A Heartbreaking Portrayal of ‘The Tragedy of Fred Hampton’
(Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
By Veronica Longo
"Judas and The Black Messiah" recounts the rise and fall of legendary civil rights figure Fred Hampton. Based on a true story, the film follows Hampton who was the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party during the late-1960s. As the title suggests, the “Judas” in this story is undercover FBI informant William O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield). This film evokes deep emotions, as many of the scenes are reminiscent of current events. The story begins with footage of the Black Panther Party performing their community activities such as feeding children, and teaching members of the community. It then pans to the FBI headquarters, where Director J Edgar Hoover, instead of praising their efforts, states, “The Black Panthers are the single greatest threat to our national security.”
Director Shaka King based these scenes on the real COINTELPRO program that took place from the years 1956-1971. According to PBS.org, “one of the purposes of the COINTELPRO program was to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize the activities of the Black nationalists.” King portrays how fearful the U.S. government was of the Black Panther Party in these scenes throughout the film.
Historically, the FBI treated the BPP as a hostile internal threat to the United States. The film actually toned down J Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI at the time, in response to the Breakfast for Children Program. FBI.gov, shows how Hoover used COINTELPRO to investigate groups like the BPP. The FBI website states, “In some cases, FBI agents had infiltrated groups, sowed discord among their members, and attempted to discredit their efforts—even when there was little or no evidence of unlawful activities.” It is a stark reminder that while this film had taken liberties with real-life events, it showed the reality of what the FBI did to the BPP.
17-year-old William O’Neal or Bill, becomes an FBI informant after being faced with an ultimatum: serve a long prison sentence or infiltrate the Black Panther party. Bill is the “Judas” in the film, but he is also just a kid. Lakeith exceptionally portrays Bill as a self-serving but truly pitiable person in this role. In juxtaposition to Bill’s narrative, Fred’s begins with a powerful, inspirational speech. Daniel Kaluuya’s booming voice and considerable presence adds gravitas to the scene. The crowd is visibly inspired by Fred’s words. Fred is a larger than life figure, charismatic and bold in his role as chairman. However, the film takes pains to humanize him to the audience, much in the way it does with Bill.
When Fred meets his future wife Deborah (Dominique Fishback), she is able to see him as a man and have a real conversation with him. Kaluuya’s performance of Fred as a leader and more importantly, as a human, elevates the film. The man behind the legend can be best seen in his interactions with Deborah.
The score, composed by Mark Isham (“Crash,” “Once Upon a Time”) and Craig Harris (“Black Bones,” “Shelter”), highlights the high stakes and difficulties of choices made in the film. The last score, “The Inflated Tear,” especially does a phenomenal job showcasing the absolute despair of the events. Many situations are tense for Bill in particular. At certain points of the musical score, one can sense the internal struggle Bill feels as he no longer is willing to betray Fred.
The film is successful in garnering interest in Fred Hampton’s story. For many this film is the first time they are hearing of his name and the legacy he left behind. One of our own Lehmanites, Sha’Miera, a political science major, explained their reaction, “This film was amazing. I am so glad the story of Fred Hampton was told. I hope there are more movies made about The Black Panther Party.”
Audience members cannot help but be moved by this tragic story, the echoes of which are still relevant today. This is a deeply important film and should be seen by all.
We are left with food for thought as the Jewel Cook, BPP member, during Fred’s funeral, exclaims, "If Fred could be murdered while he slept, remember what can happen to you, while you're on your knees facing that bed!" While the film takes certain liberties it does incorporate real archive footage to ground it in realism. This film represents a part of the U.S. that is very rarely spoken about. Furthermore, it should invigorate our current generation as Fred was only 21-years-old when his life ended. The feature is available now on HBOMax and select theaters.
