Interview: Spike Lee on Delroy Lindo and his favorite shot in ‘Da 5 Bloods’ [VIDEO]

If someone were to name their Mount Rushmore of directors, they would be hard pressed to leave Spike Lee off of it. Lee’s career is defined by his dedication towards the truth and never shying away from pushing the envelope. Spike has tackled race relations, historical figures, moments which have defined our society, and the horror of war. He never wavers from his vision and won’t compromise his message for the sake of a softer approach, one that has earned him an Honorary Oscar and a competitive Oscar for his adapted screenplay of 2018’s BlacKkKlansman. His film’s speak to a truth that many in America are unwilling to acknowledge.

His latest feature film, Da 5 Bloods, tackles the horrors African-American soldiers faced in the Vietnam War both during and long after it. Chadwick Boseman’s performance has been the talk of the film and is expected to earn the late actor a posthumous nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the upcoming Academy Awards and Delroy Lindo was an early critics’ favorite, winning prizes from the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Board of Review. Both are nominated for individual Screen Actors Guild Awards and the film itself earned a SAG nod for its ensemble cast.

We were lucky enough to spend a few minutes with Spike and discussed Delroy’s importance to the film, his favorite shot in the movie, what film’s shaped him, and what should be my first pair of Air Jordans.

Da 5 Bloods is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.