>>> HE’S THE TALENTED STORY TELLER WHO’S DIRECTED, PRODUCED,
AND WRITTEN SOME OF HOLLYWOOD’S
MOST ICONIC FILMS.
>> OF COURSE, WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT THE ONE AND ONLY SPIKE
LEE.
LEE. >> HIS NEWEST FILM IS CALLED
"BLACK KLANSMEN" ABOUT AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN DETECTIVE WHO
GOES UNDERCOVER TO INFILTRATE
THE KU KLUX KLAN.
>> RON, PLAYED BY JOHN DAVID
WASHINGTON, PRETENDS TO BE A
RECRUIT.
RECRUIT. RECENTLY WE SAT DOWN WITH SPIKE
AND J.D. TO TALK ABOUT THIS REAL
LIFE STORY.
LIFE STORY. IT’S INCREDIBLE.
IT’S INCREDIBLE. >> HOW DO YOU PROPOSE TO MAKE
THIS INVESTIGATION?
THIS INVESTIGATION? >> I’VE ESTABLISHED CONTACT AND
CREATED SOME FAMILIARITY WITH
THE KLANSMEN OVER THE PHONE.
I’LL CONTINUE IN THAT ROLE, BUT
I’LL NEED ANOTHER OFFICER,
SURPRISE, SURPRISE, A WHITE
OFFICER TO PLAY ME WHEN THEY
MEET FACE TO FACE.
>> THAT’S MY POINT EXACTLY.
>> CHIEF, BLACK RON STALLWORTH
OVER THE PHONE, WHITE RON
STALLWORTH FACE TO FACE SO THERE
BECOMES A COMBINED RON
STALLWORTH.
STALLWORTH. >> CAN YOU DO THAT?
>> I BELIEVE WE CAN WITH THE
RIGHT WHITE MAN.
WE CAN DO ANYTHING.
>> IT’S ALL YOU NEED, THE RIGHT
WHITE MAN.
WHITE MAN. >> I’LL DO IT.
>> WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> YES.
>> YES. I’VE SEEN THIS.
IT’S QUITE A POWERFUL FILM.
I DIDN’T KNOW AT THE TIME IT WAS
A TRUE STORY.
>> YES, JORDAN PEELE, SHOUTOUT
TO MY BROTHER.
HE CALLED ME OUT OF THE BLUE AND
SAID, SPIKE, I HAVE THIS
PROJECT.
PROJECT. I SAID, WHAT IS IT?
HE SAID, REALLY SIX WORDS.
BLACK MAN INFILTRATED KKK.
>> THAT’S INSANE.
YOU COULDN’T MAKE THAT UP.
>> THAT’S HIGH -- YOU CAN’T GET
MORE HOLLYWOOD CONCEPT THAN
THAT.
THAT. I SAID, IS IT TRUE?
HE SAID, YES.
WHEN HE SAID IT, I AUTOMATICALLY
THOUGHT OF THE FAMOUS DAVID
CHAPPELLE SKIT.
CHAPPELLE SKIT. HE SAID IT’S TRUE AND HERE WE
ARE.
ARE. >> AND YOU WERE LOOKING FOR YOUR
LEADING MAN.
LEADING MAN. >> WASN’T LOOKING.
I KNEW.
I KNEW. >> YOU KNEW.
>> HOW DID YOU KNOW?
DID YOU KNOW EACH OTHER BEFORE?
>> WELL, I KNEW HIM BEFORE HE
WAS BORN.
WAS BORN. IT’S NOT A SECRET.
MY BROTHER DENZEL WASHINGTON IS
HIS FATHER.
HIS FATHER. HE WAS IN HIS FIRST FILM WITH
MALCOLM X.
MALCOLM X. HE WAS 6 YEARS OLD.
SO ANY TIME I READ A SCRIPT, I
AUTOMATICALLY THINK, WHO’S GOING
TO PLAY THIS PART?
SO MY BROTHER HERE, HE DIDN’T
HAVE TO AUDITION, HE DIDN’T HAVE
TO READ.
TO READ. >> HE DIDN’T HAVE TO?
>> WHAT?
>> WHAT? YOU MUST HAVE BEEN TERRIFIED
THEN.
THEN. THAT’S A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY.
>> I GOT A TEXT FROM HIM.
I WAS ON LOCATION IN CINCINNATI.
I GOT A TEXT FROM HIM LIKE, YO,
THIS IS SPIKE, CALL ME.
I’VE NEVER GOTTEN A TEXT FROM
SPIKE LEE BEFORE.
I’M LIKE, THIS IS A PRANK, BUT
IT’S WORTH INVESTIGATING.
I CALLED HIM AND KIND OF GOT THE
SAME PITCH.
SAME PITCH. BLACK MAN INFILTRATES THE KU
KLUX KLAN.
KLUX KLAN. SO I’M LIKE, THIS HAS BEEN DONE
BEFORE
BEFORE BEFORE.
BEFORE. HE SENT ME THE BOOK.
I READ THE BOOK.
I CALLED HIM BACK LIKE, THIS IS
CRAZY.
CRAZY. IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?
YEAH, SEE YOU THIS SUMMER.
>> THAT WAS IT?
>> THAT WAS IT.
>> HOW MUCH DIRECTION WAS SPIKE
GIVING YOU ON THE SET?
WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
>> IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST
LIBERATING EXPERIENCES AS AN
ARTIST I’VE EVER HAD.
HE TRUSTED ME WITH THE MATERIAL.
SO THERE WAS REALLY NO -- I
MEAN, SOME TECHNICAL STUFF,
BLOCKING.
BLOCKING. THERE WAS A REHEARSAL PROCESS.
SPIKE IS A BIG PROPONENT OF
PROCESS AND NOT SKIPPING ANY
STEPS.
STEPS. I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT.
IT WAS BENEFICIAL TO THE FILM
AND ALL THE PERFORMANCES THAT
YOU SAW AS A COLLECTIVE.
IT WAS JUST A VERY NATURAL,
ORGANIC FLOW AND RHYTHM OF
FILMMAKING.
FILMMAKING. >> IT’S NICE YOU HAVE THE TIME
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT. WHEN HE SAYS ACTION, YOU KNOW
WHAT WORKS AND WHAT HASN’T
WORKED.
WORKED. >> IT’S LIKE HURRY UP AND WAIT.
>> IT’S GETTING RAVING.
THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW LONG THE
STANDING OVATION WAS AT CANNES,
WHICH IS CRAZY.
WHEN YOU PUT A MOVIE LIKE THIS
OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE, ARE YOU
ON PINS AND NEEDLES?
YOU KNOW IT’S GOTTEN LOVE
ALREADY.
ALREADY. >> WELL, HERE’S THE THING.
I’VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 30 YEARS.
YOU NEVER KNOW.
I LIKE TO SAY THIS.
BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE SEEN IT AND
WE’VE GOTTEN SUCH ACCLAIM,
PEOPLE HAVE GONE BACK AND LOOKED
AT MY BODY OF WORK AND
DISCOVERED FILLMS THEY HAD
MISSED.
MISSED. SO THAT’S BEEN THE BLESSING.
PEEP GOING
PEEP GOING PEOPLE GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT
FILMS THEY MISSED.
>> HOW MANY HAVE YOU DONE NOW?
>> I FORGET.
>> THAT MANY.
>> I GOT TO GO TO IMDB.
>> COUNT THEM UP.
WELL, THIS IS GETTING RAVES.
IT’S NO WONDER.
>> RIGHTLY SO.
CONGRATULATIONS.
CONGRATULATIONS. >> "BLACK KLANSMEN" BY FOCUS
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