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A review by nerdyrev
Black Klansman: A Memoir by Ron Stallworth
4.0
I just finished Black Klansman the book on which the movie was based on. What is funny is I found the book to be a better look at race and racism than the movie. The reason why is because the book didn’t contain some of the more over the top moments in the movie.
For example, there is no comically overt racist cop as there is in the movie. Stallworth does talk about racist attitudes in the force, but it was more on the systemic level than the one really bad cop that the movie has.
The other is there is no bomb plot in the book. That is completely made up by Lee. The book focuses on the cross burnings and the irony of having to protect David Duke after continuing to dupe him. This is the better tension too as it is real with no bomb needed.
Women were part of the Klan in the book. The movie has another comically overt racist woman who is also a bumbling idiot, so to speak. Stallworth’s book doesn’t portray the Klan as bumbling red necks, but as everyday neighbors which is far more tense. Women included.
Stallworth’s investigation is much deeper and he gets more than one cop embedded into the Klan. One of the big reveals is much of the Klan, in the book, were retired soldiers who were highly trained and firefighters in the community . This gets lightly touched upon in the movie. Again, the people you think would be protectors weren’t always protectors of everyone. Hence the contrast of Stallworth of having to protect Duke.
So, the book does a way better job of focusing on race and racism than the film because it doesn’t have the artistic choices Lee added himself and were my criticisms of the film. Stallworth’s book is more poignant and scarier because it is all a true story.
For example, there is no comically overt racist cop as there is in the movie. Stallworth does talk about racist attitudes in the force, but it was more on the systemic level than the one really bad cop that the movie has.
The other is there is no bomb plot in the book. That is completely made up by Lee. The book focuses on the cross burnings and the irony of having to protect David Duke after continuing to dupe him. This is the better tension too as it is real with no bomb needed.
Women were part of the Klan in the book. The movie has another comically overt racist woman who is also a bumbling idiot, so to speak. Stallworth’s book doesn’t portray the Klan as bumbling red necks, but as everyday neighbors which is far more tense. Women included.
Stallworth’s investigation is much deeper and he gets more than one cop embedded into the Klan. One of the big reveals is much of the Klan, in the book, were retired soldiers who were highly trained and firefighters in the community . This gets lightly touched upon in the movie. Again, the people you think would be protectors weren’t always protectors of everyone. Hence the contrast of Stallworth of having to protect Duke.
So, the book does a way better job of focusing on race and racism than the film because it doesn’t have the artistic choices Lee added himself and were my criticisms of the film. Stallworth’s book is more poignant and scarier because it is all a true story.