“Judas And the Black Messiah” has naught to do with the New Testament story in the Bible about the betrayal of Jesus by one of his disciples.

However, the movie does tell a story of Biblical proportions based on the late 1960s’ left-wing, African-American militant political group, the Black Panther Party, and one of its leaders Fred Hampton.

The Black Panthers are also not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe although the name of Marvel Comics’ Black Panther character is said to have been inspired by the name of the Black Panther Party.

Hampton was dubbed “The Black Messiah” for his fire-brand rhetoric as chairman of the Chicago branch of the Black Panther Party, which figured in the Black Power movement in the United States, with branches in 68 cities (including Reading, Berks County) and led by the more well-known Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale and Eldridge Cleaver, dating to the founding of the organization in Oakland, Calif., in 1966.

“Judas And the Black Messiah” chronicles the infiltration of the Black Panthers’ Illinois chapter during the late 1960s by an informant for the FBI in an attempt to defuse the organization, which espoused a Marxist-Maoist-socialist agenda, anti-police rhetoric and actions, and formed the Rainbow Coalitions, while trying to win over inner-city minorities through soup kitchens, medical clinics and education programs.

The Panthers often wore black berets, leather jackets, sunglasses and brandished guns and rifles in a quasi-military stance under open-carry gun laws in an attempt to intimidate.

The movie touches upon the FBI counterintelligence program (COINTELPRO) of surveillance and infiltration to undermine the Panthers and render it moot. Mission accomplished.

“Judas And the Black Messiah” is a compelling account told from the perspective of the informant, William O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield), who is tasked by FBI Chicago office chief Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) with bringing down Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). Woven into the story is the relationship of Hampton and his girlfriend Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback).

Shaka King (“Newlyweeds,” 2013) directs with an unabashed and unapologetic vigor and verve, rarely taking the camera off its central figures, save for several street battles between the Panthers and police. The movie evokes the raw energy of a 1970s’ Blaxploitation film in fashions, cars, guns, use of the N Word and other politically-incorrect expletives not deleted, and hip lingo of the time such as “right on” and “comrade.”

King, working with Director of Photography Sean Bobbitt (cinematographer, “Twelve Years A Slave,” 2013; “The Place Beyond The Pines,” 2012), utilizes extreme close-ups of the protagonists to give the movie-goer a sense of being an eavesdropper much as was the FBI in tracking and tracing the Black Panthers’ every stratagem in Chicago. The film has a tripwire unpredictability, not unlike the late ‘60s era of domestic political turmoil.

King directs from a screenplay co-written with Will Berson based on a story by Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas, Berson and King. The film’s key scenes between Hampton and his girlfriend and O’Neal and the FBI agent give the film a depth of character and veracity.

The soundtrack by Mark Isham (Oscar nominee, original score, “A River Runs Through It,” 1993) and Craig Harris is, by turns, disjointed, soothing and effective.

Kaluuya (“Black Panther,” 2018; Oscar nominee, actor, “Get Out,” 2017). creates a tragic and startling figure as Hampton. Kaluuya’s range of emotion is expansive. His onscreen presence is riveting.

Stanfield (“Knives Out,” 2019) has a quietly commanding and sympathetic presence as O’Neal.

Plemons (“The Irishman,” 2019) has the charm of a weasel as Mitchell the FBI agent.

Fishback (TV’s “The Deuce,” 2017-’19) is beguiling as Johnson.

Martin Sheen chews up the scenery as FBI director Herbert Hoover.

The timing of “Judas And the Black Messiah,” which premiered Feb. 1 at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and theatrically Feb. 12, couldn’t be more relevant in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement. The movie does not appear to endorse violence nor does it condemn it. History is the ultimate judge of such matters.

“Judas and The Black Messiah” is an important must-see for Black History Month, or any month.

“Judas And the Black Messiah,”

MPAA Rated R (Restricted Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.) for violence and pervasive language; Genre: Biography, Drama, History; Run time: 2 hr., 6 min. Distributed by Warner Bros.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

For his portrayal of Fred Hampton, Daniel Kaluuya received a Golden Globe supporting actor nomination and a Screen Actor Guild supporting actor nomination. The “Judas And the Black Messiah” end credits include snippets of an interview with O”Neal from a documentary film, a photo of Hampton’s girlfriend Deborah Johnson and their son Fred Hampton Jr. and interesting factoids about the Black Panther Party in Chicago and of Hampton. The song “Fight for You,” performed by H.E.R., who co-wrote it with D’Mile and Tiara Thomas, is heard during the closing credits.

At The Movies:

“Judas and the Black Messiah was seen in The Dolby Theatre, AMC Center Valley 16, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, Upper Saucon Township. Advance online ticketing, face mask wearing, social distancing seating, and use of hand sanitizer was part of the COVID-19 protocol.

Movie Box Office,

Feb, 19-21: “The Croods: A New Age” continued at No.1 two weeks in a row, with $1.7 million, on 1,913 screens, $50.8 million, 13 weeks, as “The Little Things” continued at No. 2, with $1.2 million, on 2,061 screens; $11.8 million, four weeks, and “Judas And the Black Messiah” continued at No. 3 with $905,000 on 1,906 screens, $3.4 million, two weeks.

4. “Wonder Woman 1984” stayed in place, $805,000, on 1,644 screens, $42.7 million, nine weeks. 5. “The Marksman” stayed in place, $781,706, on 1,643 screens, $11.4 million, six weeks. 6. “Monster Hunter” moved up one place, $520,504, on 1,311 screens; $13.4 million, 10 weeks. 7. “Nomadland,” $503,000, opening, 1,175 screens. 8. “Land” dropped two places, $500,010, on 1,251 screens, $1.6 million, two weeks. 9. “News Of The World” dropped one place, $241,805, on 1,161 screens; $11.7 million, nine weeks. 10. “The War With Grandpa,” starring Allentown’s Oakes Fegley, stayed in place, $233,262, on 653 screens; $20.3 million, 20 weeks. 16. “Come Play,” starring Allentown’s Winslow Fegley, dropped two places, $69,550, on 143 screens, $10.3 million, 17 weeks.

Box office figures are from Box Office Mojo as of Feb. 25 and are subject to change.

Unreel,

Feb. 26

“Tom and Jerry,”

PG: Tim Story directs the voice talents of Chloë Grace Moretz and Michael Peña and the animation in the Adventure Comedy in the adaptation of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters.

“Crisis,”

R: Nicholas Jarecki directs Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer, Evangeline Lilly and Greg Kinnear in the Drama Thriller. Three stories are told about opioid addiction.

Opening date information is from Internet Movie Database.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes