Film Review: Class And Race Intersect In Judas And The Black Messiah

In the next few days, you are going to hear a lot about Fred Hampton, but I really want to state a few facts before you read my review of Judas And The Black Messiah, out February 12 on HBO MAX. First, Fred Hampton was savagely murdered by police, in front of his pregnant fiancé, at 21 years old. A proud Black Panther, he is often only described as a young man that believed in black equality, which everyone should. Yet, Fred Hampton also believed in solidarity across all races because he was very much against economic injustice placed upon all of them: noting  poverty was the particularly and brutally imposed on blacks. I mention all this because that is why the FBI needed a Judas for this perceived Black Messiah.

Lakeith Stanfield plays William O’ Neal. A 17 year old, black man whom is “recruited” by the FBI to keep tabs and infiltrate the Black Panther Movement, especially following Fred Hampton. William is promised less jail time and money in exchange for his infiltration, but, as he enters the group, and feels the pangs of empowerment of being surrounded by your people reclaiming their worth, guilt settles in. Stanfield absolutely conveys the battle of a man who, for every reason, has convinced himself that he only needs to be loyal to himself, but feels a draw to Hampton and his movement because they are right, powerful, loving, and black like him. Moreover, once you see Daniel Kaluuya performance as Fred Hampton, you will wish to follow him, as well.

When it comes to the real-life Fred Hampton, his political savvy and public oration/ presence was described as remarkable, especially for a guy who, technically, started his activism career as a teen. It was as if, within one year, he had become what had taken other activists like, MLK, Che Guevara, or Malcolm X, years to become: a legend. Judas And The Black Messiah does very well at assuring you feel like Fred is a “Jesus figure” when he walks into rooms. The way everyone looks at him to feel healing is superbly impactful, and it solidifies that Kaluuya deserves an Oscar for his performance. It is incredibly hard as a person, let alone an actor, to capture such dominance of being, but Fred Hampton had that and Kaluuya makes sure you know it through his performance. Thus, it is no wonder that though, by all means, a kid, he is seen by an FBI dominated by white supremacy as a danger; it wasn’t about who he was as much as who he was becoming.

Martin Sheen as J Edgar Hoover and Jesse Plemons’ Roy Mitchell embody the racism of the FBI police that is still prevalent today as seen by its treatment of BLM. Both actors emanate systemic vitriol and the belief that civility and formality equate morality. Hence, the story of the unity between the Black Panthers and the Young Lords, another revolutionary group fighting for Latino equality, felt beautiful to me. Yet, it was the love story between Fred and Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback) that was truly like a breathe of fresh air. Fishback is so tender in her performance, and their romance reminds the viewer, again, of youth, and how most revolutionaries are young because they are so filled with the promise of life. It is that very promise that makes what William did feel unforgivable, even to himself, as the actual William would, eventually, committed suicide. Yet, the direction and writing of Shaka King is very paced in its simmering battle between hope, fear, life, and death, which are all themes. Moreover, it plays like brick building a home that was never finished as you are left wondering what peace he could have devliered.  

Visually and sonically, Judas and The Black Messiah has elements of Spike Lee and the noir genre. It is almost investigative in trying to display why Judas (William) would turn on the Black Messiah (Fred), and the reason becomes clear: though William was not white, he was still moved by their currency. He may have believed in Fred’s idea of living in a better world, but that world didn’t guarantee him being richer. Judas And The Black Messiah Comes Out On HBO Max on February 12.