War scenes, a gold hunt, and an ardent search for a fallen comrade. They’re all part of Spike Lee‘s new Netflix film “Da 5 Bloods.” The trailer was released on Monday, May 18, and people said they’re eager to get their eyes on the movie.
The film follows the story of four Vietnam War veterans who head back to Vietnam 50 years after the conflict to locate the remains of a character played by Chadwick Boseman, their former squad leader.
Delroy Lindo, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Clarke Peters play the four veterans, who, besides looking for Boseman, search for a bunch of gold that Boseman’s character buried during the war.
Most of Lee’s films involve a race element, whether they drive the storyline or get referenced occasionally. In “Da 5 Bloods,” Lee uses the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. to tackle race.
King’s murder forces the four men to face the question of why they’re fighting in a war for a country that seems to be at war with them and other Blacks. It’s a question the vets still wrestle with when they return to Vietnam for their fallen squad leader decades later.
“Let me tell you a story,” said Lee in a newly released Vanity Fair interview. “The United States armed forces came close to being torn apart when Black soldiers heard that Dr. King was assassinated.”
“They also heard that their brothers and sisters were tearing s–t up in over 100 cities across America,” he continued. “The tipping point came very close; the Black soldiers were getting ready to set it off in Vietnam, and not against the Vietcong either.”
Boseman shared the trailer on his Instagram page when it was released with followers quickly praising the film.
But others commented on the “Black Panther” star’s thin appearance in the trailer, because his weight was a major topic of discussion last month when he appeared on video to announce a new initiative for COVID-19 relief efforts.
“Ohhh so that’s why you got skinny,” someone wrote on Boseman’s page.
“THIS LOOKS AMAZING!!!! Omg,” a second person stated. “Can’t wait to see your new role!!!!! Love your work. 👏🏾🔥👏🏾🔥👏🏾.”
“This picture is gonna slay,” a third comment read.
“Da 5 Bloods” will be available for streaming on Netflix starting June 12.
