CHI-RAQ

US, 2015, 130 minutes, Colour.
Nick Cannon, Teyonah Parris, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, Samuel L.Jackson, John Cusack, Jennifer Hudson, David Patrick Kelly, D.B.Sweeney, Dave Chappelle, Steve Harris, Harry Lennix.
Directed by Spike Lee.

For almost 30 years, Spike Lee has been an angry film maker. It has been very evident in so many of his films that he is concerned about race issues, even calling his production company 40 Acres and a Mule, with its reference to the value of African Americans. His 1989 Do The Right Thing has become and remains a classic.

Spike Lee’s career has included documentaries and features. This film combines something of both, a very serious look at the gun culture amongst African- Americans in the city of Chicago, with a slang name Chi- Raq, that is somewhat documentary like. But it is also a fiction film and is based on Aristophanes’ play, Lysistrata, the story where the wives go on marital strike to force their husbands to give up their violence and achieve some peace. Lee takes full advantage of the Greek comic origins of his film and the potential for stylising it.

The central female character in the film is called Lysistrata and she is in a relationship with Chi- Raq, the leader of a gang who also is a musician and performs at a local club. He is played by Nick Cannon and Lysistrata by Teyona Parris. The head of the rival gang, Cyclops, is played by Wesley Snipe. Highlighting the stylised Greek origins is the role of Samuel L. Jackson as a kind of chorus, dressed in loud, almost pimp-like clothes, wandering around Chicago, addressing the audience, moving the action along, making moral observations – with the touch of humour and often with a touch of cynicism.

Some of the popular bloggers on such sites as IMDb seem not to be aware of Lysistrata and bewildered and/or hostile about the stylisation of the film, seeming to assume that it should be realistic film and disappointed, even angry, that it is not.

For audiences who appreciate its Greek dramatic background and the central symbol, the film is somewhat intriguing as it plays out, the African American women banding together, sometimes with song and dance, the response of the men, the possibilities for achieving peace – with Chi- Raq, who is really Demetrius, holding out until he is finally confronted by a wisdom figure, Miss Helen, Angela Bassett, her son having been killed in a random shooting by Demetrius’s father in the same way that he has killed a young girl with the passing bullet, grieved by her mother, Jennifer Hudson.

One of the unexpected features from Spike Lee is that a very serious overview of street violence in the city is given during the initial credits by the real-life Father Michael Pfleger, from the faith community of Santa Sabina, which features as itself in the film. Father Pfleger was a pastor for over 30 years and ran into some difficulties with his bishops. His parish was mainly African- American – but the significant thing is that Father Pfleger is white. Which explains the presence of John Cusack in the film, appearing as the pastor of Santa Sabina, a white accepted by the black community, comforting the grieving mother, giving a fiery and rhetorical sermon, the congregation volubly making their assent, at the funeral, ticking all the pressing issues, and then present at the finale.

In the play, Lysistrata, peace is achieved after the strike of the women. Here there is a gathering, the heads of both gangs, the protesting women, the important presence of Miss Helen. Father Michael serves as a witness. But it is not easy going, Chi- Raq himself unwilling to agree, confronted by Miss Helen about the death of her own son, the role of his father in the death, and his finally kneeling in front of the mother to show his sorrow while giving himself up to serve his sentence.

The same Spike Lee, yet different.

1. An angry film? Preaching film? Spike Lee, his causes, his anger over the decades? Racial issues?

2. The film as preaching to…? Black men, black women, the white community? The stylised presentation – and reaching the male black audience or not?

3. The title, an alternative for Chicago, emphasising the violence, the guns? The initial statistics? The voice-over and commentary from Father Michael Pfleger? Father Pfleger and his ministry? A long ministry, controversial, the model for the priest in this film? The actual faith community of the centre of St Sabina? The irony of the white priest, crusading, black issues, and Spike Lee approving of him? The initial song, the wrap, the words seen on screen, the hard themes, guns and violence? Especially dead children?

4. The rough dialogue, the tone, the rhymes? How effective?

5. The screenplay based on Aristophanes’ Lysistrata? The audience appreciating this? Samuel L. Jackson as chorus, his look, addressing the audience, his comments, his rap, the range of clothes – the touch of the pimp? The continuity and moral points?

6. The bar, the gig, the enthusiasm of the crowd, Chi- Raq/ Demetrius and his singing, the sudden invasion by the gang, the guns, shooting? the revelation of the gangs?

7. Chi- Raq, Lysistrata, the sexual encounter, the sex theme? The shops, the burning house, Chi- Raq and his shooting Patty? Issues of revenge?

8. Miss Helen, Lysistrata going to her, her reading, her books, the importance of books and ideas? Her history, the death of her son? Inviting Lysistrata to stay? The plan, the decision about the women, the group and the recruitment? Cyclops’ woman and members of the other gang? The characters, agreement? The slogan: no peace, no penis?

9. The death of little girl, Patty, the crowd, her mother arriving, unaware, the grief, the police, wanting her to identify the body, nobody giving information? Miss Helen’s comment? Father Michael, his presence, taking care of the mother?

10. The funeral, participation, the reality of whites and blacks? The sermon, fiery, raising all the issues, rhetorical, the shootings and violence, the appeal to the people, the stories, stirring the congregation, the participating and calling out? Father Michael appearing later, the demonstrations, his support? Support of the strike – and his remarks of empathy because of his vow of celibacy? His being a witness to the agreement the end? Spike Lee and the Catholic theme, social concern, the priest involved in resolving disputes – and the influence of the church at this time with the outlook and behaviour of Pope Francis?

11. Lysistrata as a person, her background, orphan, with Chi- Raq, going to see Helen, strong, sexy, with the women? Campaigning? The invitation to Chi- Raq at the end and trapping him, to make the peace agreement?

12. The women, their songs, the dances and choreography? The effect of the strike and the strategies?

13. The Mayor, the police chief, the discussions, the Mayor and his threats – and the squeal from Deliverance? Concern about their wives? The discussions, the bargains?

14. Cyclops, as a leader of the gang, his present background, women, tough?

15. The range of men, in the groups, the violence?

16. The seduction of the general, the cannon, the phallic symbolism, his blindfold, the tricking of the other men, outing them? The authority and reaction?

17. The build-up, the strike, the sex strategy? The handing in of the guns and the pile of guns? All parties involved, the speeches, the Mayor, the police chief, the signing of the documents?

18. Chi- Raq, in purple, his refusing to sign? Miss Helen telling the story about his father, telling about the death of her son, his tears, begging forgiveness, Chi- Raq admitting that he killed Patty, kneeling before the mother for forgiveness, his arrest – and his becoming his real name, Demetrius, instead of Chi- Raq?

19. The finale, the role of Samuel L.Jackson and the stylised moralising?

20. Divided opinion on response to the film and Spike Lee, the effect, not realistic enough, too stylised – or combining realism and the stylised?