Author: Stephanie

Making movies is definitely one hell of a mind-tasking job. Every filmmaker is excited to be called in creating a picture.

Decades later, Spike proves that his creative works are a fit for research project for film scholars , notwithstanding his method of storytelling resonates with film audiences worldwide.

Cutting across every genre, consistently delivering his razor-sharp perspective to the big screen. Is it his method of revealing a character in their most vulnerable state, or the way he creates suspense and builds up tension in every scene, or the kind of stories he tells?

“Shelton Jackson “

Spike Lee is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor.

His work explores race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary life.

Lee is known for revolutionizing the landscape of independent cinema and the role of black talents in film.

Here are the top 5 of my favorite movies that make Spike Lee the Black Scorsese of this generation.

School Daze (1988)

An experience we see in The Black college gets the Lee treatment in this audacious musical that doesn’t shy away from controversial elements.

School Daze’s story follows a homecoming clash between Greek life students and their peers, colorism, elitism, hazing, amid musical numbers.

This film led to heated debates within the Black community. Lee’s desire to touch the third rail on provocative issues makes for a compelling messy drama.

Chi-Raq (2015)

The film illustrates Music, comedy, drama, that is based on the Greek play Lysistrata, serving as proof that Lee still delivers his movies unhinged.

Two gangs entrench in a never-ending battle. Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris), a gang leader’s girlfriend, organizes a sex strike between the two factions, their actions spark a worldwide protest against violence.

This film lacquers itself in layers of gray within its core, a classic message with a burst of energy.

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Lee does his best with mixing disparate elements like a war epic, buddy comedy, father-son drama, and social justice commentary into something powerful and of the moment.

Spike remains in total control of his gifts and utilizes them to synthesize his method of storytelling.

Delroy Lindo is the leader of a group of Vietnam vets returning to the country to recover a stash of gold they buried 40 years ago.

The film never lagged, Lee’s camera style creates a unique look and approach throughout the eras set for the film.

Malcolm X (1992)

Lee displays his frustrations with the media, its double standards, biases Black people face every day into three-hour watch time.

A vivid story of the civil rights activist, who fought passionately on behalf of Black people in the 1960s is of parallel paramountcy to Martin Luther King Jr.

Malcolm X is a triumph, one of the most passionate political films ever made in black history.

Lee’s level of subtlety and emotional vividness catapults you into a realm beyond comprehension. The development and release.

The director introduces X to an entirely new generation, giving every black person a new perspective on X’s teaching, lifestyle, history, beliefs, and sense of purpose.

Do The Right Thing (1989)

In a Brooklyn neighborhood, the long-simmering racial tensions between diverse communities erupt into brutal violence over the course of a single summer day.

Do the Right Thing is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee.

Lee is a master in his craft, with this film which is arguably one of the greatest films of all time, Spike outdid himself.

The hip-hop, soul, and funk-infused soundtrack show Lee’s sharp dialogue and angular shooting and costume style for his characters.

This film captures the frustration and despair many Black citizens felt, many of which ripple into our modern day.

Concisely, the film has been reassessed in light of showing the depth of the political climate in America.

#Clique, which of these movies makes you agree that Spike is the Scorsese of Black Cinema?

A student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate who invites him to his eccentric family’s sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten.

Saltburn is a 2023 psychological thriller drama film written, directed, and produced by Emerald Fennell.

Anchored by a strong, eerie performance by Keoghan, Saltburn is insanely twisted, alluring, and darkly satirical.

Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike will be in front of the camera. This will be the first film since 2020’s I Care A Lot, for which she won a Golden Globe.

She has been going from strength to strength in recent years, delivering critically lauded performances.

A beautifully wicked tale of privilege and desire directed by a promising female director.

With its wild ride, this film is a deconstruction of British upper-class society.

Expect jaw-dropping sets, rowdy parties, and secret assignations.

Since winning an Academy award for Best Original Screenplay in 2021 for feature directorial debut,

“Promising Young Woman”,

She has become one of only seven women to be nominated for the Best Director prize in the Academy’s 95-year history.

With Saltburn, she is directing, writing, and producing.

#Clique, what are your thoughts on this film?

Bayard Rustin, advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., dedicates his life to the quest for racial equality, human rights, and democracy. Rustin being an openly gay Black man, he is erased from the civil rights movement he helped build.

Rustin is a biographical drama directed by George C. Wolfe, from a screenplay by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black, and a story by Breece rights activist Bayard Rustin.

Bayard Rustin was one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known. Rustin having challenged the authority, never apologized on what he believed, or desired. In the history he fought for, he was forgotten in this same history book.

This film has its deep core and moments in black history. Imagine contributing and making change in the society and being forgotten for your contribution to society. This film, shows the lengths to which Rustin embarked on a journey, fighting for his community with all due diligence.

This film will not only be critically good, it will be enjoyed, the movie serves as a rewrite of Rustin’s history in the black community. It will be on the lips of many film audiences worldwide and the black community.

The film stars Colman Domingo in the title role, alongside Chris Rock, Jeffrey Wright, and Audra McDonald.

Production began in November 2021 in Pittsburgh. Upon announcement of Colman Domingo being cast as lead, the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, an LGBTQIA community activist center, voiced their approval directly to Domingo.

Lenny Kravitz wrote and performed an original song,

“Road to Freedom,”

for the film.

#Clique, what are your thoughts on this film? Will Rustin’s history be one that intrigues you?