>>> AND WELCOME BACK, SPIKE LEE HAS WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND
DIRECTED SOME CLASSIC FILMS, AND
HIS LATEST IS ONLY ADDING TO HIS
LEGENDARY RESUME.
LEGENDARY RESUME. >> LEGENDARY TO SAY THE LEAST,
"BLACKkKLANSMAN," IT IS BASED ON
THE TRUE STORY OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLICE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLICE DETECTIVE RON STALLWORTH.
>> STALLWORTH WORKED IN COLORADO
SPRINGS IN THE ’70s.
HE WENT UNDERCOVER TO INFILTRATE
THE KU KLUX KLAN.
>> I’VE ESTABLISHED CONTACT AND
CREATED SOME FAMILIARITY WITH
THE CLANSMEN OVER THE PHONE.
I’LL CONTINUE IN THAT ROLE,
WE’LL NEED ANOTHER OFFICER TO
PLAY ME WHEN THEY MEET
FACE-TO-FACE.
FACE-TO-FACE. >> THAT’S MY POINT EXACTLY.
>> BLACK RONSTALLWORTH OVER THE
PHONE.
PHONE. WHITE RON STALLWORTH OVER THE
PHONE.
PHONE. >> HAPPY NEW YEAR.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> YOU’VE BEEN UP, RIGHT?
>> ALL OF US HAVE BEEN UP.
>> BEFORE THE CRACK OF DAWN.
>> NOW THIS STORY, IT’S A
REMARKABLE MOVIE, BUT EVEN MORE
SO THAT IT’S A TRUE STORY.
A REMARKABLE TRUE STORY.
IS THAT WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO
THIS MOVIE?
THIS MOVIE? >> THE PREMISE, THE GREAT JORDAN
PEELE, JOUNYOU KNOW HE CALLED ME
SIX WORD PITCH, BLACK MAN
INFILTRATES KU KLUX KLAN.
>> THAT WAS IT.
>> FIRST I SAID IS THIS A DAVE
CHAPPELLE SKIT FIRST?
HE SAID NO, NO NO.
OKAY.
OKAY. I’M IN.
I’M IN. >> THERE’S BEEN SO MUCH BUZZ
AROUND THIS MOVIE.
>> TEN-MINUTE STANDING OVATION.
>> I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG IT WAS,
BUT PEOPLE WERE ON THEIR FEET.
IT WAS A GREAT FEELING.
>> FOR FOLKS WHO HAVEN’T SEEN
IT, CAN YOU SORT OF SET IT UP
FOR THOSE FOLKS AND TELL THEM
WHAT IN GENERAL IT’S ABOUT?
>> IT’S ABOUT -- IT’S A
CONTEMPORARY FILM THAT TAKES
PLACE IN THE PAST WHERE WE
REALLY CONNECTED BOTH, AND I
THINK THAT’S WHY THE FILM IS
CONNECTED WITH PEOPLE ALL OVER
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. >> IT WAS ONE OF THE FAVORITE --
ONE OF MY FAVORITE FILMS FROM
LAST YEAR, AND I’M NOT JUST
SAYING THAT BECAUSE YOU’RE
SITTING HERE.
SITTING HERE. YOU’VE GOT RON STALLWORTH AT THE
RALLY.
RALLY. >> DENZEL’S SON, BUT PAULETTE’S
SON AS WELL.
>> DON’T LEAVE PAULETTA OUT.
>> I MADE THAT MISTAKE ONCE.
>> YOU GOT PUT IN CHECK?
>> WHEN HE MADE HIS POINT, I WAS
LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT, AS A MOMMA’S
BOY I CAN APPRECIATE THAT.
THERE’S ALSO STALLWORTH AS A
BLACK POLICE OFFICER AT THE
RALLY, AT THE BLACK STUDENT
UNION.
UNION. HOW MUCH OF THIS FILM IS ABOUT
IDENTITY?
IDENTITY? >> EVERYTHING’S ABOUT IDENTITY
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE POSING,
SWITCHING LANES, YOU KNOW, DOING
WHAT’S GOING TO BE BEST FOR
THEM.
THEM. AND ALSO, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT
WHEN YOU’RE AN UNDERCOVER COP,
TOO.
TOO. I THINK IDENTITY IS PEOPLE, YOU
KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE CHANGE
THEIR NAME, YOU KNOW, TO GET A
JOB?
JOB? ETHNIC NAME BACK IN THE DAY.
>> PASS.
>> PASS. >> THAT’S IT.
>> A LOT OF FOLKS PASS.
>> THE BROWN PAPER TEST.
>> BESIDES THE FACT THAT IT’S
SUCH A WELL-MADE MOVIE, I WAS
KIND OF SURPRISED, THERE IS A
SURPRISING AMOUNT OF HUMOR IN
THIS MOVIE?
THIS MOVIE? >> WELL, I’M GLAD YOU USED THE
WORD HUMOR INSTEAD OF COMEDY
BECAUSE THE HUMOR IS ORGANIC
BECAUSE ABSURD BECAUSE YOU WERE
FROM -- JUST THE PREMISE IS
ABSURD, AND THAT’S WHERE THE
HUMOR COMES.
HUMOR COMES. WE WEREN’T WRITING JOKES FOR
THIS.
THIS. THIS WAS ORGANIC.
>> YOU WERE NOMINATED FOR A
DIRECTOR’S GUILD OF AMERICA
AWARD.
AWARD. >> FIRST TIME EVER.
>> FIRST TIME EVER.
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU IF YOU
WERE TO WIN THAT?
>> HOW SHOULD I ANSWER THIS?
>> LET SPIKE BE SPIKE.
SPIKE BE SPIKE.
>> I’LL BE GRATEFUL.
I’LL BE GRATEFUL, AND IT ALSO
WILL BE A TESTAMENT TO THE
PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON THE FILM IN
FRONT OF AND BEHIND THE CAMERA
AND ALSO FOCUS FEATURES HAS DONE
A GREAT JOB PROMOTING THE FILM,
TOO.
TOO. >> JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON, ONE OF
THE STARS OF THIS FILM, A LOT OF
FOLKS DON’T REALIZE HE’S AT THE
END OF MALCOLM X AS WELL.
>> SIX YEARS OLD.
HE HAS ONE LINE.
>> MY NAME IS MALCOLM X.
>> WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FILM?
I KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO SAY
SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING A BUNCH
OF CHILDREN AND IT’S LIKE
PICKING A CHILD.
>> THE LATEST ONE IS ALWAYS THE
FAVORITE.
FAVORITE. >> THAT’S ALWAYS THE FAVORITE.
>> YOU’VE DIRECTED DENZEL.
>> FOUR TIMES.
>> AND NOW YOU DIRECT JOHN
DAVID.
DAVID. >> IT’S A BLESSING.
>> YOU’RE PROBABLY THE ONLY
DIRECTOR WHO’S DIRECTED A
FATHER/SON TEAM.
FATHER/SON TEAM. >> DON’T BET THE HOUSE.
DON’T BET THAT GREAT UPPER EAST
SIDE CONDO.
SIDE CONDO. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> THERE -- PLEASE.
>> I DON’T GO WITH NO BOSTON
TEAM.
TEAM. ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. >> "BLACKkKLANSMAN."
>> "BLACKkKLANSMAN." >> EVEN IF YOU GOT A VOTE.
>> OUR SISTER COMPANY FOCUS
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