On Tuesday, Amazon Studios released the first trailer for Spike Lee’s forthcoming and long discussed film, Chi-Raq. From the visuals, this movie is likely to draw a lot of attention.

According to IMDB, the film is “a modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago.” In the comedic play, the women choose not to sleep with their mates until warring stops. Lee does the same thing in Chi-Raq but set against the streets of the Windy City.

With stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Teyonah Parris (Dear White People), Angela Bassett, Nick Cannon, and Jennifer Hudson leading the cast, it’s clear that Mr. Lee intends for this film to make waves. But, is that necessarily a good thing?

While some have seen this film in a purely artistic light, others suggest that the content is wholly inappropriate for film adaptation.

Overall, the trailer raises questions around gender, race, violence, faith and social organizations across the country. But, whether or not the film handles these themes well remains to be seen. The film will be out in limited release on December 4th, followed by a release on Amazon Instant Video.

Watch the trailer below and share your thoughts in the comment section.

Author

  • Jenn M. Jackson was born and raised in East Oakland, California, a fact which motivates her writing and academic ambitions. She is a scholar, educator, and writer whose writing addresses Black Politics and civil and public life for young Black people with a focus on policing and surveillance. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Water Cooler Convos, a culture platform for Black millennials. Her writing has been featured in Washington Post, BITCH Magazine, Marie Claire, EBONY, The Root, Daily Dot, The Independent, and many others. Jackson is a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago studying American Politics with a focus on political participation and engagement, public opinion and social movements. For more about her, tweet her at @JennMJack or visit her website at jennmjackson.com.