Alternate Best Actor 2020: Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods

Delroy Lindo did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning several critics awards and being nominated for Critics Choice, for portraying Paul in Da 5 Bloods. 

Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods ostensibly is about 4 African American Vietnam vets returning to Vietnam to find gold they buried long ago. The film bites off essentially a buffet in its broaching of the subject, however I think much of its failings, though its not a bad film, is in its approach at making basically an Edward Zwick style film, that is an important subject funneled through an action movie. This isn't done particularly well where the two sides of the film clash more so than naturally merge into the intended digestible message movie it wishes to be. 

The one element of the film that rather glides through its weaknesses is found within longtime Spike Lee collaborator Delroy Lindo, as one of the four vets. The character is quite frankly one of the most complex that Lee has written, this as even the character features obvious political views that are not Lee's own, and Lee doesn't use this simply as just a straw man to be burned down. This rather is an honest exploration of this man who has lived a hard life and there's just a whole lot to him. So with that we get Delroy Lindo who we open up to in really his better places in the story as he's meeting up with his old platoon mates Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis) and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.). Lindo is a potent performer to begin with, the man just has a strong presence unto himself, certainly aided in that regard by his considerable height. Now this first scene between the men effectively establishes their history and camaraderie between them. They have the right sort of weathered kind of interactions where you feel the years that have gone on between each of them that creates the right sense of time and experience shared together. Lindo is even the standout in this as his performance is able to balance this sense of friendship while also conveying the innate state of Paul. This as they are speaking to each other, when they occasionally get teasing, there is enough of a joke in these interactions however Lindo's reactions are of genuine hostility even if a bit briefly. There's an effective tension that Lindo shows even within his friends that when they push him he will push back. These small moments work in showing the man who is holding a whole lot intensity inside of himself all at once. 

We follow the men then as they are prepping for their mission of sorts. This with moments of the men talking about the politics of the past and the present. This with Paul expressing his own difficult situation while also speaking Pro-Trump sentiments. Lindo's delivery of this is really essential as he propositions the meaning within Paul's views as very upfront and unapologetic even when the other men quickly question them on him. In this he shows Paul's manner which is to face any issue he feels he has with a particularly aggressive streak that Lindo brilliantly plays. This as he doesn't make it one note, as I think in the wrong hands the part could of teetered into. Rather Lindo shows this manner of kind of attack to his problems that is inherent in the man. He speaks his views, but he doesn't yell them. He delivers them as directly as possible and even faces his friends' backlash in a reaction of basically "take it or leave it". Within these moments we also begin to see the sides of specifically associated with the war that begin to haunt him, such as a boy likely injured by a landmine asking for money from the group. Lindo's reactions has an innate darkness that seems to come across his face, a man instantly remarking on some old, very painful memories, as he sees the boy and instantly wants to avoid the thought by ignoring the boy best he can. Of course the expedition would not be complete without the sudden appearance of Paul's son, David (Jonathan Majors), whom makes the whole situation all the more complicated for Paul, as their relationship naturally isn't a simple or an easy one. 

Now initially we come into this relationship with an extra innate tension as David wants on in the plan to find the gold, and the initial negotiation with the four men is a great one for Lindo in creating the starting point for their relationship which is a complex one. This as we go from Lindo projecting a perpetually antagonistic father in the negotiations however when one of the other men threatens David, Paul's immediate reaction to threaten the man back for threatening his son is made wholly natural by Lindo. This in suggesting this immediate defensiveness of a protective father just as we see the obvious distance between the two as well. The men begin the initial journey into the country towards their destination, we have a fantastic moment for Lindo were a Vietnamese merchant continually pesters Paul. We again see that darkness within the reaction to the man, where Lindo creates such a sense of a painful burden within Paul. There is an anger, but also the sense of Paul not wanting to face the pain even as he suffers from it. Lindo remarkably realizing this pressure within the man until the man pushes him into a full explosion of anger. Lindo is amazing because he shows the hostility is never simple anger. There is such a sense of sadness within it of a man as much as he's lashing out at another human being, he is also just in this horrible anguish over the memories that seem to be flooding Paul in the moment. Lindo showing a man truly haunted by his experiences that in many ways go to help define the man as who he is, as Paul is so filled with hostility that is an innate feature of him. 

 

Where the film is sorta an ensemble at first, once the expedition begins, marked by a film ratio change, it becomes Lindo's show wholesale, and a the biggest reason why is, Delroy Lindo. Lindo just is effortlessly captivating here as we see the man charting both familiar and unfamiliar territory as the man goes back to the place that in so many ways made him. This in part we see his relationship with his son more, where Lindo is pretty astonishing that he can make the whiplash of this element not only work, it becomes rather potent, though more on that later. What we see though is this fascinating mix where we actually see Paul in a way become more so in his element at times. This as he navigates the jungle and moves through at the vanguard, Lindo's manner at times actually strangely becomes more relaxed. Lindo in this though shows the comfort of the man as he was as a soldier, despite being broken by it in so many ways. This isn't to say Lindo plays Paul as suddenly fixed even remotely, this as that tension within that man is something so innately woven into Paul's presence by Lindo. There's just that manner of a man ready and willing to attack at any point. This kind of hostility of Paul intending on there being some kind of ambush rather than even thinking there might be one. Still we get a moment of real reflection when the men find the gold, and the remains of their old leader "Stormin Normin" (Chadwick Boseman). Lindo is simply incredibly as he expresses so much in the moment of finding the remains. This in the moment of sorrow but also this truly powerful moment of reflection. In Lindo's reaction there is the sense of sadness, and some very personal pain, while also granting the sense of appreciation and even love for their old friend. 

The two finding the gold is really the beginning of the end. This as almost immediately Paul turns into Humphrey Bogart from The Treasure of Sierra Madre as gold sickness besets him. I'll say this aspect as written could've tripped up a lesser actor, however Lindo is so on point here that he even makes this work entirely within his portrayal. This as the protection of the gold, is in the same way we see Paul do anything, which is with this intensity and protective of his own spirit that is as vicious as it is formidable. There is a slight reprieve upon this though as the men find themselves in a mine field, which kills one of the four, and leaves David stuck on a land mine. Lindo is simply outstanding in this scene. This as we see both the best of the soldier and the father in the scene. This as Lindo creates really the sense of adrenaline as he sees his son is in danger. There is such focus in his eyes, but also such a sense of love actually in this moment. He absolutely conveys the deep concern in the situation just as he delivers every moment of the plan to save his son with this specific thought and command of a true leader.  The moment of rescue having such a palatable scene of catharsis as Paul embraces his son, and Lindo shows that Paul very much frees himself of all that bares on him just to care for his son. This being short-lived unfortunately as Paul immediately takes hostages of some humanitarians and demands everyone's loyalties as he tries to protect the gold. Again I think most, and probably should, fall right into a pit with this switch, yet it is a testament to the extraordinary nature of the performance that Lindo makes it work within character. This since he made this haywire instinct so natural, that this sudden shift in gear is honest, for Paul. 

Lindo becomes a proper terror in these moments as he tries to manage controlling the situation. This projecting such a potent menace as we see Paul very much as his worst. Lindo though playing it well with this sort of emotional heightened intensity of a man just stuck in the worst of tendencies. I'll admit I think this is where the film really gets messy, but the one anchor consistently is Lindo. He is absolutely captivating even when the film gets a little all over the place. This even when the group runs into Vietnamese robbers working for the "Bloods'" fence (who they told about the gold before the mission....for some reason). I kind of hate the scene with the almost exact line drop from Madre that is just awful. Lindo though remains fantastic though in the explosion of violence. This in showing Paul perhaps most in his element of killing the men, in this ferocity and conviction. At this point Lindo shows Paul very much giving into all of that pain which unleashes itself in this burning violence. This as even after the men successfully kill the attackers, Lindo shows the man as though he is in the war still trying to explain his plan to the others. Lindo speaking as a man lost in the past just as he is all to present with his use of violence. This leading eventually for Paul to go off on his own, while the rest of the group fends for themselves. This creates the most notable part of the film, against the least, in fact I greatly considered turning off the film on re-watch after Lindo's exit, though I stuck with it to still be left disappointed. Anyway what left no disappointment is when we see Paul wandering in the jungle directly facing the camera and rambling.

 

Lindo is extraordinary in this scene as we see the man so compelling as a man lost to all his memories and pains just overwhelming. Lindo's eyes filled with so much madness and just inability to contain it. Paul being haunted by everything and lost in everything. This is only exacerbated as he is bitten by a snake and loses his gold. Lindo makes the madness that besets the man absolutely tangible and so very powerful. He is phenomenal as he manages to make the mess of the man speak so much to everything all at once. This as every bit of his baggage, from his son, to the war, to his whole life, and perhaps most importantly his guilt involving Norman. Where we learn from a flashback that Paul accidentally killed his friend during a firefight. Paul though is comforted by a vision of Norman who forgives him as the act as only an accident. Just Lindo's tender reaction is absolutely heartbreaking in showing for just a moment the man is no longer with this hate filling his heart, and that pain that haunted for so long. This following as the man still mad from exhaustion, poison and everything else on him, though now Lindo expresses just the minor bit of comfort that reveals such a tragedy within the man's journey. This followed by his final chronological scene where Paul is essentially awaiting execution sings a ballad of love. Frankly it shouldn't work, but it does because Lindo makes it work. This as it is truly a poignant moment in Lindo's hands as he expresses finally only goodwill in the man, who has found his peace even at the end of so much conflict. Lindo is mesmerizing in every second of the last portion of his performance. It is astonishing work throughout, and it is to the film's mistake to continue 20 minutes after its only wholly compelling character exits. Lindo does have one more brief scene of a wholly sober Paul giving a comforting letter to his son. Without a question a well delivered scene by showing the man kind of outside of the spheres of his pain as well in just speaking his love for his son, and the best part of the film's stretched out (as typical for Lee) epilogue. Though I will bluntly say my reservations for the film overall only grew on re-watch, not a hint of that negativity infected my view of Lindo's work. He delivers a turn of sheer greatness, that I think might say everything the film is trying to say less effectively. This as its messages are spoken so unforgettably by Delroy Lindo's tragic portrait of a man who lived through a war but never survived it.