Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Gets Standing Ovation at Cannes; Watch First Trailer

[videowaywire video_id=”1301F712B5AAD729″]

Adam Driver stars as Flip Zimmerman and John David Washington as Ron Stallworth in Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, a Focus Features release. Credit: David Lee / Focus Features
Adam Driver stars as Flip Zimmerman and John David Washington as Ron Stallworth in Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, a Focus Features release.
Credit: David Lee / Focus Features

*Spike Lee made his return to the Cannes Film Festival Monday night (May 14) in grand style for the worldwide debut of his new film “BlacKkKlansman.”

Due in theaters Aug. 10 from Focus Features, the film tells the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department, teaming with his Jewish partner Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan in 1979. Together, they take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.

According to a report from Variety, Lee made the film “incredibly timely.”

It even ends with footage of Donald Trump refusing to condemn the actions of white nationalists during the deadly 2017 Charlottesville riot. There are a lot of digs at the current president throughout “BlacKkKlansman” — one KKK member talks about embracing an “America first” policy and the film makes parallels between the rise of Trump and the political ambitions of former Grand Wizard David Duke (played with wide-eyed malevolence by “That ’70s Show’s” Topher Grace).

Lee walked the red carpet wearing brass knuckles from “Do the Right Thing,” which said “love” on one hand and “hate” on the other. He was joined by cast members Washington, Driver, Grace, Damaris Lewis, Jasper Paakkonen, Laura Harrier, and Corey Hawkins.

Director Spike Lee wearing knuckle rings with love and hate on them attends the screening of "Blackkklansman" during the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 14, 2018 in Cannes, France.
Director Spike Lee wearing knuckle rings with love and hate on them attends the screening of “Blackkklansman” during the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 14, 2018 in Cannes, France.

Following the screening Sunday night, Lee received a standing ovation that lasted 6 to 8 minutes. “BlacKkKlansman” marked his return to Cannes’ Palme d’Or competition for the first time in decades (since “Jungle Fever” in ’91).

Spike directs and produces “BlacKkKlansman” alongside Jordan Peele, Sean McKittrick, Raymond Mansfield, Jason Blum and Shaun Redick, the team behind the Academy-Award winning “Get Out.”

Watch the trailer below:

YouTube video

Below, Deadline details what happened after the screening at Cannes:

The [film’s] enthusiastic response led to the most raucous and spirited party of the festival, a Motown night at Le Mome on the beach where, nearing 2AM, Lee and wife Tonya were still leading the revelers in celebration, including setting off sparklers everywhere. Among the guests was Donald Glover, in town for tomorrow night’s international premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Movie in which he plays Lando Calrissian.

This was unquestionably a triumphant return to form and Cannes for the director, and Focus executives including Peter Kujawski and marketing head Jason Cassidy were also seen standing on couches dancing the night away. “We came here to start hot and we are going to keep it going, ” Kujawski told me at the party. As for the early August date, similar to where Detroit opened and failed last summer, Cassidy isn’t concerned and said it was perfect for this film which they expect will be Lee’s strongest in years. He said so far the only competition on the date is a shark movie. Critical raves certainly won’t hurt and those have already started to come in. There’s already talk of a Palme d’Or that eluded him for Do The Right Thing 30 years ago, but you can never tell which way the winds are blowing with Cannes juries.

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