[12][1] Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel, who proposed the idea, stated, "Vietnam was the first war that was really televised, and it was predominantly shot with 16-mm. With a production budget of $35–45 million, it is among Lee's most expensive films. Most returned quietly to their workplaces and schools like veterans of any other generation. The film was released by Netflix on June 12, 2020. As he rages to himself, Paul has a vision of Norman who reminds him that he was the one who had accidentally killed him during a firefight and that he should let go of his guilt. There were 11 percent of Black American citizens during the war but they represented more than 30 percent of all the American forces at the war front. But Da 5 Bloods contains bright spots and inquiries into blackness, imperialism, and Vietnamese-communist dissent worth hearing out. Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods,' which hit Netflix on June 12, is fiery, incredibly relevant, and one of the best films of the year so far. Da 5 Bloods Review “Da 5 Bloods” is a movie about the participation of blacks in the Vietnam War. With one blood wearing a MAGA hat, the loss of the war is attributed to home-front betrayal—upon return, we were called “baby killers,” says one of the four. "[1][13] Netflix executives initially were resistant to the proposal given the challenges it presented, but Lee was adamant and was eventually allowed to proceed. Da 5 Bloods might be a better option. With Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis. On the hike out, Eddie steps on a landmine and is killed. A recent landslide had uncovered the tail of the crashed plane, and with this new information, they plan to find the gold and Norman's body. Chris Stuckmann gives quick movie reviews for Guns Akimbo, Honey Boy, Da 5 Bloods, Becky, The Lovebirds, and Shirley. – there is little originality left for filmmaker Spike Lee to claim; even its subplot of the four’s search for a buried chest of gold bars is plagiarized from 1999’s forgettable Gulf War adventure Three Kings. During the Vietnam War, a squad of Black US Army soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division,[3] Paul, Otis, Eddie, Melvin, and their squad leader Norman, who dub themselves the "Bloods," secure the site of a CIA airplane crash and recover its cargo, a locker of gold bars intended as payment for the Lahu people for their help in fighting the Viet Cong. As Desroche prepares to execute Otis, David shoots and kills him with Otis's gun. Da 5 Bloods started its life as a 2013 spec script titled The Last Tour, written by The Rocketeer scribes Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo (and featuring a white cast). At a hotel bar, David meets Hedy, the LAMB founder, an organization dedicated to clearing landmines. [2] It received acclaim from critics, who praised the direction, themes, and Lindo's performance, with many considering it among Lee's best works. Lee says he didn’t rely on special effects or heavy makeup for a host of reasons — including that he trusts his audience. The film's plot follows a group of four aging Vietnam War veterans who return to the country in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader, as well as the treasure they buried while serving there. [27], Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper gave the film four stars out of four, saying: "The picture, the script and director Lee all deserve nomination consideration, as does the lush and booming score by Lee's longtime collaborator Terence Blanchard... Whitlock, Lewis, Peters and Boseman deserve supporting actor conversation, while Delroy Lindo should be an instant contender for best actor. "[16] The six main characters share the same first names as the members of The Temptations and their producer Norman Whitfield. Unwilling to trust Vinh, Paul takes his share of the gold and heads out into the jungle alone. And the Vietnamese characters fit stereotypes too: some paramilitary guys looking like the hapless losers seen in most American movies (check); the one woman, a wartime prostitute (check). Lee’s troop meets up with a group of backpackers in-country to do Project Renew-type work. [5] In February 2019, it was announced that Netflix would distribute the film, with Chadwick Boseman, Delroy Lindo, and Jean Reno set to star. No age-defying CGI to be found. [12], The musical score for Da 5 Bloods was written by composer Terence Blanchard. Searcy is white. Watch trailers & learn more. Sometimes the best way to call attention to an historical injustice is through bold entertainment. One of those, Chuck Searcy, returned to Viet Nam and founded Project Renew devoted to finding and defusing unexploded ordinance left behind by the American military in Quang Tri Province. Philip Roth Was His Own Favorite Subject. Desroche wounds Otis and tries to finish him off with a hand grenade, but Melvin sacrifices himself by leaping on top of it. Tiên introduces the Bloods to Desroche, a French businessman who agrees to help the Bloods smuggle the gold out of Vietnam once they retrieve it. Vinh helps the surviving Bloods share out the gold. Paul then holds the three outsiders hostage with Otis's gun, paranoid that they will report them to the authorities. Assuming that Desroche has crossed them, Vinh suggests retreating to a nearby abandoned temple to defend themselves from reinforcements. Desroche, now wearing Paul's MAGA hat, arrives with the gunmen at the temple and is then ambushed by Otis, Melvin, and Vinh; all of his men are killed. But instead of expensive SFX, Lee just had his 60 … From Spike Lee. Wtf spike lee! On the contrary, it feels compressed, bustling, and frenzied with its intellectual and dramatic energy. "[28] Richard Brody of The New Yorker wrote that the film "runs two hours and thirty-four minutes, but it's not a second too long. Working with three other writers (including the two showrunners behind 1990’s Flash TV series), Lee adroitly sets up Da 5 Bloods as a tense postwar drama whose final acts accelerate through commercial suspense-thriller mechanics while never stopping the commentary. This is a salient point even though it is aired to the men by the Vietnamese propaganda arm. "Da 5 bloods" is a terrible movie and only gets praise because of the current state of politics. Methods of Power: How do Authoritarians Rule? The one good reason for seeing Da 5 Bloods is to credential your advice to others that they don’t. The next day, Vinh drops off the group and tells them he will pick them up in a few days. Bloods trots out every caricature of Viet Nam War figures that you can imagine, beginning with American veterans of the war. Da 5 Bloods streams on Netflix at such a perfect time, it almost feels like witchcraft . The group’s leader is a whiter-than-white twenty-something woman, a scion of wealth reaped from what had been French Indochina—a riff from the 2001 Apocalypse Now Redux—who is irresistible to a son of one of the bloods who has (somehow, inexplicably) arrived in the jungle from Morehouse College. Many others, politicized and empowered by their wartime experience, joined the antiwar movement. Da 5 Bloods is a 2020 American war drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Spike Lee. The film was originally a 2013 spec script by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo titled The Last Tour, with Mike Bundlie and Barry Levine Executive Producing and with Oliver Stone set to direct. [10], Filming began on March 23, 2019. This awful movie is also dangerous. Melvin's widow receives his share, and Eddie's goes to a Black Lives Matter organization. [35] Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine gave the film two-and-a-half out of four stars, concluding: "At its best, Da 5 Bloods offers a damning, impassioned, hallucinatory collage of images and ideas concerning the relationship between racism and warfare with superb performances. Norman's remains are brought home to his family by the military. 639. "[32] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post gave the film three out of four stars, writing that "its moments of stinging insight and soaring cinematic rhetoric once again prove why Spike Lee might be America's most indispensable filmmaker. Da 5 Bloods is about shared trauma, but Paul epitomizes the loneliness of that pain under a dirty red hat. During their first night, Paul confiscates a pistol Otis had been secretly given by Tiên and becomes suspicious of his motives. [37], 2020 American war drama film by Spike Lee, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, Military history of African Americans in the Vietnam War, "Spike Lee's Forever War: How the Vietnam War epic Da 5 Bloods became one of the most ambitious films of his career", "Spike Lee on the Challenge of Bringing Netflix's 'Da 5 Bloods' to the Screen", "Delroy Lindo: I Think Of 'Da 5 Bloods' As 'A Love Story, "Chadwick Boseman Joins Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' At Netflix", "Jonathan Majors In Talks For Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' At Netflix", "Spike Lee & Netflix's Vietnam Pic 'Da 5 Bloods' Adds Cast Including Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr & Mélanie Thierry", "BlacKkKlansman Actor Reuniting With Spike Lee For Da 5 Bloods", "Chadwick Boseman to Star in Spike Lee's New Movie, Vietnam Veteran Drama Da 5 Bloods", "Terence Blanchard Scoring Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods, "Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' to Stream on Netflix in June, but It's Still Eligible for Oscars", "Netflix Debuts Trailer for Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods, "Box Office: 'The King of Staten Island' & The Most-Watched Movies At Home This Weekend", "Box Office: A Polish Erotic Drama Is Among The Most Watched Movies Of The Weekend", "Netflix Reveals Strong Viewership Numbers For Mindy Kaling's 'Never Have I Ever' & Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' In Earnings Report", "DATA: 'BORAT 2' SECOND ONLY TO 'HAMILTON' IN MOST-WATCHED U.S. SVOD MOVIES OF 2020", "Data: Which 2021 Netflix Oscar-Nominated Films Were Most", "Spike Lee's "Da 5 Bloods," Reviewed: Vietnam and the Never-Ending War of Being Black in America", "Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' on Netflix: Film Review", "Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' may not be perfect, but it arrives at a time when it feels necessary", "Da 5 Bloods review – Spike Lee goes all out in Vietnam", "Review: Da 5 Bloods Is a Vibrant, Messy Blend of Genre Film and Political Essay", "Best of 2020: Film Critic Top Ten Lists", "The 2020 Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) Winners", "Artios Awards Film Nominations: 'Borat', 'Da 5 Bloods', 'Chicago 7', 'One Night In Miami' & More Up For Casting Society Prizes", "The 2020 Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) Winners", "Critics Choice Awards: 'Mank' Leads With 12 Nominations, Netflix Makes History With Four Best Picture Nominees", "The 2020 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Winners", "The 2020 Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) Winners", "The 2020 Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) Winners", "The 2020 Music City Film Critics Association (MCFCA) Nominations", "Netflix, HBO Lead NAACP Image Awards 2021 Nominations", "The 2020 New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Winners", "The 2020 North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Nominations", "25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced", "2021 SAG Awards: The Complete Nominations List", "VES Awards Nominations: 'Tenet', 'Midnight Sky', 'Extraction', 'Soul' & 'Mandalorian' Among Titles In Visual Effects Hunt", If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise, Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, National Board of Review Award for Best Film, National Board of Review Award for Best Ensemble Cast, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Seattle Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Cast, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Da_5_Bloods&oldid=1016421657, Films about post-traumatic stress disorder, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Jon Kilik, Spike Lee, Beatriz Levin, and Lloyd Levin, Greater Western New York Film Critics Association, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee, Randall Balsmeyer, James Cooper, Watcharachai "Sam" Panichsuk, This page was last edited on 7 April 2021, at 02:25. David reads a letter from Paul, who tells him that he will always love him. This is a big, fat, egregious lie. “Awful” is not the most thoughtful way to begin a film review. Eddie reveals that his excessive spending has rendered him broke but reminds the Bloods of Norman's original plan to give the gold to their black brethren in the United States. (Review), Rally 'Round the Rune: Fascist Echoes of the CPAC Stage. Four African American veterans return to Vietnam decades after the war to find their squad leader's remains — and a stash of buried gold. Structural flaws notwithstanding, this movie is a gift right now, and there's no other director that could have made it. Clocking in at 2½ hours, it feels long after its first labored minutes. In the ensuing shootout, David is shot in the leg, and Seppo is killed by a landmine. The film’s “bloods” are four black Americans who have returned to Viet Nam to recover the remains of a fifth, their buddy Norman. Can America’s Problems Be Fixed By a President Who Loves Jon Meacham? Da 5 Bloods is a 2020 American war drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Spike … The cast joined in February 2019 and filming began a month later, lasting through June and taking place in Southeast Asia. Close. David also steps on a mine but does not trigger it, just as Hedy and two other volunteers from LAMB, Simon and Seppo, show up. [1] For his research, Lee credited Wallace Terry's 1984 book Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans as particularly helpful, and assigned it to the film's actors. Da 5 Bloods is an interesting package, offering compelling food for thought but never offers any definitive outlook for these characters or the film’s underlying message—mostly because it tries to cover too much political ground at once. I turned it off when the son of one of the bloods was talking about orange man bad! "[29] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "as timely as today's news," writing: "Lee deftly steers it all full circle in a series of brief wrap-up scenes that are both fancifully tidy and deadly serious, acknowledging the Black Lives Matter movement in a way that allows this sprawling, unwieldy, frequently brilliant film to close on a profoundly affecting note of hope and catharsis. [24] In March 2021, Variety reported the film was among Netflix's most-watched Oscar-nominated titles, and assigned it an "audience appeal score" of 81 out 100. However, in the ensuing Vietnamese counter-attack, Norman is killed, and the Bloods cannot locate the buried gold after a napalm strike obliterates the identifying landmarks. [11] Production lasted three months, mostly shooting in Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai. Fierce energy and ambition course through Da 5 Bloods, coming together to fuel one of Spike Lee's most urgent and impactful films. Posts about da 5 bloods bad written by thetwiz. The present-day city scenes were framed in widescreen 2.39:1 ratio, evoking the aesthetics of David Lean's epics such as Lawrence of Arabia. He is the author of 8 books including The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam, CNN’s Tailwind Tale: Inside Vietnam’s Last Great Myth, and Hanoi Jane: War, Sex, and Fantasies of Betrayal. Vinh, a tour guide hired by the Bloods, leads the group out into the countryside, where a confrontation with a local merchant forces Paul to admit that he has post-traumatic stress disorder. When the Bloods regroup with Vinh, a group of gunmen shows up demanding the gold in exchange for Seppo, whom they have captured. But the main issue with Da 5 Bloods comes from the technical aspects of the film: crappy CGI effects, an overbearing and distracting score and a severe editing problem that suggests that Lee had to delete several scenes to make the whole thing shorter. Whatever its faults, Da 5 Bloods is a more visceral and unmooring experience than Lee’s last war film, Miracle at St. Anna. The present-day jungle scenes were captured in 16:9 ratio, as Lee and Sigel sought to envelop the group with the vastness of the jungle. Then the NCAA Took Over, 'This is still being suppressed': OU professor's book of recovered photos preserves history of Tulsa Race Massacre, How a Chicago Teacher Sparked a 'Memory War,' Forcing Lithuania to Confront its Nazi Past. Jerry Lembcke is emeritus professor of sociology at Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA. The sharp … In 1969 he was a Chaplain’s Assistant assigned to the 41st Artillery Group in Vietnam. It stars Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Johnny Trí Nguyễn, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Pääkkönen, Jean Reno, and Chadwick Boseman. Moderator of r/movies Archived. Lee directed, co-wrote and produced the film, which follows four African-American vets that return to Vietnam later in life. Da 5 Bloods, which is equal parts heist, war story, and bloody reckoning, follows four black US Army veterans who … Soon thereafter, they are joined by Paul's son David, who has a tempestuous relationship with his father. Azreale07 Jul 8, 2020. DA 5 BLOODS *CUT TO THE CHASE* NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jeremy. He is a Distinguished Lecturer of the Organization of American Historians. Four African-American vets battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide. 9 months ago. Posted by. "[36], Da 5 Bloods appeared on 77 critics' year-end top-10 lists, including 10 first place rankings and six second place ones. Maybe Lee has his bloods connecting with Searcy and redefining their mission—instead of searching for buried treasure, they search for buried landmines? [6] Jonathan Majors entered negotiations to join later that month. Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods is a vital work on an overlooked subject in American film: the experience of black veterans in the Vietnam War, a perspective largely lacking from … Originally written by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo in 2013, the script was re-worked by Lee and Kevin Willmott following the pair's successful collaboration in BlacKkKlansman (2018). At its worst, it's a vibrant mess. The ruins where an action sequence takes place, meant to represent the Mỹ Sơn temples, were a specifically constructed set built by the film crew using wood and Styrofoam in a period of two months. During the night Seppo escapes while David and the others forcibly disarm Paul. Paul and the others manage to pull David off the mine safely. [13] With the exception of a brief scene filmed using a Super 8 camera in 2.39:1 ratio, the modern scenes were shot digitally. Yet “Da 5 Bloods” is a poor vehicle for these ideas. Fact check: After Pearl Harbor, Japanese didn't invade US because they feared armed citizens. DA 5 BLOODS NETFLIX MOVIE REVIEW | Double Toasted -We have talked about the trailer during our review/reaction for it a few months back in early 2020. [22] At their Q2 report meeting in July 2020, Netflix reported the film had been viewed by 27 million households since its release. [7] In March 2019, Paul Walter Hauser, Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Norm Lewis, Mélanie Thierry, and Jasper Pääkkönen joined the cast of the film. Stolen Confederate Monument will Become a 'Toilet' Unless ‘White Lies Matter’ Demands are Met, Group Vows, G. Gordon Liddy, Undercover Operative Convicted in Watergate Scandal, Dies at 90, Slavery ‘Not Just About Profit And Suffering’, UK Government-Backed Race Report Claims. Keep politics out of your movies & entertainment period! He is subsequently located and killed by Desroche's men. Women’s College Sports Was Growing. Eventually, the Bloods find the gold bars scattered across the side of a hill. "[26] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Official Discussion - Da 5 Bloods [SPOILERS] Discussion. "That record was released when I was young, but I could feel what was going on in the country," said Blanchard. [8][9] Esposito was also confirmed for the cast, although he later dropped out. The utility of the victim-veteran as a metaphor for the America victimized by the war made it political and filmic catnip from Ronald Reagan’s “Morning in America” years to Donald Trump’s campaign to “Make America Great Again.” You might think Spike Lee could leave it alone but no: when fireworks are thrown outside a bar in Ho Chi Minh City, all five “hit the deck.” Later, one of them randomly claims “we all have PTSD,” while still later another says, “We’re all broken.”. Spike Lee’s war drama Da 5 Bloods presents an alternative solution to CGI de-aging technology which also makes for a striking creative choice. Republicans have been on a half-century campaign to avenge the treachery of the anti-war left, as they see it, and now is not the time to give credence to Trumpian revanchism as a promising course for Black Americans—or anyone. [19][20] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was originally scheduled to premiere out-of-competition at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, then play in theaters in May or June before streaming on Netflix. [1], Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Giancarlo Esposito, and John David Washington were initially cast in the lead roles but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. The film received numerous awards and nominations, including for the Academy Award for Best Original Score, and was named by the National Board of Review as the Best Film of 2020. Official Discussion - Da 5 Bloods [SPOILERS] Discussion. In the present day, Paul, Otis, Eddie, and Melvin meet up in Ho Chi Minh City. Da 5 Bloods happens today, but there are scenes where the four main characters are twenty-something men fighting the Vietcong. They also find Norman's remains and pray over them. [23] In November, Variety reported the film was the 16th-most watched straight-to-streaming title of 2020 up to that point. The remaining Bloods offer Vinh, Hedy, and Simon a share of the remaining gold for their trouble. [1] Unlike other films, including Netflix's The Irishman, Lee had the main cast (most of whom were in their 60s) play the 20-year-old versions of themselves in flashback sequences without the use of de-aging technology or make-up, bar for the final shot of their younger versions. 0. All of the gunmen are killed except for one, who flees. Otis reunites with his old Vietnamese girlfriend Tiên, who reveals that he is the father of her grown child. [1] Lee considered it an effective way to visually show that the aged characters remain trapped in the wartime memories, stating, "These guys are going back in time, but this is how they see themselves. [17], A soundtrack album was released by Milan Records on May 29, 2020. They haven't completely moved on, but I will say unequivocally that "Da 5 Bloods" is one of the worst kinds of exploitation: The idea that America is the fault of Vietnam's current state in the world, and that they are still focused on past events to the same level of strength TODAY as it was even 30 years ago. Directed by Spike Lee. Otis visits Tiên and bonds with his daughter for the first time. While the message it is trying to convey is of course important, spike lee obviously forgot to craft a decent movie around it. The Bloods decide to take the gold for themselves and bury it so they can retrieve it later. Guess again. In the film, veterans played by Norm […] But why mince words? [25], On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 92% based on 295 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. "[33], Critic Mark Kermode called the film "a mixed bag". "When Spike has that music put in a film it becomes extremely powerful for so many reasons. [34] Writing for The Guardian, he gave the film three out of five stars, praising its political and comedic aspects as well as Lindo's performance, but wrote negatively of its "tonal shifts", noting that "warring elements of Da 5 Bloods appear bolted together". [1], Upon release, it was the top-streamed film in its first weekend,[21] before falling to sixth place in its second. "[1], Da 5 Bloods uses four aspect ratios as framing devices which distinguish between the film's different time periods and locations. Hedy and Simon donate their shares to LAMB in Seppo's name. But Viet Nam veterans were not all broken. The initial batch of reviews are in for Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods. A Spike Lee Joint should always be the better option. “Da 5 Bloods” is full of wonderful performances, and the warm, profane masculine banter among the bloods is a response to and a relief from the horror they have shared and still face. “Da 5 Bloods” jumps back and forth, though not too many times, between the Bloods’ tours of duty and the present day. Robert Zemeckis' Paddington 3. [1] The two changed the film to an African-American perspective, added the film's flashback sequences and expanded the role of the Stormin' Norman character. What’s Left for a Biographer? The new Spike Lee film Da 5 Bloods flashes back roughly half a century — but doesn’t de-age its four lead actors to do it. [...] It’s how the American public perceived the war. Originally scheduled to premiere out-of-competition at Cannes, the latest Spike Lee joint dropped on Netflix on June 12. Poll. Da 5 Bloods shows crucial revolutionary and political leader Hồ Chí Minh playing with children in 1955. [15] Most predominantly, the film contains six songs from Marvin Gaye's 1971 album What's Going On. 3 of 4 users found this helpful 3 1. The result is overlong and erratic, but also frequently surprising...propelled by an unforgettable turn from Delroy Lindo. [12] The 1960s flashback sequences were shot in 1.33:1 format on 16 mm film, mimicking newsreel footage of the time. Da 5 Bloods is an interesting package, offering compelling food for thought but never offers any definitive outlook for these characters or the film’s underlying message. We meet four African American veterans, all men in their late 60s, as they arrive in Vietnam for a last adventure. "[31] Writing for Variety, Peter Debruge called the film "ambitious but uneven" and said that "Lee interweaves potent social critique with escapist B-movie thrills as four veterans return to 'Nam to claim the loot they were ordered to retrieve decades earlier, but stashed for themselves instead. SJW libtard garbage! The bloods come across as foulmouthed and uninformed about the war as they probably were when they were sent to fight it; the veteran-father of the Morehouse College man is an absent presence in his son’s life; and with the exception of Otis, who takes time in Ho Chi Minh City to find the daughter he fathered back in the day, the bloods are as disdainful of the Vietnamese as many GIs were at the time. The image of traumatized veterans was a Hollywood staple even before PTSD was canonized in the 1980 DSM. I was looking forward to watching Da 5 Bloods but found it difficult to even sit through it. [4] Stone dropped out in 2016, and in 2017 producer Lloyd Levin pitched the script to Spike Lee, who performed a re-write with Kevin Willmott. [18], Da 5 Bloods was released on June 12, 2020, by Netflix. If you took the storylines of Frances Ford Coppola’s 1979 Apocalypse Now out of Bloods – yes, they even go upriver to strains of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries! Bloods’ racial clichés are the film’s strongest through line. I just finished watching da 5 bloods and couldn't believe how much praise it got. "[30], Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film a grade of "B" and wrote: "A loose, caustic look at the Vietnam war through the prism of black experiences, Da 5 Bloods wrestles with the specter of the past through the lens of a very confusing present, and settles into a fascinated jumble as messy and complicated as the world surrounding its release. Da 5 Bloods is a fictional story, but it’s a tribute to the forgotten heroes of the unpopular war. [14] In addition to Blanchard's score, the film features several songs from the early 1970s. The site's critical consensus reads: "Fierce energy and ambition course through Da 5 Bloods, coming together to fuel one of Spike Lee's most urgent and impactful films. Bloods trots out every caricature of Viet Nam War figures that you can imagine, beginning with American veterans of the war.