The Black Panther Party (aka Black Panther Party for Self-Defence or BPP) was founded by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in Oakland, California October 1966. Their goals were to empower Black communities by providing food, housing and education as well as put an end to police brutality. They are a significant inspiration to the current Black Lives Matter movement, with the BPP behind the iconography of the Black Power salute. A cultural phenomenon and significant moment in modern history, Judas & The Black Messiah tells the story of Fred Hampton, Bill O’Neal and the Illinois branch.
Deemed as the greatest threat to the internal security of the country by the FBI, the Black Panther Party is making significant waves. They attempt to bring them down from the inside, with FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) giving carjacker Bill O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) two options: A double digit stint in jail or infiltrate the Black Panthers and snitch to the Bureau. The closer he gets to Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback) and the rest of Panthers, the more torn his allegiances are, along with his psyche as he constantly watches his back. Eloquently described by first-time director Shaka King as The Departed with a Fred Hampton biopic within it, the narrative flows seamlessly from one tense scene to the next, every glimmer of a high note followed by a swift slap back to reality.
A film about resilience and perseverance, its style of storytelling with dual perspectives adds more depth to the characters, making sure the audience is engaged whilst nuanced themes unfold. With Bill O’Neal, I felt emotions of surprise & anger, followed by grim realisation and empathy. A victim of the system, if it wasn’t him they would have pressured someone else instead. Given a new lease on life, the occasional window into an exclusionary society, who can blame Bill when it goes to his head. However, it all comes at a price which he struggles to afford as events transpire. With Fred Hampton, the movie really highlights his selfless and caring character. Undeterred by the violence, the set-backs, and the sheer amount of work required, Fred gets more passionate, more sympathetic and more educated about their revolution. With every inspiration comes another tragedy, trying to remain positive and strong for the cause and his family against adversity. Even Roy Mitchell gets some pity as another cog pressured into compromising situations within an organisation built upon discrimination, but this comes from a choice rather than being born into it. They’re all shown as people, not caricatures, standing up for what they believe in or just trying to survive life. You could argue either way whether Fred Hampton or Bill O’Neal is the main character but why bother when you can just stick both Daniel Kaluuya & LaKeith Stanfield in the Best Supporting Actor category. A ball dropped once again by the academy, fumbled back with Kaluuya becoming a deserving winner.
This movie is not an easy watch but is certainly a must watch. A more honest portrayal of events than the previous true stories reviewed in this season, its tone was depressing despite the sprinkling of inspiration. With intentions similar to The Departed (one of my personal favourites), dual protagonists is something I would like to incorporate into my own projects. After all, every story has multiple sides and exploring them can really enhance the film. It’s difficult to say if I enjoyed Judas & The Black Messiah, but it certainly left me thinking afterwards, deciphering what it’s all about and what it’s worth.