Name: Da 5 Bloods
Genre: War, Drama
Released: 2020-06-12T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

The opening shot of Da 5 Bloods lingers on Muhammad Ali’s defiant face, setting the tone for Spike Lee’s unflinching examination of race, war, and memory. This isn’t just a film about Vietnam; it’s a reckoning with the ghosts of American imperialism, both abroad and at home.

Lee weaves together past and present with relentless energy, juxtaposing flashbacks of the Bloods’ tour of duty with their fraught return to Vietnam decades later. The cast is electric, particularly Delroy Lindo as Paul, whose volatile performance anchors the film. His scenes—whether screaming at his son David (Jonathan Majors) or unraveling in a jungle monologue about PTSD—are raw and unforgettable. Clarke Peters brings quiet gravitas as Otis, while Chadwick Boseman’s posthumous turn as Norman haunts the narrative long after his on-screen death.

The film’s structural ambition is impressive, cutting between eras to underscore the cyclical nature of trauma. A standout sequence finds the Bloods navigating a landmine-riddled landscape, their tension palpable as Lee lingers on their every step. The sound design amplifies this unease, with distant gunfire and the hum of helicopters creating an ever-present threat.

Yet Da 5 Bloods stumbles in its pacing. At nearly three hours, the film’s sprawling narrative risks losing focus, particularly in its third act, where the treasure hunt subplot feels tacked on rather than integral. Some scenes, like David’s fleeting romance with Hedy (Mélanie Thierry), add emotional weight but disrupt the momentum.

Lee’s satirical edge sharpens when he turns his lens on American hypocrisy, contrasting the Bloods’ struggle with the callousness of white Vietnam vets and profiteers. But the film’s most poignant moments lie in its quiet intimacy—the Bloods mourning Norman, Paul’s fractured relationship with David, or Otis’s reunion with his Vietnamese family.

Da 5 Bloods is a film that demands to be felt, not just watched. It’s messy, ambitious, and deeply human—a rare blend of political fury and personal tragedy.