Judas and the Black Messiah (Film)
7.8 /10 4 Votes
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Director Shaka King Runtime 126 minutes Country United States Language English Writer Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenneth Lucas, Keith Lucas Composer Mark Isham, Craig Harris Aspect Ratio 2.39 : 1 Sound Mix Dolby Atmos Filming Locations Cleveland, Ohio, USA Genre Biography, Drama, History Cinematography Sean Bobbitt Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Budget $26 million Box office $5.8 million (As of 2021) Screenplay by Will Berson, Shaka King Produced by Charles D. King, Ryan Coogler, Shaka King Production Co MACRO, Participant, Bron Creative, Proximity Release Date February 1, 2021 (Sundance), February 12, 2021 (United States) Similar J Edgar, Selma (film), Panther (film) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Judas and the Black-Messiah is an American biographical film released in 2021. The plot revolves around the betrayal of the Black Panther Party Chairman - Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya) by FBI informant William O’Neal (played by Lakeith Stanfield). The whole movie is set in Chicago in the late 1960s.
Contents
Plot
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH - Official Trailer
When William O’Neal is arrested for posing as an officer and attempting to hijack a car, FBI special agent Roy Mitchell offers to drop his charges if William agrees to work undercover for him. William is instructed to infiltrate the Black Panther Party (BPP) and get friendly to its leader, Fred Hampton. After some time, Hampton is arrested because a fellow Party member and fugitive, George Sams, took asylum in the BPP office. Due to his arrest, O’Neal gets promoted to the position of captain of security. Soon after, a shootout occurs at the BPP office against the Chicago police. During this firing, O’Neal sneaks out and gets hospitalized later as the police bomb the office.
While O’Neal is recovering in the hospital, Hampton is released from jail and reunites with his fellow party member and lover, Deborah. He finds out that she is pregnant with his child. At the same time, another party member, Jimmy Palmer, hospitalized after being shot by a police officer, is killed while being transferred to another hospital following the shootout. A furious friend of Palmer, Jake Winters, takes revenge for his friend by shooting several police officers before being held at gunpoint.
Later, Hampton is temporarily out of jail. Mitchell persuades O'Neal into cooperate with their plan to eliminate Hampton by warning him that the BPP will strongly hit back against him if they happen to find out that he's an informant. Now, O'Neal has no other way to save his face and so he reluctantly agrees to help. Thus O’Neal agrees to drug Hampton’s drink with a vial of sedatives. BPP members decides to gather at Hampton's apartment the next evening to see him before he departs for prison. On receiving a tip, police officers raid the flat and shoot Hampton dead a couple of hours later. Following this, O'Neal meets Mitchell, who hands him some money and keys to a gas station. Although O'Neal wants to quit for good now, he cannot do so and reluctantly accepts Mitchell's favors.
The movie concludes with footage of Hampton's speech, funeral procession, and a 1989 interview with O'Neal. Twelve years later, a lawsuit was filed against the FBI, which was then settled for USD 1.85 million. Finally, the film's last scene shows Hampton’s son and his mother appointed as chairman and a member of the BPP.
Review
The movie has received both positive and negative criticism. Writer-director Shaka King has managed to portray the true story of a Black Panther activist with great detail. The story is genuinely captivating and intertwining with both historical figures and modern-day events. King’s research on Hampton’s unfortunate short life is based strongly on the politics in the 1960s. King has also beautifully portrayed Judas’ character with a hint of compassion, along with this actionable figure. The production, design, and development are captivating, with solid performances. The film has electrifying performances by both the stars, Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Lakuuya. The movie tackles some disturbing racism issues, which were prevalent in the late 1960s. Judas and the Black-Messiah is an uncompromising story exploring oppression and leadership with great insight into the struggles of Blacks against the Americans.
Facts
• On 1st February, it initially premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. On February 12th, Warner Bros Pictures released it in theatres in the US.
• It was simultaneously released on the digital platform HBO Max for 30 days.
• The film was initially planned to be released in August 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it got postponed to 2021.
• The movie first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, 2021 and received six nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards.
• It is rated R due to the violence and pervasive language portrayed in the movie.
• Kaluuya and Stanfield were nominated for 'Best Supporting Actor.' Kaluuya won the title at the Critics’ Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards.
• It has an 8.3/10 average rating with 96% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
• The movie has its own 22 track music album named ‘Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album.'
• As of 2021 the film's revenue is estimated to be $250,000 from theatres alone, with a domestic profit of $5 million.
Cast List
Soundtracks
I've Cried
Fight for You
The Inflated Tear
Love's Gone Bad
Symbiosis: 2nd Movement: Largo - Andante - Maestoso - Largo, Pt. 1