In Anatomy of a Scene, we ask directors to reveal the secrets that go into making key scenes in their movies. See new episodes in the series on Fridays. You can also watch our collection of more than 150 videos on YouTube and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

A handful of questions asked during an interrogation in Judas and the Black Messiah are key to propelling the plot of this tense historical drama.

Set in the late 1960s, the movie follows William ONeal (Lakeith Stanfield), a young man who becomes an informant, feeding the F.B.I. intelligence about the Chicago Black Panther Party and one of its leaders, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya.) This early scene comes after ONeal is caught using a fake F.B.I. badge to steal a car.

Narrating the sequence, King says the moment is about the danger of being apolitical. ONeal is asked his feelings about the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and admits to being upset. But when asked about the killing of Malcolm X, he has more of an indifferent response. We really wanted to hit home the old phrase, if you stand for nothing youll fall for anything, King narrates.

Read the Judas and the Black Messiah review.

Read an interview with the director Shaka King.

Sign up for the Movies Update newsletter and get a roundup of reviews, news, Critics Picks and more.

See more here:
Watch Lakeith Stanfield Being Interrogated in Judas and the Black Messiah - The New York Times