‘If God created anything better than crack cocaine, he kept that shit for himself…’
The reason that Spike Lee is such an electric filmmaker is that he takes risks. While his films always have something strong to say, usually about race relations in America, it is his technical prowess that ensures that the message never overrides the cinema. Clockers is a sprawling, ambitious film that doesn’t always work but when it does, it’s pretty special…
An ensemble cast featuring Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Mekhi Phifer and Lee himself demonstrates the friction between the black community and the New York Police Department. Lee packs plenty of plot into the two-hour-plus running time and the sheer scope of characters sometimes makes Clockers a little too convoluted, but the cast are so good that it barely matters. Lee approaches black-on-black violence, the ruinous influence of crack cocaine and police corruption in a way that is confrontational but always interesting.
At times, Clockers feels like gonzo filmmaking. The soundtrack is incredible, Lee’s use of bold primary colours ensures that the film pops off the screen, and Keitel quietly delivers one of his finest performances. It’s a pleasure to see Keitel and Phifer trading blows amidst an uneasy alliance, and as always, Lee is unflinching in his portrayal of life for the black community in America.
Clockers is not a ‘gangster’ movie, but it has many of the same arcs and tropes and yet the film is a world away from the cartoonish violence of Tarantino and Scorsese. Lee’s portrayal of gang violence, criminality and police brutality feels more authentic, more real than many of his more celebrated peers. While Clockers is uneven, it’s also powerful and compelling – the kind of film that stays with you.
