as Cusack ramps up his lecture.
Without using clips I can't demonstrate this, but there are a few jarring cuts in the sermon. Spike is using them to keep our attention. You can zone out during a long speech, the sudden edits snap you to attention. Probably many a preacher who wishes they had this power.
It was not subtle, but above is our daily phallic photo.
This is a recommend for me. You're either going to like the rhythm of the script and how people talk or not. I can see the lyrics as a deal breaker for people. But if you allow Spikes story telling and Matthew's cinematography to suck you in, I think you'll find your evening the better for it.
