Nominations: Academy Awards 2021

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One of this year’s biggest surprises during the announcements of the Oscars nominations was the fact that both Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield were nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Judas and the Black Messiah. Since they both play the titular roles, with Lakeith being Judas and Daniel being the Black Messiah, their nominations in the same category sparked discussion about who actually is the focus of the movie.

Based on a true story, it is set in Chicago, in the 1960s. We meet William “Bill” O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), a petty criminal who is being arrested for hijacking a car while pretending to be a federal agent. It turns out, however, that in order to avoid the charges, he agrees to be an informant for the FBI and obtain information about the Black Panther Party, including its leader Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).

Fred Hampton is a great public speaker, captivating everyone around him while chanting “I am a revolutionary” in unison. Bill O’Neal, on the other hand, is not looking to join any revolution, so his words are not as truthful as Fred’s. Still, Bill is doing his best both to avoid going to jail and to avoid any casualties in the Black Panther Party, so the audience can see his hesitancy and his fear thanks to Lakeith’s great performance.

It is Daniel Kaluuya, however, who steals the show. They had already worked together in Get Out (2017), but in Judas and the Black Messiah Kaluuya really embodies Fred Hampton and makes the audience believe he is that leader.

Also, the main actor could have been clearer, even though it is more likely that the focus is on Bill O’Neal and his internal conflicts, and not as much about Fred Hampton’s life story. Directed by Shaka King, Judas and the Black Messiah has some problems with pacing, especially halfway through it. Perhaps if it had been a bit shorter, the impact of the story would have been bigger and more efficient.