I typically don’t watch movies like Chi-Raq that are musicals but the description had me intrigued. At first I was curious how an old Greek play, Lysistrata, would relevant in a setting that is Chicago’s South Side, notorious for its gang violence, gun worship and misogyny. To my surprise, I was very entertained by the movie but I probably could do without the constant rhyming for the sake of comprehension. It muddled the dialogue and made it hard to understand certain scenes, especially when conjoined with the local slang. However, I did appreciate it as a smart artistic style.

According to critics, Spike Lee pulled off a somewhat respectable portrayal of black culture and values but may have overreached; nonetheless he addressed important problems that needs to be talked about. The actors were passionate and acted their hearts out. Their sadness, rage and turmoil (particularly Demetrius’ at the end) was palpable, a testament to fantastic performances. Certain scenes were extremely emotive, particularly Father Corridan during Patti’s funeral, who delivered a rousing eulogy turned diatribe against the NRA, gun and thug culture, and the pervasive fear against retaliation. The plan to deprive the men, particularly those in gangs, of sex until the “self-inflicted genocide” is ended for the sake of protecting their children and their own lives worked out well, in the movie anyways. It was amusing to see the men changing from arrogance to desperation masked by false bravado. I applaud the never-ending persistence and dedication of the women to their cause of bringing peace to their neighborhood.

Obviously practicing diplomacy around celibacy would be impractical in the real world, but the movie was nonetheless captivating in portraying the senseless violence, the motivation behind such warfare and how a “macho” culture leads to utter bloodlust, endangering the innocent. I think that Spike Lee did well bringing forth important questions, problems and challenges Chi-Raq that need to be addressed in the US because this movie is not completely fictional and  representative of many neighborhoods. Change can be hard, particularly in a culture where violence, citizen militarism and fear is valued and even nurtured. However, it is necessary in order to move towards a safer, better life.