Spike Lee's Chi-Raq is modern retelling of "Lysistrata," a Greek Comdey by the ancient play-right Aristophanes. Both the play, and Lee's film, follow the premise that all the women of a warring community withhold sex from their partners to force an end to a violent war.
Chi-Raq, following this premise and keeping rhythmic lyricism in the structure of the character's spoken lines, is staged as a play for the screen. Lee's style of out-there characters, direct addresses, bold color, music, and choreography, serves to make this blend surprisingly successful. If anything, Chi-Raq will be unlike any other movie you see at the theater this year, and in some time.
However, this is not to say the movie is without flaws. Plagued by some strange tonal choices, the film is periodically pushed from the realm of satire to loony cartoon hijinks. It's an odd choice and to have included many of these moments, as they aren't particularly funny, and only serve to distract from the serious issues Lee otherwise interestingly addresses.
The film, following a rapper who is the self dubbed "Chi-Raq," and his girlfriend, Lysistrata, stages warring gangs as the force that must be stopped in Chicago amid growing violence, leading to the death of innocent bystanders, children, and countless young black men. (The film opens to inform us deaths in Chicago from gun violence have greatly out paced those from American casualties in Iran and Iraq. This violence where the name Chi-Raq, comes from). Lysistrata, recognizing that the violence needs to end, leads the first the women involved with gang members, and later seemingly the women of the world, to withhold sex from all men, proclaiming along the way, "No Peace, No Pussy!"
Spike Lee's Chi-Raq is a thought provoking, if tonally confused at times, film that is entertaining and enjoyable, riding on the back of an unique style and largely strong performances from it's cast. Is it the best film? No. But it is one that is certainly worth your time.
Chi-Raq, following this premise and keeping rhythmic lyricism in the structure of the character's spoken lines, is staged as a play for the screen. Lee's style of out-there characters, direct addresses, bold color, music, and choreography, serves to make this blend surprisingly successful. If anything, Chi-Raq will be unlike any other movie you see at the theater this year, and in some time.
However, this is not to say the movie is without flaws. Plagued by some strange tonal choices, the film is periodically pushed from the realm of satire to loony cartoon hijinks. It's an odd choice and to have included many of these moments, as they aren't particularly funny, and only serve to distract from the serious issues Lee otherwise interestingly addresses.
The film, following a rapper who is the self dubbed "Chi-Raq," and his girlfriend, Lysistrata, stages warring gangs as the force that must be stopped in Chicago amid growing violence, leading to the death of innocent bystanders, children, and countless young black men. (The film opens to inform us deaths in Chicago from gun violence have greatly out paced those from American casualties in Iran and Iraq. This violence where the name Chi-Raq, comes from). Lysistrata, recognizing that the violence needs to end, leads the first the women involved with gang members, and later seemingly the women of the world, to withhold sex from all men, proclaiming along the way, "No Peace, No Pussy!"
Spike Lee's Chi-Raq is a thought provoking, if tonally confused at times, film that is entertaining and enjoyable, riding on the back of an unique style and largely strong performances from it's cast. Is it the best film? No. But it is one that is certainly worth your time.