The Price of Gold, Pt. 2 — Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee’s ambitious new war epic for Netflix, DA 5 BLOODS, is brimming with cultural and historical reference points — including an extended homage to the other film in this pairing, John Huston’s THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE — but it’s also full of Lee signatures, in both its story and its style. We break down some of them in our consideration of DA 5 BLOODS, before connecting Lee’s doomed treasure hunt to Huston’s by way of their respective depictions of paranoia and madness, their ideas about foreign interlopers and native populations, and their grimly ironic endings. Plus, Your Next Picture Show, where we share recent filmgoing experiences in hopes of putting something new on your cinematic radar

Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, DA 5 BLOODS, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. 

Show Notes

Works Cited:

• “Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods Misses the Mark—and Does a Disservice to Its Women,” by Cassie Da Costa (thedailybeast.com)

• “21 essential films about Black lives, in every major genre,” by Adam Davie as told to Tasha Robinson (polygon.com)

• “Black Life on Film” by Adam Davie (letterboxd.com)

Your Next Picture Show:

Genevieve: Spike Lee’s PASS OVER

Tasha: Ousmane Sembene’s BLACK GIRL

Scott: DA Pennebaker’s ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM: COMPANY

Keith: John Patrick Shanley’s JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO

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