Spike Lee’s latest controversial film, “BlacKkKlansman,” has been doing remarkably well at the box office and with critics. With over 250 reviews, the film holds an incredible 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, as of this writing. However, one of the more vocal critics of the film is none other than Boots Riley, director of the recent breakout “Sorry to Bother You.” As we covered last week, Riley penned a three-page response to “BlacKkKlansman,” where he criticized everything from the tone of the film, the facts behind the “true” story, and even Lee, himself.
READ MORE: ‘Sorry To Bother You’ Director Boots Riley Pens Takedown Of Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman’
And now, in response to Riley’s criticism, Lee has finally spoken up and defended his film, while also not trying to start any sort of battle with the other filmmaker. In a new interview with The Times, Lee was asked about his new film, which was had its premiere earlier this year at Cannes, and he was asked specifically about the Boots Riley tweet.
For those that didn’t read Riley’s piece, he criticized the authenticity of the film and the way that Lee added parts to the story that made the police department feel almost heroic. Riley says that in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, having a film like “BlacKkKlansman” show the police as heroes during that volatile time is problematic.
However, when the Times asked Lee to reply to those criticisms, Lee wasn’t so forthcoming. “Well. I’m not going to comment on that,” Lee replies.
But then Lee goes on to comment on it by saying, “Look at my films: they’ve been very critical of the police, but on the other hand I’m never going to say all police are corrupt, that all police hate people of color. I’m not going to say that. I mean, we need police. Unfortunately, police in a lot of instances have not upheld the law; they have broken the law. But I’d also like to say, sir, that Black people are not a monolithic group. I have had Black people say, ‘How can a bourgeois person like Spike Lee do Malcolm X?’”
As the writer points out, this is far from the response that a younger Lee would have given, when he was known for being one of the more outspoken filmmakers out there, similar to Riley. When asked if Lee wants to start a public dispute with Riley, he replies, “I hope not. I’m a young chap, a young man aged 61, but before I was an even younger chap. Now when I get a hint that this stuff is maybe going to dilute the message of my film, I know it is not going to do me any good to comment.”
“BlacKkKlansman” is in theaters all across the US now, and is expanding worldwide in the coming months.