'Da 5 Bloods' stars hope the film inspires 'a better dialogue' about Black history

Spike Lee’s new film Da 5 Bloods is now streaming on Netflix around the world. It puts the film into the living rooms of the service’s 183 million subscribers worldwide, many of whom many never have seen a single Spike Lee joint in their lives.

The film follows four Vietnam veterans as they return to the country of the conflict to search for buried treasure and the body of their fallen comrade.

Norm Lewis and Isiah Whitlock Jr., who play two of the “Bloods”, hope the film inspires people to learn more about the Vietnam War and its consequences on the country, and the Black American GIs who fought in it.

Lewis, who plays photographer Eddie says he wants the film to inspire hope for the future, and “a yearning to learn more about the history” while Black Lives Matter demonstrations occur around the world.

“I have several friends of mine, because of the current circumstances, who are trying to learn more about the Black culture in the United States, and I think [Da 5 Bloods] will be an added addition to that research for people.”

Whitlock Jr., who plays the fun-loving but also deeply affected Melvin in the film, agrees. He says he found making the film hugely educational about the conflict, the Civil Rights movement of the era, and about what’s happening in the world right now.

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“I would tell people, ‘when you see the film, you’re gonna get a real history lesson on African American culture in this country’,” he tells Yahoo.

“Not just with the war but what was happening in the late 60s, early 70s, the war, what is happening today. You’ll be able to make the connection - the link. And if people walk away with that, and that feeling to educate themselves, I think it will lead to a better dialogue.”

Da 5 Bloods is now streaming globally on Netflix.