MOVIES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021 • THE BULLETIN
GO! MAGAZINE • PAGE 21
Solid script, stellar performances
elevate ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
BY MAKENZIE WHITTLE • The Bulletin
“A
nywhere there’s people, there’s power.” This is one of many rallying cries from director and co-writer Shaka King’s new film “Judas and the Black
Messiah.” The film is so full of quotes like this it might at first glance seem excessively preachy, but it’s not. Living up to its title, the film highlights
the humanity and the work Illinois Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton (played powerfully by Daniel Kaluuya) sought to achieve over the final
year of his life.
But it’s not just his story or that of the
Black Panthers. Attention is instead called to
his Judas: Bill O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield).
Beginning in 1968 with O’Neal, a 17-year
old carjacker who uses a fake FBI badge
to nick his chosen ride (“A badge is scarier
than a gun” he says) and is then arrested.
Faced with at least 15 years in prison, real
FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) of-
fers him a deal — infiltrate the Black Pan-
ther Party and Fred Hampton’s inner circle.
He agrees and the game is set in motion.
We find Hampton, the fervent orator
delivering impassioned speeches and con-
ducting work in the community includ-
ing setting up free breakfast programs and
free health clinics. We also see threads of
the Black Panther’s more militant defenses
which are neither glorified or vilified by
anyone except for the FBI agents and J. Ed-
gar Hoover (a heavily makeuped Martin
Sheen) attempting to take down the party.
When O’Neal finds his way in, he quickly
finds the most efficient avenues to get close
to Hampton and easily feeds information to
Mitchell and the FBI.
He follows Hampton as he eventually
broadens’ the scope of the Party’s platform,
enacting the Rainbow Coalition, uniting the
Pather’s, the Crown’s, the Young Lords and
the Young Patriots and other Chicago gangs
of all backgrounds to form a nonaggression
pact and work together to rise their respec-
tive communities out of poverty.
O’Neal rises to become head of the chap-
ter’s security gaining him invaluable access.
As time wears on though, it becomes more
and more difficult to keep his composure
and his apathy towards the movement.
We as an audience know what’s about to
happen. Even if you are unaware of the his-
tory, the clue is in the title.
And told in perfectly biblical fashion, “Ju-
More Information
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
126 minutes
Rated R for violence and pervasive language
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das and the Black Messiah” weave the events
leading up to the betrayal with powerful sto-
rytelling, strong performances throughout
and vulnerability when discussing Hampton
and his humanity.
Kaluuya is unflinching in his portrayal of
Chairman Fred and Stanfield quietly plays
the duality within O’Neal well.
What “Judas” does really well is it never
turns any of its characters into a caricature.
The story does drag slightly through the
second act but works to lay out every detail
leading up to the climactic ending.
It is interesting that this was released within
months of “Trial of the Chicago 7,” which
takes place during the same time in and
same place as “Judas” and reflects on similar
themes. But “Judas” is the superior film.
The story is more compelling, and it is told
more deftly. Where “Trial” becomes overly
prophetic and wordy, “Judas” doesn’t feel
like it’s banging the point and the allusions
to modern-day activism and struggles over
your head quite as much. The connections are
there, but they feel more naturally placed.
Overall, the story leading up to the death
of Fred Hampton is outstanding due to
stellar performances and a solid script that
make “Judas and the Black Messiah” capti-
vating in a world that still faces similar strife
nearly 60 years later.
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Reporter: 541-383-0304, mwhittle@bendbulletin.com
new on DVD & Blu-ray
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Movies released the week of Feb. 16
“The Informer,” “A Call to Spy,” “Archenemy” and “The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee.”
LaKeith
Stanfield
performs
in a scene
from “Ju-
das and
the Black
Messiah”
Warner Bros.