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Rating: 5 out of 5
If you haven’t read any of my other posts about Vietnam War films, my dad served in the United States Marine Corps and fought in the Vietnam War. He was drafted at the young age of 18 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion 9th Marines. I never knew how important this battalion was. The unit was given the nickname “The Walking Dead”. This was way before the zombie TV show. The 1st Battalion 9th Marines was a unit that sustained the highest casualty rate of any unit in the Vietnam War. As my dad explained, “I didn’t understand the exact origin or meaning of the name, but it became very known to me two months into my tour.” The 36-man patrol that my dad was part of was ambushed by the North Vietnamese Army. During the firefight, my dad was one of only two survivors to live the attack. What followed after that was astonishing. My dad and the other survivor were lost in the jungle for 58-days with only their weapons and survival instincts to keep them alive. What hells and horrors did my dad go through during his time in Vietnam? What demons did he see while out in those jungles?
I bring this up because I rewatched Da 5 Bloods, a war drama film directed, produced, and co-written by the great and legendary Spike Lee. The film follows a group of four Vietnam War veterans who return to the country to retrieve their fallen squad leader and the treasure that they buried. During the Vietnam War, the 1st Infantry Division consists of a black US Army squad of Paul (Lindo), Otis (Peters), Eddie (Lewis), Melvin (Whitlock, Jr.), and their squad leader Norman (Boseman). The group calls each other Bloods and secures the site of a downed CIA plane. During the search, they locate a cargo of gold bars intended as payment for the Lahu people for their help in fighting the Viet Cong. The Bloods take the gold for themselves and bury it to retrieve it later. Before they can do that, they are attacked by the Vietnamese army, where Norman is killed. Years later, the four friends decide to return to Vietnam to recover the gold and their fallen brother, Norman. The area has become different, with mudslides and a napalm attack, but the friends still want to bring everything home. Paul’s son, David (Majors), follows for concern of his father’s mental health. While in Vietnam, the ghosts of the past will soon rear their ugly heads for all of them.
First, I must give major props to Spike Lee, who directed, produced, and co-wrote this film. Lee seems to up his already legendary directing skills with each new movie he makes. Lee presented a story of pain, dealing with demons, and the horrors of war. He showed a group of men who came back for gold, each dealing with their own demons and situations. On the other side, he showed a country still reeling from the war and the pain it caused. I must get this off my chest: this film not being nominated for any Academy Award is a travesty. Lee should’ve been nominated for best director or even screenplay, and to get nothing needs to be looked at.
Once again, Lee showed a film that dealt with PTSD but also the idea and appreciation of Black Power and being black in a country that didn’t give a shit about you, but you are fighting its war. The main character who spoke this but also had MAJOR PTSD was Paul. Paul had a lot of baggage, and he was a Trump supporter because he felt the country stabbed him in the back. He fought in a war, but when he returned, the soldiers were ostracized, and the Civil Rights movement was happening. Now, Lee counteracted this with the character of Norman, who preached black power. The scene where he was sitting on a throne was perfect to look at and symbolized greatness. Lee showed that many of the characters had their own shit to deal with. Otis had a child with Tien that he knew nothing about. Eddie was dead broke, and Melvin wanted his share. They all wanted to bring back their brother, who died and was buried over there.
Lee kept the tension high throughout the film as Paul slowly lost his mind. When he ran off into the jungle and was bitten by a snake, he really went on a hallucination trip where he spoke and gave a great monologue on being black. Lee also showed the tension on the Vietnamese side when one soldier spoke about how the US killed a man, woman, and child. With each word, Lee showed pictures of the dead for each category to make sure it profoundly impacted the scene you were watching.
I will say that the film is violent and holds nothing back when something happens. When Eddie goes off about the money and steps on a landmine, you see the full explosion. People were shot, and Melvin made the statement that it was stupid to jump on a live grenade, and yet he does it in the film. Paul’s death is intense but was almost needed to give that character the peace he deserved.
The acting was FANTASTIC in this film. I want to give a HUGE shout-out to Delroy Lindo, who played Paul. I am still trying to understand why or how he wasn’t nominated for an Oscar in this role. He brought it and showed a man dealing with his own demons and having to be in a country he didn’t want to be in. When he snapped, he really snapped, and Lindo showed the effects of PTSD. The Academy needs to start opening its eyes and nominating excellent performances.
The supporting cast was also excellent. Clarke Peters, as Otis, was the most level-headed voice of reason of the entire group. He always tried to find a peaceful solution to everything. Norm Lewis as Eddie was fun to watch as he was the one who you thought had all the money, only to find out he was a fraud. Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Melvin was great as always. I love it when he says his iconic line. I want to make sure I give praise to Chadwick Boseman. In one of his final roles as Norman, he preached Black Excellence and what it means to be black in America.
Da 5 Bloods is a masterpiece made by Spike Lee. A film that is amazing to watch for historical and emotional reasons. It is also a film that was greatly disrespected by the major awards for not even having nominations. Lee deserves a lot of credit for the direction and script he wrote. Major love needs to be given to the cast for their performance. Watch this film and honor the veterans who fought in the Vietnam War.
