Spike Lee's newest movie, "Chi-Raq," has set off a massive controversy since the first trailer came out on November 3. The movie is a modern adaptation of the ancient Greek play "Lysistrata" by Aristophanes. Instead of taking place during the Trojan war, "Chi-Raq" has been updated to take place in Chicago during rising gang warfare.
To combat this warfare, the girlfriend of the movie's titular character (who is the leader of a gang) decides to rally all of the wives and girlfriends of all gang members involved the gang war to abstain from having sex with their husbands and boyfriends until the war is over. This movie has been lambasted by many on Twitter, including popular Chicagoan Chance The Rapper. Critics of "Chi-Raq" have called out the movie in the tweets below.
(Source:Twitter.com)
I find myself defending the movie against its many critics, Chance included. I feel like the reason the violence is so extreme in "Chi-Raq" is because it's a satire; therefore, to expose the absurdities in society, the violence must be plentiful and over the top. As for the plot, I understand why Spike incorporated "Lysistrata" with modern-day Chicago, due to both conflicts involving unnecessary bloodshed that must be stopped.
Another complaint against the movie was the use of the slang term "Chi-Raq" which many say is problematic, but once again, when addressing the intense violence through a satirical lens, I believe using this title as a comparison to Iraq should be accepted.
The casting of John Cusack has also angered some who believe he is making a mockery of black preachers. But according to a Spike Lee interview on "The Daily Show," Cusack's character is based off a white preacher in Chicago, Lee's interview can be seen below.
Knowing all of the complaints against this movie, I'm still very excited to see it. I believe once the movie comes out, a lot of people will soften their stance. So far the movie is getting rave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, at 80 percent. I don't know about about you, but I know I'm both interested and excited to see "Chi-Raq."
