One of Spike Lee’s Most Moving Films Is Also His Only Road Trip Film

There’s a reason why characters in Spike Lee joints are always shouting “Wake up!” The writer-director, known for his aggressive social commentary concerning race relations, ditches subtly to grab the viewer’s attention. In Lee’s world, there is no fourth wall. His characters speak directly to the audience and reference history and current events. His distinct formalist approach to filmmaking is not a device to distract the audience, but rather, a way to keep their eyes on the screen. It’s fitting that one of Lee’s most soulful and moving films, Get on the Bus, quite literally moves, as it places an ensemble cast of disparate African-Americans on a mobile stage across the country to discuss race in America. The title itself is a call to action. For those opposed to Lee’s aggressively didactic filmmaking, the synopsis of his overlooked 1996 film may seem excessive–bordering on after-school special level of lecturing. Above all else, Lee loves rich character studies, along with being a born entertainer with a sharp sense of humor and a keen eye for raw emotionality.

Get on the Bus

A disparate group of African-American men travel by bus to Washington, DC for the Million Man March.

Run Time

120 minutes

Director

Spike Lee

Release Date

October 16, 1996

Actors

De’aundre Bonds, Andre Braugher, Gabriel Casseus, Albert Hall, Hill Harper, Harry Lennix, Bernie Mac, Wendell Pierce, Roger Guenveur Smith, Isaiah Washington, Steve White, Ossie Davis, Charles S. Dutton, Richard Belzer

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‘Get on the Bus’ Reflects Spike Lee’s History With Race in Film

On October 16, 1995, the Million Man March, a demonstration of thousands of black Americans advocating for civil rights policies and black empowerment, was held in Washington D.C. Orchestrated by controversial activist Louis Farrakhan, the march was a convergence of the top civil rights organizations and speakers, includingRosa Parks, Maya Angelou, and Al Sharpton. The speakers called upon not only political leaders to step up and support Black rights but also Black men to set an example for future generations of Black Americans. A year later, Spike Lee dramatized the movement from the perspective of a fictional bus ride from Los Angeles to Washington in Get on the Bus, following a group of strangers who discuss race through class, demographics, history, sexuality, and faith. The eclectic troupe consists of George (Charles S. Dutton), the bus driver and organizer, Pop (Ossie Davis), a senior citizen well-versed in African-American history, a father and son court ordered to be shackled together, a homosexual couple, Jamal (Gabriel Casseus) a former gangster-turned-devoted Muslim, X (Hill Harper) a student documentary filmmaker capturing the scene, and more.

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Get on the Bus recalls Lee’s masterpiece, Do the Right Thing, which similarly tackled contemporary race relations from various perspectives in a neighborhood in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The film, deploying a heatwave in Brooklyn as an ancillary character, is a supercharged confrontation of the racial climate that reflects both the past and present. In a stroke of cinematic brilliance, the film is one part deeply sympathetic and unflinching and incendiary. Get on the Bus doesn’t try to aspire to the same heights as Do the Right Thing (what could?). Instead, Lee examines the varying black experiences with a soulful and educational approach. While citing the film as “education” may turn off viewers, a Spike Lee education is hardly some dull lecture.

The Sympathetic Portrait of Disparate Black Americans in ‘Get on the Bus’

The writer-director never clarifies whether Do the Right Thing‘s central character, Mookie (Lee), did the right thing. Naturally, a black audience will have a greatly different response to a white audience, but the sobering conclusion of the film suggests that Lee is uncertain of how to solve these lofty dilemmas surrounding race. Get on the Bus, with its setting acting as a melting pot of healthy discourse between black Americans, represents Lee’s idyllic way to progress the livelihood of the race. In one way or another, each passenger symbolizes the black experience. They are not confined to Lee’s language and sensibilities, and every character flourishes as humans. Lee, being a candid social commentator, cannot entirely conceal where his sympathies lie, however. During the trip, the bus picks up Wendell (Wendell Pierce), a wealthy conservative who makes disparaging remarks about black people he perceives to be lazy and uneducated. After alienating most of the passengers, he is thrown off the bus.

While he may not be 100% sympathetic to all parties, solidarity among black people is the lasting message of Get on the Bus. Recognizing the historical implications of what these characters are partaking in, Lee errs on the side of wholesomeness in his chamber drama. Of course, the director will never be mistaken for a saccharine storyteller, as his biting humor and forward confrontation of race relations are still present here. The sharp banter between the disparate characters shows Lee at his most theatrical, as each member of his deep ensemble cast delivers an urgent and timely message. The conversations between the passengers, which carry philosophical, downbeat, and nostalgic undertones, are all tactful. In one of the most stirring moments in the film, a replacement driver, Rick (Richard Belzer), a Jewish man, speaks out against Farrakhan’s history of anti-Semitic comments. “I wouldn’t expect you to drive a bus to a Klan meeting,” the frustrated driver remarks before abandoning the bus at a rest stop. George, who takes over Rick’s duties, calls him out for his biases, insisting that his march is not about Farrakhan.

‘Get on the Bus’ Contains Frank and Confrontational Discussions on Race in America

While the discourse between the characters in Get on the Bus can be uncomfortable to confront, they are vital to the progress of culture. Considering that many of the talking points, especially concerning the thorny relationship between the police and the Black population, are still as relevant in 2024, healthy dialogue is more important than ever. Roger Ebert, in his four-star review of the film, wrote “Lee doesn’t have heroes and villains. He shows something bad — racism — that in countless ways clouds all of our thinking.” Even within the confines of a mode of public transportation, the sobering reality of racism is an inescapable threat that lingers for all Black Americans. These characters are flawed, with some exhibiting bigotry toward the gay couple, but Lee understands that everyone on that bus shares a common goal. He believes that they must reform themselves so that they can, in turn, reform society. Lee also shines a light on the issues surrounding toxic masculinity compromising the growth of African Americans. By focusing on the group’s shortcomings, he is emphasizing that societal change starts by examining oneself.

Get on the Bus is certainly rooted in reality, as it centers around everyday people talking about timely matters, but the film isn’t exactly naturalistic. The characters often resemble cable news talking heads discussing a hot-button topic. For most films, this would be a hindrance. Since this is a Spike Lee joint, overwrought writing evokes unbridled emotions and confronts the audience with uncomfortable realities. Even looking beyond the thematic weight of the film’s discourse, the dialogue between characters is never dull, and the back-and-forth of these opinionated passengers is a riveting dramatic device. Even if, at the film’s worst, the characters operate as personified discussion points, Lee portrays the layered complexities of the African-American experience. There isn’t an easy solution, but in the director’s mind, love and acceptance are something everyone can attain.

Get on the Bus is available for purchase on DVD in the U.S.

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