BeforeTeyonah Parrisbeamed onto the screens of multiplexes worldwide asThe Marvels’Monica Rambeau(AKAPhoton), she starred in one of the boldesttheatrical adaptationsof all time in the form ofSpike Lee’sChi-Raq. While the film has the distinction of being the very firstAmazon Original, you’re going to want to hold onto your hat because nothing will prepare you for a premise as simultaneously pointed and absurd as this. An adaptation of an Ancient Greek comedy from 411 BC and released in 2015 (the writer’s family is going to have a tough time collecting those royalties 2,426 years later), Collider’s very ownBrian Formo described the filmas “part play, part musical, part text message,” likening it toThe Big Shortfor the way it balances education and entertainment. However, even then, we’re only halfway there in doing its premise justice.
Truth is, anybody who’s seena Spike Lee jointknows that they’re not in for some subtlety. The strengths of his films lie in the fact that they light a roaring flame within their viewers. Of course, we all love a hidden metaphor, and so does Mr. Lee ifhis appreciation forTitaneis anything to go by. But metaphors are for Europeans. In the America of Spike Lee’s filmography, your head is going to be pressed so close to a social issue and urged to take immediate action, whether it’sBlacKkKlansmanorDavid Byrne’s American Utopia. As a result, it takes an absolute showstopper à laDenzel Washingtonto anchor the titanic weight of Lee’s themes. Fortunately forChi-Raq, Teyonah Parris, in her very first leading role, proved more than capable of the task. While Parris was still a rising star in 2015,Chi-Raqremains one of Lee’s most ambitious projects to date.
A modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago, Illinois.
What Is ‘Chi-Raq’ About?
Ancient Greece was a crazy timebut what Spike Lee seems to want to ask his audience is: “Was it really all that different from today?” The same problems then persist upon us now, albeit in different forms, but it’s erasing this barrier of time that allowsChi-Raqto thrive as an adaptation.Chi-Raqis an adaptation ofLysistrata, the aforementioned Ancient Greek comedy that chronicles the titular Athenian’s mission to end the Peloponnesian War, a 27-year conflict between Athens and Sparta. Her method:convince the women on both sides of the conflict to embark on a sex strike, forcing them to negotiate an end to the senseless fighting.The play was performed at the height of the war, prompting one to wonder if Aristophanes’ comedic tone, like Spike’s, was intended as more of a call to action. However, beyond its social relevance,Lysistrataendures as one of the first ‘battle of the sexes’ comedies ever recorded, as well as among the first to acutely acknowledge the systemic patriarchy inherent in cultures since time began.
Lee, however, doesn’t just offer a straightforward adaptation. After a riveting opening lyric video fromNick Cannon(who also stars as Demetrius “Chi-Raq” Dupree), the film sounds an emergency warning alarm as it drops several statistics. The film reveals that since 2001, there have been over 2,000 American deaths in the Afghanistan War, 4,000 in theIraq War, and lastly, over 7,000 just in Chicago, leading tothe iconic city’spopular nickname: Chi-Raq. It’s a nasty name for its implications, but one that has to be made known to all those who’d rather turn a blind eye regarding how dire the situation of gang violence is across America.Lee was pressured to change the name of the film and boldly refused,showcasing his mission to directly confront the uncomfortable truths rather than merely comment upon them.
How Does Spike Lee Incorporate Source Material Into ‘Chi-Raq’?
There’s certainly a more grounded way to approach the source material than what was ultimately seen inChi-Raq,as many films subtly do with Shakespeare’s work, but it’s the film’s commitment to the structure and rhythm of Ancient Greek theater that makes it such an idiosyncratic work to begin with.Chi-Raqboldly maintains the core names of the Ancient Greek text, from Parris’s Lysistrata toSamuel L. Jackson’s Dolomedes, along with the warring factions. Cannon’s Demetrius leads the Spartans whileWesley Snipes’ Cyclops leads the Trojans, two rival gangs at war. Meanwhile, Jackson’s Dolomedes plays the chorus figure, typically a group of performers who’d routinely chime in throughout Ancient Greek plays to provide commentary and exposition for the scenes taking place. Jackson,to no one’s surprise, absolutely owns this role.
Featuringseveral musical numbers, mostly in the form of Demetrius’s concerts,Chi-Raqalso sets itself a challenge in performing the majority of its dialogue as rhyming verse, likening it toLes Misérables and The Umbrellas of Cherbourgeven if it features more modern musical sensibilities. While in theater, the effect of spoken word poetry allows the audience to more easily digest what’s said on stage (for all the fuss for those remarkable Ancient Greek amphitheaters, they just couldn’t match the power of Dolby Atmos), its use in film elevates it to a different effect,acting as a conduit for both comedy and social commentary.Chi-Raqis like a song, or more appropriately a chant, with characters speaking almost entirely in slogans, from Parris’s Lysistrata toJohn Cusack’s fact-dropping anti-imperialist preacher.
Teyonah Parris Owns ‘Chi-Raq’ as Lysistrata
Embodying the titular role of a Greek heroine while remaining colloquial enough for today’s audience to understand both from an educational and entertainment perspective is hard work. Every scene in this film sees Parris riding a unicycle on a tightrope while balancing an egg on her nose. With all of this talk about commentary on gang violence and Ancient Greece, it’s easy to forget how funny this movie is as Lysistrata’s strike spreads across the globe to hilarious effect, to the extent that even the First Lady is determined to remain chaste.
At some point, Lysistrata’s non-violent gang seduces its way into a Confederate armory, with the U.S. military attempting to lure them out by singing “Oh Girl” by the Chi-Lites in their briefs. In many ways,Chi-Raqfeels like a 2-hour music video (something Spike Lee is more than qualified to handle), but it’s Parris’s performance that reminds us what’s at stake in between every laugh. Without an anchor this strong, one that’s required to be funny, sexy, musical, and determined as all hell to stop the violence threatening her city, the film would crumble like a house of cards. It’s no easy task, but Parris pulls it off to the extent that even eight years laterit stands out as among her best work.
Whether it’sbank robbingorbasketball, a Spike Lee genre movie is never just a genre movie. Every one of his films is determined to tackle something wider and ideally, something that his audience can chew on for weeks after viewing.Chi-Raqmay not be among the most successful of the director or the star’s expanding bodies of work, and there’s an argument to be made that the film was just too out there to garner its deserved mass appeal. However, for those eager to explore the star ofThey Cloned TyroneandThe Marvels’ not-so-humble beginnings, it’s essential.
