10 War Films That Dealt With The Consequences
4. Da 5 Bloods
The latest “joint” from acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee, Da 5
Bloods draws from a similar vein as Dead Presidents, however Lee places it within a modern and more political context.
Earning almost unanimous critical praise after being released on Netflix in June 2020, the film follows a group of aging Black Vietnam veterans who return to the jungles they fought all those years ago in search of the remains of their platoon leader – and the gold they buried there.
Much like Lee’s previous film, BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods doesn’t shy away from the graphic side of history. Using archive footage to place the film’s fictional events into real historical context, understanding these veterans’ situations as they confront their past allows the ensuing events to be all the more hard-hitting as they continue to escalate – and Lee really doesn’t pull any punches.
The film itself is a collage of genres, ranging from historical documentary, 70s B-Movie, and buddy comedy, that hits just as many emotional beats as we gradually dive deeper into the trauma and pain that’s haunted these friends.
Portraying the long-term effects of this controversial war in a whole new light, Lee once again establishes himself as a filmmaking genius.