"“Black GI: is it fair to serve more than the white Americans who send you here? Nothing is more confused than to be ordered into a war to die without the faintest idea of what’s going on. I dedicate this next record to the Soul Brothers of the First Infantry Divisions. Be safe.” These are the opening words of the trailer for Spike Lee’s latest film, Da 5 Bloods, spoken by “Hanoi Hannah,” who was a real-life Vietnamese radio broadcaster during the Vietnam War."
"Set to the Chambers Brothers’ psychedelic “Time Has Come Today,” the preview gives us our first look at the story of four African-American Vets — Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) — who return to Vietnam, looking for buried treasure and the remains of their fallen squadron leader, played in flashbacks by Chadwick Boseman."
Da 5 Bloods follows four African-American Vietnam War veterans—Paul, Otis, Eddie, and Melvin—returning to Vietnam to locate buried treasure and the remains of their fallen squadron leader, seen in flashbacks played by Chadwick Boseman. The film juxtaposes psychedelic soundtrack and archival violence to portray a Vietnam that is both changed and painfully familiar. The veterans wrestle with aging, trauma, shifting political loyalties, and fractured brotherhood. Paul’s character is portrayed as having embraced reactionary politics, creating internal conflict. Jonathan Majors appears as Paul’s son. The story blends present-day exploration, memory-driven flashbacks, and commentary on race and veteran experience.
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