I didn’t believe Spike Lee was still capable of grabbing my attention. I mean, c’mon – it’s been so long and the man is like 70 now, right? Oh, 58. Still. When’s the last time you said the name, “Spike Lee” with anything approaching reverence attached to it? Yeah, reverence is a little much. How about not even approaching reverence, when was the last time you said the name “Spkie Lee” without derision? Or the last time you recognized him, good or bad, as an artist? Spike Lee, artist. It has been decades.
Chi-Raq is the first time Spike has grabbed my attention since Inside Man. It’s not the best film you’ll see this year, and the lack of subtlety leaves me a bit cold, but this is the work of a director with vision, not the jackass remaking Oldboy. Samuel L. Jackson shows up (very good place to start) in a new suit every five minutes to ask us what’s in our wallet take us through the inner city territorial fight between the Trojans and Spartans (those names sound soooooo familiar, huh?). Chi-Raq (rhymes with “Iraq.” Subtle.) not only serves as the backdrop, but doubles as the name for the Trojan leader (Nick Cannon). Nick & crew get to wear purple –the costumer had a field day for this film—while his aptly named counterpart Cyclops (Wesley Snipes) and crew paint the town orange.
The movie quickly turns to the Trojan Queen, Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris). Her mild disgruntlement over Chi-Raq’s warring ways turns to absolute horror when a 7-year-old loses a life to a stray bullet. Gathering both Trojan and Spartan females, she suggests a war of her own: a sex strike to end end the violence. This is one of those ideas, like gun control, that opponents will freak out about because, deep down, they know it can be effective. Take a man’s sex partner(s) away and you can indeed control his behavior. Not all men, but most I’m guessing.
I object not on the grounds of its effectiveness, but instead on the grounds that this idea effectively reduces all women to prostitutes. Sex is a weapon? Sex is a tool? Sex is a bargaining chip and nothing more? Sex is never an expression of mutual love and/or respect/gratification? Yeah, 
I got a problem with that. Nevertheless, the approach has merit from both entertainment and psychological points-of-view.
If not the best film Spike Lee has made in ages, Chi-Raq is certainly the cleverest. Adapted from the Aristophanes play “Lysistrata,” (you had me at “Aristophenes”) 70% to 80% of this film is told in verse. That’s cool. The bedroom banter between Cannon and Parris early on is almost as good as the visuals that accompany. Spike’s plea to end gang violence will almost certainly fall on deaf ears, but for once, it isn’t for lack of trying.
Do people get less subtle as they age? Older people tend to be more paranoid. Fear and aging goes hand-in-hand. But subtlety? Hmmm. Remember Do the Right Thing? Fantastic film. And while the scenes were direct, the title was direct, the message was anything but. It was definitely a film that required thought and discussion. Chi-Raq doesn’t beat around the bush. Violence is bad; let’s figure this thing out. End of story.
You boys wanna play
With your heaters all day
Such choices! Are you really that daft?
If you want some o’ this
Then give it a miss
Opt for skin or you’ll get the shaft
Rated R, 118 Minutes
D: Spike Lee
W: Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee
Genre: ♪War. Good God, y’all. What is it good for?♫
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Peaceniks
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Best guess? Actual South Side gang members
