4 Little Girls

Spike Lee should maybe stick to making HBO docs.

(Just Watched) - Consensus: Spectacular

Lee is a highly underrated documentarian, between this and the Katrina doc. HBO built its reputation on these films.

In his stirring and sometimes inflammatory depictions of racial inequality, and a sympathy for the hearts who have borne the burden of the black experience in America, one of Spike Lee's consistently tremendous proficiencies has been montage. It lends well to works of essay and documentary, and culminates here into something especially deep felt.

As a documentary, it achieves everything it should: it informs us, it moves us, and it reminds us of the evil that we Americans have in our past, and still have today. "Never forget", indeed. It goes without saying that this was an awful act of hatred, its impact still sharply felt by friends and family of the victims. However, I question the need for Bill Cosby to chime in, or Jesse Jackson for that matter. It pulled me out of the film for a moment. Other than that, a strong and memorable film.

Spike Lee's a skilled visual storyteller: in narratives, advertisements, or here, as a documentarian. From the outset he gives fantastic historical context. And he sparingly uses George Wallace at the end of his life to describe overseeing an oppressive regime. The film has minor flaws: too many extreme close-ups, unneeded emotional manipulation, and a Bill Cosby speech on destroying young girls that doesn't hold up. But it's a piece of emotional archeology that should be viewed at least once.

Watched distracted while online, missed maybe half of it.