I hate Black period pieces. There, I said it. I'm so tired of films about the struggle of Black America through the trials and tribulations of segregation, racism, and just plain old contagious ignorance and fear. I'm sick of seeing these films become our big screen tickets to award ceremonies. Not to take anything away from actors such as Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer (The Help), but I'm just tired of watching "the struggle". So initially when I saw the trailer for Red Tails (more like the end of it), I was not impressed. I had no desire to see the film. I couldn't believe that this is how the Black Industry was going to open up 2012 in cinema. Then, I read up about the direction the film was being taken, the conceptual development, the casting, and just the overall enthusiasm of big name supporters like Lucas Films and what they wanted to deliver to the public. I was pretty much sold.
Did I forget to mention the film has a black director, Anthony Hemingway (The Wire), and two black writers, John Ridley(3 Kings) and Aaron McGruder (The Boondocks).
I'm genuinely disgusted at the reasons Red Tails has so many "Top Critics" seeing RED. Lucas didn't set out to tale the story of racial struggles experienced by the Tuskegee airmen and how they overcame through triumphs in war. Their spoils being the respect of their counter-peers. HBO already did that. Lucas was more focused on delivering “one of the first all-black action pictures ever made”, as stated in a recent Daily Show interview. While the topic of racism can not be avoided in such a period's depiction, Lucas's 23 year old project-in-the-works was never meant to be a 125 minute history lesson. It's meant to be an enjoyable adventure for all audiences, especially young audiences. "I think kids who see this, be they black or white, will walk out thinking (the Airmen) were cool.", stated by Lucas in conversations printed in the USA Today. So why are critics already throwing old-man temper tantrums over the under-developed "we gotta earns our respects in this here white man's war" plot. Go read a book! Go rent The Tuskegee Airmen (1995). Stop crying over your misguided, unfavorable expectations about what this film should be showing the audience. |
| Fun Fact Alert: Cuba Gooding Jr stars in that film as well. |
Why can't we just have an action movie. Just let us have this all black cast action film, that a white man fronted the money for because studios wouldn't back it. No matter how big the Denzels and the Will Smiths of the world get, Hollywood just doesn't seem to notice the lack of Name-Some-Other-Race-Besides-White going on adventures. We have more than enough Tin-Tins, but what happened to all the Ray-Rays? The best thing about this project coming to foot and taking flight on screens nation wide Friday, Jan. 20th, Lucas already has a trilogy in the works. Given the success of this film, we should be getting a prequel and a sequel to Red Tails. So.......
GO OUT AND SUPPORT THE FIRST ALL BLACK CAST ACTION FILM
LEAVE A COMMENT, GET IT OFF YA CHESS!...Weezy
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