American film director Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods has just been released on the streaming service Netflix. It is a film about four African American Vietnam War veterans who return to Vietnam years later. Lee says there was not enough money in his Netflix budget for costly special effects. But critics say the film’s extraordinary creativity and powerful sense of purpose can be seen as special effects, too. As a filmmaker, Lee is known for having good timing. That may be clearer than ever with the release of Da 5 Bloods. It comes during a growing national movement demanding racial justice and an end to police brutality. Da 5 Bloods shows powerful images of the political and social events of the 1960s. The film begins with historical clips from the Vietnam War and shows the experience of African American soldiers in the war.