Judas and the Black Messiah (review)

        Zora Neale Hurston once wrote "All your skin folk ain't your kinfolk." That maxim could be none more evident than with Shaka King's film Judas and the Black Messiah. The film came out on HBO Max and theatrical release this past weekend. My wife and I watched it last night and it affected us both greatly. I think the film brilliantly displayed how the terms "hero", "villain", "terrorist" and "threat" are all subjective. 

        The basic premise of the is the infiltration of the Black Panther Party by Bill O'Neal (brilliantly played by LaKeith Stanfield) in order to get close to Fred Hampton (also brilliant Daniel Kaluuya). O'Neal is recruited by Roy Mitchell (very good Jesse Plemons) because of a trumped up charge of impersonating a police officer and grand theft auto. But what Mitchell really offers O'Neal is the illusion of equity. Equity is the same principle at the heart of the Black Panthers and their goals.

        The Black Panthers were seen as a threat by many people, particularly those in positions of power at the state and federal level. They were compared to the Ku Klux Klan. That is ironical. The Ku Klux Klan was organized to subvert black voting in the United States, particularly the South. The Black Panthers were organized to subvert police brutality and oppression in the United States, starting in Oakland, California and eventually forming many chapters in the United States. They also didn't wear hoods to protect their identities. I am not saying that the Black Panthers were a group of alter boys/women, because (as the film shows) there were definitely extremists within the organization and those extremists made some very grave mistakes but those people did not reflect the overall goals of the group.

            Fred Hampton is quite simple a tour de force every time he is on screen. His magnetic charisma is only magnified by his resolve to empower "the people". "Wherever there are people, there is power" quotes Hampton and this is true. That also is the reason for the target on his back. He desperately wants to empower all disenfranchised people to rise up and control their own destiny. If history has taught us anything it is that the status quo absolutely loathes to be challenged. Particularly by groups of people deemed to be fit to be marginalized. The same fight that was happening in 1968-1969, the timetable for the film, is happening today. It is unfortunate that most people are very unwilling to learn.

            There is an overarching theme in the film of manipulation. O'Neal is being manipulated by Mitchell in order to attempt to manipulate and deceive Hampton. Mitchell himself is being manipulated by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover a (very creepy and effective Martin Sheen) to try to protect and preserve the moral center of America from the perceived corruption that the Black Panthers would bring and even more scary than that to Mr. Hoover was the sense of racial/economic equity that Mr. Hampton advocated for. There is a scene where J. Edgar Hoover prods Jesse Plemons's character by asking him, "What will happen when your daughter brings home a negro?" The exchange is interesting because it once again shows how patriotism can some easily can transformed into a casual racism. This is even more dangerous when Roy Mitchell was able to control O'Neal by offering him a literal seat at the table to fine dining in Chicago restaurants (where he would otherwise be denied), supposed respect, and supposed mentorship. If you don't believe that history doesn't repeat itself look at former University of Texas coach Tom Herman's comments on BLM and the nature of fandom vs equality (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29269030/longhorns-coach-tom-herman-join-protests-george-floyd-death)

            One of the most powerful scenes in the film is when Danial Kaluuya's character goes to a rally with an all Caucasian audience, where a confederate flag is prominently displayed and convinces them that their struggle and cause is the same struggle and cause of the Black Panther Party. Poverty is colorblind. Always has been. Hampton was attempting to form a rainbow coalition with Black, White, and Latino groups to try to gain equality. For that very brief time when they were unified, they were also sealing their own doom. A world in which power is shared has been and will always be a serious threat to some people.

            It would be very easy to vilify LaKeith Stanfield's character, but he is deftly played as a man caught between two worlds. I believe he was captivated by the words and actions of Fred Hampton. And I believe he thought the Black Panthers were a positive impact on the community in Chicago. But he also enjoyed the privileges, both monetary and social, that came from working with Jesse Plemons's character. The term "sell out" is casually tossed around, particularly in the African-American lexicon, but this individual actually DID literally sell out his fellow Black Panther Party members. It did cause a mental scarring that is evident throughout the film. But he still did it. William O'Neal says that history will judge him and his actions. I believe the film shows that he allowed himself to be manipulated,

        The only complaint I had with the film is that the context of the plight of the characters was slightly lost in translation. In reality, William O'Neal was 17 years old when he was recruited by the FBI as an informant. Fred Hampton was 20-21 years old when this film is set. The actors portraying them are in their early 30s, thereby giving the illusion of emotional/physical maturity that comes with being older. The reality of the situation is that those young men were barely out of high school when they were in this struggle. At 21, I was concerned with playing rugby, taking classes, and trying to seduce co-eds. I definitely was not trying to lead a multiethnic coalition that was concerned with social and economic equality. The legacy of Fred Hampton and the downfall of the Black Panther Party can be tied together in the "what if" category. Both ultimately had a lot of promise that was never fulfilled because of outside political sabotage.  

        I hope this film is not solely relegated to the sub category of African-American films and only dusted off every February because that is the acceptable time to learn about the lessons that this film offers. This movie isn't a "good black movie". It's a good movie period. It should be taught in every American Government class, every US History class, and every Sociology class. Every actor did a fine part and crafted an excellent story that deserves to be told.