Numbers for Offence and Defence

The BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Director: Spike Lee

About a year ago, I heard on a podcast called 'Snap Judgement' about a black undercover cop in the late 70s masquerading as a white guy wanting to join the KKK. The police wanted to investigate the involvement of the clan members in the defence ministry. The policeman, Ron Stallworth, was so convincing that he managed to become a card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan. Of course, he did most of the talking via the telephone and his colleague, whose identity is hidden for security reasons, was the one who appeared in person when the need arose. 

With artistic licence in hand to spice up the suspense, the screenplay must have been rewritten to be set in the early seventies. The fictitious duel between the revolutionaries Black Panther and the KKK was created. The cop who appeared in person was chosen to be Jewish to further spruce sweet revenge. A black and a Jewish cop defeating the self-professed members of a superior race sounds more dramatic.





There was a time in our civilisation that we needed to leave in tribes for strength and protection. It was a time when might and sword did all the talking. Even though we are supposed to have evolved to have moral standards and social mores, deep inside the tribal spirit lives on like a caged animal waiting to be unleashed. When things are working our favour, we maintain harmony with our surroundings. When our personal space is invaded and is threatened, we recoil into our shell, invoke race, religion or any common trait that binds us into greater numbers for offence and defence.

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This life came so close to never happening!

25th Hour
Director: Spike Lee

Our life, our existence as we know it almost came to non-existence. By mere chance, by a flicker of hope, being at the right time, at the correct ambiance, we are now a complex body of thoughts, self, desires, wants and bonds. We are special in a way that we exist but at the same time, we are nothing. We can cease to be living just like that.

 Only when we are in a dilemma, when our comfort zone is rocked or our primitive needs are deprived (pleasure and freedom), do we reassess our life and be grateful to what we have. We regret our lackadaisical attitude in not paving the lives in a way it could have been, more peaceful with less heartache.

But then, laid with plethora of choices in life, we are sometimes quite lethargic or perhaps confused on which should be the best path to follow. People around us may tell us which way to follow but are we going to listen? And sometimes people by our side do not alert us of our follies as it is beneficial to them. The whole arrangement just suits them fine.

In a nutshell, these are some of things that the story teller wants us to ponder as he tells us his story of a drug dealer, Monty (Edward Norton), who, at the end of the next 24 hours, has to start his 3-year prison term. To spend his last day before his incarceration are his faithful dog, his wife, his three buddies, his father, his Russian mafia boss and the boss’ sidekick, a sloppy blabber mouthed goon.

His dog, which he found brutally injured by the road side, almost died if not for Monty’s effort to say him. Monty had almost wanted to relieve the dog of his misery by putting a bullet on him, if only the dog had not flinched. The dog’s life and close bond with Monty almost never happened!

Monty, now feels miserable that he had not done anything to turn his life around. He blames himself for getting into his mess. He realises that he cannot go around blaming the rest of the world for his shortcoming. The blame is squarely on him alone.

His father, a reformed alcoholic, feels guilty for not playing his duty as a responsible father. He had benefitted from Monty’s drug activities. It had helped to finance his liaison with the bottle. he was not complaining then!

Monty meets up with his two childhood friends. Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a nerdy teacher who is trying very hard to keep away from his flirtatious and vivacious 17 year old student as he knows it would jeopardise his career. We can see that Jacob is at a crossroad. His correct decision would determine to direction of his career path. His future is in his hands or rather in his ability to rein his primitive carnal needs. The other friend, Frank, is a stock trader in NYSE.

He initially thought his wife had snitched about his activities to the DEA. It is later discovered the Russian sidekick is the culprit.

Even as he is about to be sent to the prison, Monty still has the option of completing his term but endure the repercussions of bullying, abuse or even being killed in jail. Alternatively, he thought of starting a new life in a small mid West town under a pseudonym and leading a quiet life to old age. He chose the former.

Our life is so close to never happening - we should savour every living moment and be appreciative of our existence. A tiny whiff of air movement from a flutter of butterfly could have just jolted the two haploid cells from our donors from ever meeting!