In our time, the magic phrase “based on real events” relieves creators of a certain amount of criticism for what is shown on screen, but also provides an opportunity to shed light on important historical moments. And “Judas and the Black Messiah” is not a modern retelling of the Bible; it is a very real story that took place in the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s. How interesting is it to watch?

About the Plot

Young car thief Bill O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) does it beautifully and virtuosically – which is how he falls into the hands of the FBI, who task him with infiltrating the ranks of the Black Panthers in Chicago and periodically leaking information. At that time, the chairman of the party is the endlessly charismatic and persuasive Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), ready to go beyond the simple functioning of his party for the sake of his beliefs and the overthrow of capitalism.

Gradually, Bill begins to believe more and more in the Black Panthers and Fred himself, while a real threat looms over Hampton in the form of FBI Director Hoover (Martin Sheen).

A Well-Made Film

Lately, the phrase “it’s a well-made film” can be applied to almost any Western release. Directors are competent, cinematographers try their best, and costume designers and makeup artists do an excellent job with their tasks.

In the case of “Judas and the Black Messiah,” the work is indeed more than serious – the viewer needed to be immersed in that time period and that diaspora where the main action took place. The result not only meets expectations, it is truly good.

Contrasts

And again, we have a social work that largely becomes a statement on social and political issues. The main characters are opposed by the FBI, most often represented on screen by Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons). Moreover, we are even partially shown his daily life through the lens of Bill O’Neal’s perception.

And this respectability and pure individualism are sharply contrasted with the camaraderie we see among the ranks of the Black Panthers. It’s like something artificial against the backdrop of something real and truly revolutionary.

“Judas and the Black Messiah” as a Critique of the State Machine

Interestingly, the Panthers are shown here in a highly ambiguous light – they care for each other, but are ready to torture and kill “pigs” (as they call police officers, any of them) and traitors without a shred of remorse. They love, suffer from oppression and racism, support each other, but at the same time agitate for violence.

But even against their backdrop, the FBI looks like a bunch of two-faced jerks who fall into two types: either active racists and bastards, or those who easily fall under the influence of the former and adopt their views.

Interestingly, just a couple of months before this, we had the pleasure of seeing the film “”, which featured the same critique, the same time period, even the same Black Panthers – Bobby Seale was mentioned several times in that film. Americans are very concerned right now with the history of black oppression against the backdrop of BLM, and who better than the Black Panthers to serve as wonderful symbols of fighters for their rights?

Roman Kovalev

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Open material

Will “Judas and the Black Messiah” Appeal to a Russian-Speaking Audience?

That’s the problem. I’d bet my head that the vast majority, even if they’ve heard of the Black Panthers, had no idea they held socialist views, called each other comrades, and founded the Rainbow Coalition. Instead of delving into the relationships between the characters, there’s a high chance that a Russian viewer will frantically try to figure out what’s going on and who wants what.

To avoid being too distracted, you need to prepare in advance – read some historical documents, watch a couple of films – heck, even just glance at “The Trial of the Chicago 7” to understand that everything unfolded against the backdrop of the highly unpopular Vietnam War. And not everyone is ready to do homework before watching a movie.

Of course, knowledge and understanding of the problems of the black population in America, with which we have become so closely intertwined over the years of development and whose cultural heritage we consume with great interest and scale, will only benefit the viewer. The story of Hampton and O’Neal is quite interesting, the love line is plausible, and the actions of some party radicals, while trying to be somewhat justified, are not excused.

However, if you feel irritated that America continues to impose responsibility on other countries for its own, purely white-American actions in the recent past, then you should skip this film.

You can watch the film’s trailer here.