December 30th in Chicago. This is the latest Spike Lee Joint about the violence on Chicago's South Side. The film is actually based on Aristophanes' classical Greek comedy, Lysistrata. The play was set during the Peloponnesian Wars where the women of Sparta and Troy withheld sex from the men as punishment for fighting the war. Lee takes the same premise and puts in modern day Chicago. Lee and co-writer Kevin Willmont wrote the dialogue in ancient text. That means a lot of iambic pentameter. Very Shakespearean (or what I would consider Shakespearean). Here's how the cast breaks down:
- Nick Cannon as Chi-Raq, Spartan gang leader
- Teyonah Parris as Lysistrata, Chi-Raq's lover
- Wesley Snipes as Cyclops, Trojan gang leader
- Angela Bassett as Miss Helen, Lysistrata's neighbor
- Samuel L. Jackson as Dolmedes, The Narrator
- John Cusack as Father Mike Corridan, local priest who preaches non-violence
- Jennifer Hudson as Irene, Cyclops' lover
- D.B. Sweeney as Mayor McCloud, Chicago's Mayor
- Dave Chappelle as Morris, local strip club owner
- Steve Harris as Old Duke, leader of non-gang affiliated males
- Harry Lennix as Commissioner Blades, Police Commissioner
The film opens at a club where Chi-Raq is performing and violence erupts with a member of both the Trojans and Spartans are shot. Later that night there is an another attempt on Chi's life at Lysistrata's home. Chi retaliates but Lysistrata's home is damaged by a fire. The next day a young child is killed in the streets by a stray bullet. The girl's mother pleads for someone to step forward but nothing happens. Lysistrata is forced to stay with her neighbor, Miss Helen due to the damages of her home. As they talk about the violence in the neighborhood Miss Helen mentions that the power to end the violence lies with the women of the gang members. She cites a modern example a sex strike in Nigeria that produced positive results. Lysistrata begins to recruit her own friends and makes a plea to Irene and her crew (negotiations take place over wine, given). They realize that in order for this to work, they need to get all the women in the neighborhood to comply. Soon the sex strike takes hold and goes city wide.
Things come to a boil when Lysistrata and her army take over the National Guard Armory. The Mayor dispatches Commissioner Blades to lay siege to the armory and bring a settlement. The women won't budge and finally amnesty is offered by Lysistrata just wants peace. In order to end things, there will be a final "sex off" between Chi and Lysistrata, first one to finish loses. As the two are about to get amorous, it's all a ruse to get Chi and Cyclops to settle their scores and call a truce. Cyclops does just that, realizing that the cycle of violence is senseless. It's later revealed that Miss Helen's daughter was killed by Chi's father years ago. Chi breaks down confesses that he was the one who accidentally shot the young girl.
Teyonha Parris absolutely owns the screen and commands attention. Her performance was nothing short of masterful. Nick Cannon was surprisingly good as Chi-Raq. I was not expecting that solid of a performance from him at all. Samuel L. Jackson kept things going as the narrator. It's hard for me to imagine how difficult it was for the actors to deliver the dialogue, especially of they're not classically trained. Strong performances all around. There are some lighthearted and even funny moments but it never loses sight of the central theme, Chicago gun violence is an epidemic that needs a cure. Lee pokes fun at our country's gun culture by referencing Sandy Hook by saying, if white school children that get gunned down doesn't spark a wave of gun control then nothing will.
In my opinion this was a poignant film that made me think about our violent culture and our country's love affair with guns. To me it's deplorable. I understand that Spike Lee's films don't always have a mass appeal and the way the film is delivered is not for everyone but it's worth seeing. It's available On Demand or to stream if seeing it in a theater isn't an option. Once again Spike is able to make a film on a subject that people don't like to talk about. Chi-Raq may not be the return to form from his hey day (his films from 1988-1995, some of his best work) but it's a solid film.
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