No sooner had director Spike Lee released the trailer for his new movie Chi-Raq on Tuesday than people started critiquing the film. Many Chicagoans responded with charges that the film would be "unreal" and "not authentic." The plot—a modern adaptation of the Greek comedy Lysistrata, in which women withhold sex in order to stop a war—also rankled some.
As a Chicagoan, the trailer feels wrong. Greek comedy, okay. But Nick Cannon yelling "Chiraq"? https://t.co/DqUl0A3WmQ
— Ferrari Sheppard (@stopbeingfamous) November 3, 2015
of course i am going to see @SpikeLee's film #Chiraq what i'm immediately concerned with is the singular role it assigns women in culture
— Kevin Coval (@kevincoval) November 3, 2015
Now Lee has addressed the criticism head on.
In the video, he emphasizes that the film will be a satire, not a comedy, and that he will not make light of the violence in the city.
Want to know more about Chi-Raq before the movie comes out on December 4? Read Lee's in-depth interview with Chicago magazine about the film, what he hopes to convey, and how he handled Mayor Emanuel from the beginning.