Tragedy hits and Spike Lee rewrites ‘BlacKkKlansman’
CANNES, France — Spike Lee is holding court on the sunbaked rooftop terrace of the Cannes Film Festival hub, the Palais des Festivals, doing his best Peter O’Toole impression.
A passionate cinephile, Lee’s likes to punctuate his points with movie references or classic stand-up lines or sports metaphors. When it’s suggested to him that his furious statement on race in Donald Trump’s America, “BlacKkKlansman,” has rocked Cannes like nothing else at this year’s festival, he smiles.
“Did you ever see one of the greatest films that was ever made? David Lean’s ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’” says Lee before raising his voice to a sonorous battle cry.
“Taaaaaake nooooo prisoners!”