TV producer Pierre Delacroix becomes frustrated when network brass reject his sitcom idea. Hoping to get fired, Delacroix pitches the worst idea he can think of: a 21st century minstrel show. The network not only airs it, but it becomes a smash hit.
Spike Lee's manifesto. This is an uneven, aggressive piece of work, one that jumps around to capture every single thing that its creator hates about the world around him. This is deeply personal, something that could only come from Lee, and it stands as one of the most daring American films of the 2000's. The end feels a little unsatisfying, but the 2 hours leading up to it make it hard to see any ending giving the gut punch this story deserves. The imagery in this alone will stick with you forever, and the commentary leaves you angry at everyone and everything. I want a redo on society. Fuck this noise.
It's not a pleasant watch, but it doesn't want you to feel comfortable. It's ugly, and it's a statement of the world a man, this man, lives in. A brilliant piece of film, flaws and all.
"I don't give a God damn what that prick Spike Lee says. Tarantino was right."
/
"This is a total, complete attack on our American way of life."
Spike Lee vs The World. The angriest, craziest, most in-your face, unapologetically confrontational Spike Lee joint I've ever seen, shredding all attempts at subtlety or restraint and going right for the jugular for the entire runtime, presenting horrifying scenario after horrifying scenario until you're battered into submission and then it keeps going and going and going. It takes no prisoners, pulls no punches, and absolutely is not here to fuck around. No wonder it's despised - it's basically Spike Lee's kamikaze mission against America and everything her culture stands for. And never…
Part Thirteen of the Spike Lee Feature Film Project
This is probably Lee's most direct attempt at discussing the racism still prevalent in modern day America, using the crossroads of a new millennia to look at past and present representation of black people in the media. He asks the question of what being black and white is supposed to be, how is it supposed to look and who is in charge of that identity.
The end of the 90's provided the right environment for Lee to look at how the TV networks, film studios and music companies were promoting or exploiting black culture. Post-Cosby TV shows highlighted more black families, film makers like Lee himself were building prominent careers in…
I'm going to get a lot of shit for this, especially since people really like this film.
Spike Lee is a mixed bag.
He makes some of my favorites like Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing. But he makes tripe like Oldboy.
With Bamboozled........what the fuck was he thinking?!
Look, I'm African American. Like a lot of people, I hate the current quality of Black Entertainment. I respect Spike Lee's ambitions, but this is not the way to make your point through.
To the film's credit, I liked some of the film's aspect, I wanted to like this film so much, but this movie is so goddamn heavy handed! If someone like Justin Simien (the director of Dear White…
Established directors fuckin with digital >>>>
(nobody dissects societal issues as well as Spike Lee. nobody. people complain that his stuff's on the nose, but that's total horseshit. he doesn't care for subtlety simply because there. is. no. room. for. subtlety. there is no room for ambiguity where the issues being tackled stem from environments fundamentally devoid of it.)
"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."
- James Baldwin
"You know, I grew up around black people my whole life. I mean, if the truth be told, I probably know niggas better than you. And don't go getting offended by my use of the quote-unquote N-word. I have a black wife and two biracial kids, so I feel I have a right. I don't give a God damn what that prick Spike Lee says. Tarantino was right. Nigger is just a word. If Ol' Dirty Bastard can use it every other word, why can't I?"
bamboozled is a film that should…
Spike Lee's manifesto. This is an uneven, aggressive piece of work, one that jumps around to capture every single thing that its creator hates about the world around him. This is deeply personal, something that could only come from Lee, and it stands as one of the most daring American films of the 2000's. The end feels a little unsatisfying, but the 2 hours leading up to it make it hard to see any ending giving the gut punch this story deserves. The imagery in this alone will stick with you forever, and the commentary leaves you angry at everyone and everything. I want a redo on society. Fuck this noise.
It's not a pleasant watch, but it doesn't want you to feel comfortable. It's ugly, and it's a statement of the world a man, this man, lives in. A brilliant piece of film, flaws and all.
I was thinking I'd wait to write about this until I'd digested it more, but truth be told, I think this is going to take years for me to digest, if it can be digested at all. at the very very least, this a major, major work by one of our greatest filmmakers.
While it might be a bit messy or broad in some spots, this is still one of the most searing prices of media criticism.
The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.
I’m gonna go ahead and make the assumption that I’m the only person in the world who prefers this over Do the Right Thing.
With that being said, I completely understand why people, especially fans of Spike Lee’s work, hate Bamboozled. Admittedly, he works better when he allows his anger to wash over him before he tackles a project.
But, keeping the film’s many flaws in mind, I have a special place in my heart for pieces of art that are this committed to their mean-spiritedness.
Like most of Lee’s films, it bites off a bit more than it can chew and ultimately can’t stick the landing, but holy shit what a movie. Somehow ahead of its time, yet unimaginable in this climate. It doesn’t coddle white audiences the way “BlackKklansman” does, but it’s also not as technically well made or focused. Honestly, I’ll take shoot for the stars, no bullshit Lee over sanitized Lee any day. “Bamboozled” is a messy, deeply uncomfortable, take no prisoners achievement. This era could use a little more of this and a little less “Blindspotting”.
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