They laughed [because] Denzel was too old to play 25-year-old me., But Stallworth was onto something: The role eventually went to Denzels 34-year-old son, John David Washington. When Spike Lee first heard about Ron Stallworth an African-American detective who infiltrated the Colorado Springs K.K.K. A major comeback for Spike Lee, this incredible true story gives the outspoken director a ripe opportunity to focus his frustration in a constructive way. Box number. (In the memoir, he is given the alias Chuck.), In fact, Stallworth says that his undercover partner didnt want to be involved from the get-go with the book. Shut up, shut up. Subjected to a disgraceful interview featuring many questions no white candidate would be expected to answer, Ron is hired to the Colorado Springs police force on a kind of provisional basis. He figures that infiltrating the KKK is the best way to prevent any hate crimes they might seek to commit. This is a hugely impractical arrangement and one that requires Ron and Flip to work together closely in getting their stories straight. WebBlacKkKlansman (2018) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Spike Lee Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Music by Terence Blanchard Cinematography by Chayse Irvin director of photography Film Editing by Barry Alexander Brown Casting By Kim Coleman Production Design by Duke didnt say anything after I said Id arrest him for assault of a police officer. Though Stallworth no longer possesses that photo, he remembers how good it felt to pull one over the Grand Wizard in his own place of power. Brittany, a registered nurse; Taylor, who works for ESPN in marketing promotions in Charlotte, NC; Alex, a freshman at Auburn; and Terrance, who is a senior in high school. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The film was released on August 10, 2018 and won an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. Dont focus on the fact that this movie is about that particular group, because whether they call themselves the Klan or Neo-Nazis or skinheads or the alt-right or Republicans, theyre all the same. How did you stand up to that? 1.9K. Ron Stallworth: [answering a phone call from Duke] Mr. Duke, I'm so sorry we didn't get to spend more one-on-one time together. This film is based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, a black police officer who wanted to infiltrate the KKK. As Ron explains, Black Ron Stallworth over the phone, white Ron Stallworth face-to-face, so there becomes a combined Ron Stallworth.. Were going backwards instead of forward., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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"I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. A fan of Lees work My favorite Spike Lee joint is Malcolm X Stallworth got to meet with the director last October, when he was invited to Lees 40 Acres and a Mule headquarters in Brooklyn for a cast read-through. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from, he did offer advice to Washington when needed, the violent 2017 Unite the Right protests in Charlottesville, Virginia. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. And yet, theres something amiss about Rons plan, since theres no way he can show up to a Klan meeting without blowing his cover. To take advantage of all of CharacTours features, you need your own personal If D.W. Griffiths The Birth of a Nation was like writing history with lightning, as Woodrow Wilson described it way back in 1915, then Spike Lees BlacKkKlansman is the roll of thunder that was eventually sure to follow. Decades after the conclusion of the investigation, Duke called Stallworth out of the blue last Sunday to voice his concerns about his portrayal in the films trailers. In the movie, we can also see the KKK rites, with the white costums and all tradition. Were still having the struggle. Based on actual events. He was offered the opportunity to contribute in terms of telling his side of the story, he says, and basically said he had enough., Sadly, Stallworth says, the racist hate that is depicted in the movie is still happening today. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, hair department head (as Lawanda Pierre-Weston), second second assistant director (as Christina Ann Walker), assistant property master (as Lou Charles), dialogue editor / supervising sound editor, supervising foley editor (as Steve Visscher), special effects coordinator (as Steve Kirshoff), special effects coordinator / special effects crew, visual effects supervisor (as Randy Balsmeyer), additional digital compositor (as David C. Valdez), additional first assistant camera (uncredited), dailies technician / deliverables technician, assistant location manager (as Jeffrey Horne), conductor / featured musician: synthesizers & piano / orchestrator, composer: additional music / musician: additional 'Birth of a Nation' piano music, production assistant / promotional services, assistant: Sean McKittrick, Raymond Mansfield and Shaun Redick, special thanks (as Mr. BlacKkKlansman Himself). characters are most like you. (Ron may have initiated the investigation, but it seems infinitely simpler to let Flip take the lead.) Following this weeks screening in Brooklyn, Stallworth will attend film screenings at Alamo Drafthouse theaters across the country. Rons story is nearly too strange to be believed, which is precisely what makes it so compelling (his memoir has long been out of print, making it tough to fact-check, though a tie-in version will be reissued in advance of the films Aug. 10 release date). I couldnt be happier that hes the one that brought me to life on the screen., Stallworth, whose book was reissued in June, had final approval on the screenplay written by David Rabinowitz and Charlie Wachtel that made its way to producer Jordan Peele (Get Out). The real-life detective behind Spike Lee's latest film discusses his experiences with the Ku Klux Klan. Ron Stallworth Gets Into Law Enforcemnt Ever since the Ku Klux Klan formed in 1865, the white supremacy groups level of power has gone through waves. While that might sound unbelievable, the film is an autobiographical story based on the life of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first black officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. Cleaver was also a student organizer, who after meeting the Black Panther's minister of information Eldridge Cleaver, joined the Panthers herself and moved to San Francisco. WebRon Stallworth (born June 18, 1953) is an American retired police officer who infiltrated the ranks of the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the late 1970s. Basically Ron Stallworth: [to the other officers] Shut the fuck up. And then there was that Nigger detective. In the BlacKkKlansman movie, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) develops a relationship with an activist college student named Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier). I thought we had made progress, says Stallworth, who is now retired and living with his wife in El Paso, Texas. In the movie we have funny moments and romance too; Ron falls in love with Patrice, a beautiful blanck woman who fights racism. Shut the fuck up. In a prejudiced world, Ron has learned to turn the other cheek and keep his frustrations in check. Can I ask you a question, sir? These days, the go-to approach for fact-based films is gritty, handheld realism, and yet, Lee has always favored a more heightened impressionistic approach one that reminds audiences that they are watching a movie. Please enable Javascript and hit the button below! Though Lee is just one of four credited writers on the film (David Rabinowitz and Charlie Wachtel are both white), the director is hyperaware of the way mass media shapes our view of the world, contributing a film whose principal agenda seems to be shaming the white-supremacist bigots and then-Grand Wizard David Duke (Topher Grace) in particular who would be most embarrassed to know that their group was infiltrated by a black man. And Spike said, Is this true? says Stallworth of the outlandish story of how he, as the first black police detective in Colorado Springs, Colo., began getting intel on the KKK through phone calls with them while masquerading as a white recruit. Premiere Of Focus Features' "BlacKkKlansman" - After Party. Ron Stallworth (pictured here in 1975) was the first black detective in the history of the Colorado Springs Police Department. 1.9K. Werent you intimidated or afraid? I said No, I was a trained undercover cop, and we dont get afraid, we do our job. I told him to just hang in there, recognize that youre the one in charge, youre the officer, they answer to you not the other way around, and project that. He just believes its better to work within a broken system to improve it, rather than tearing down the system altogether. He still carries his KKK membership card in his wallet as a powerful reminder. I had just met those heroic brothers in the cause. In the closing minutes of BlackkKlansman, Lees tale transitions to real-life footage of the violent 2017 Unite the Right protests in Charlottesville, Virginia showing that the KKKs legacy is alive and well in America today. | 'Cause that Nigga, coon, gator bait, spade, spook, Sambo, spear-chucking jungle bunny, Mississippi wind chime Ron Stallworth: [continuing] detective is Ron Stallworth, you racist, peckerwood, redneck, inch worm, needle-dick motherfucker! The rookie cops first assignment is to attend a meeting where the black students union at the local college has invited civil rights leader Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins) to speak. Once more, Stallworth ended the interaction feeling he had gotten the best of the white supremacist. Soon after, Stallworth replies to a KKK ad in a local newspaper using his real name (a major no-no for undercover work), and ends up talking to the local chapter head. Is Ron Stallworth in the Hall of Fame? By contrast, Rons character is defined more by his Afro than by the actor that inhabits it, whereas Driver (whos gracious enough not to steal any of the scenes he shares with Washington) starts to feel like the lead by virtue of being the more conflicted performer. WebWhile Ron continues to handle the phone conversationsincluding with Grand Wizard David Dukehe enlists his white co-worker Philip Flip Zimmerman to act as his in-person stand-in. He obviously felt the need to call me because he went through the process of finding my number. What I tell people is, dont sleep on the Klan. And I think that Spike Lee did a good work because hemanaged to make in making a comedy with a dramatic issue, and Adam Driver and John David Washington have a really good actor's game, it couldn't be other actors!