Some Tweets about Spike Lee's Chi-Raq (2015)

Some Tweets about Spike Lee's Chi-Raq (2015), seen at Saffron Screen

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5 February

Some Tweets about Spike Lee's Chi-Raq (2015), seen at Saffron Screen, which - perhaps as an antidote to the cynicism of the musical or film called Chicago ? - looks to sisters in Ancient Greece, also tired of warfare, as a source of hope...

Nick Cannon (as Chi-Raq)

As we are shown by titles on the screen during the opening number, whose lyrics are otherwise displayed on a dark screen, the film is predicated on the fact that more men died violent deaths in 2015 in Chicago than US servicemen up to that point in Afghanistan and Iraq together : hence the name Chi-Raq, by which one of the gang-leaders (Nick Cannon) also calls himself (his opposite number is Cyclops (Wesley Snipes), and there is a loquacious chorus-figure, played by Samuel L. Jackson).

Above : John Cusack (Fr. Corridan), Wesley Snipes (Cyclops), La La Anthony (Hecuba) and Spike Lee

Below : Samuel L. Jackson (Dolmedes)

The sex-strike is started by Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris) – as in his Greek model, but with the encouragement of Miss Helen (Angela Bassett).

Teyonah Parris (Lysistrata), Angela Bassett (Miss Helen), and
Jennifer Hudson (Irene [= Greek for Peace])

Spike Lee additionally gives a role for the black evangelical church : the real St. Sabina’s in Chicago (all of the locations shown are in the city), fronted by John Cusack (as Father Michael Corridan), but with the support and appearance of its own Father Michael Pfleger, and its music and dance-groups.

Above : John Cusack (Fr. Michael Corridan) and Father Michael Pfleger

Below : Spike Lee, Al Sharpton (not credited ?), and Father Pfleger

At @Saffronscreen, Chi-Raq (2015) from Spike Lee was sometimes a little patchy, but had a stonking speech from John Cusack in St. Sabina's !

— THE AGENT APSLEY (@THEAGENTAPSLEY) February 5, 2017

John Cusack and Spike Lee

Necessarily, obstacles are in the women’s way, otherwise no drama and no action to the film, but it ends with an unexpected act of mercy, and a revelation by Nick Cannon of the extent to which – except physically – his acting has been subdued until that moment.

Maybe not the best translation, but the modest outlay - a few decades ago - allows it to be seen where Lee bent the play-text to his will... pic.twitter.com/qZNBocobzy

— THE AGENT APSLEY (@THEAGENTAPSLEY) February 7, 2017

Spike Lee offers a message of hope, and we would do well to heed him.

Angela Bassett (as Miss Helen)

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Unless stated otherwise, all films reviewed were screened at Festival Central (Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge)