When the Levees Broke

After the excellent crime drama Inside Man, Spike Lee tackled another documentary. In When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, the gifted filmmaker surveys the damage of Hurricane Katrina and questions the government response. The film is powerful and is as good a documentary as I’ve seen. Clocking in at four hours, the movie ran in two parts on HBO.

Why Spike Lee Matters

Spike Lee is often equated with racism. Many might even call him a racist. But his movies deal with life and all of the elements in it. Sure, Lee is angry at times, but his antagonism and rage is justified in most cases and fuels his creativity in many profound ways. Without his feeling and emotion in some of his best projects, Lee is just another filmmaker. It’s because he is so controversial, angry, and so damn interesting that his films stand the test of time.

Like with Do the Right Thing, Lee’s movies can be seen as a sort of litmus test for audiences. Some might empathize with some of the characters and deride the others, while a different audience will feel a completely different way. Lee’s ability to conduct an orchestra of colour, feeling, and passion for his audience is part of what makes him special.

Whether he’s frustrating, comical, angry, or thoughtful, Spike Lee is always interesting. Even at a Knicks game, he might be the most mesmerizing person there. He once said that only white people could be racist because black people didn’t have the power to be racist. He never keeps his mouth shut, never holds his tongue, and never hides his opinion.

With Spike Lee, you either love him or you hate him. You either find beauty in his films or you don’t. There’s not much room for middle ground with him. As he grows older, his movies take on a more poignant feel and something unique appears to be on the horizon. Lee has made most of the movies he’s always wanted to make, or so he says, but he’ll likely never stop being appealing. With Miracle at St. Anna due in October 2008, perhaps a new chapter in his life will be set to film.

Suggested Filmography

• She's Gotta Have It - 1986
• Do the Right Thing – 1989
• Jungle Fever – 1991
• Malcolm X – 1992
• 4 Little Girls – 1997
• Summer of Sam – 1999
• Bamboozled – 2000
• 25th Hour – 2002
• Inside Man – 2006
• When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts - 2006