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Clint Eastwood gives Spike Lee a history lesson
By M&C People May 23, 2008, 13:51 GMT
05/19/2008 - Clint Eastwood - 2008 Cannes Film Festival - "Changeling" Premiere - Arrivals - Palais des Festivals - Cannes, France © Pixplanete / PR Photos
Legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood blasted the comments made by director Spike Lee that his films "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" failed to recognize the role of African-American soldiers.
Eastwood said it was nonsense to suggest he had "erased the role of black GIs from history" during an interview with Germany's Focus magazine.
According to Eastwood, there were no African-Americans in those films because there were no African-American soldiers involved in the specific battles he portrayed in film.
"Does he know anything about American history?" Eastwood said. "The U.S. military was segregated til the Korean War, and the blacks in World War Two were totally segregated. The only black battalion on Iwo Jima was a small munitions supply unit that came to the beach.
"The story was about the men who raised the flag and we can't make them black if they were not there. So tell him: Why don't you go back and study your history and stop mouthing off!"
Lee complained to Reuters that Hollywood "ignored" the role played by black American soldiers and has made a film about the racially segregated, all-black 92nd Buffalo Division which fought against Nazi occupation in Italy.
"Many black veterans who fought in Iwo Jima were hurt that there was no representation of them in both of those films," Lee had said back in a 2007 interview in Rome.
"Flags of Our Fathers" deals with the men who raised the flag while "Letters from Iwo Jima" takes a Japanese perspective of the battles.
"Very few Hollywood films deal with black soldiers," Lee said. "For the most part, if you look at the history of Hollywood cinema they haven't dealt with anybody other than white Americans. If you think Hollywood and World War Two, you think John Wayne -- the great white male that saved the world."
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Eastowood was very proactive in getting something other than the 'angry black guy' roles for African-American actors.
no matter what genre you still spew racism..the angry black american actor! Is all balckmen in your eyes angry black men? No wonder white America can never get it right, because they all are stuck on stupid and refuse to move.
You missed his point. Try again.
some of you are too young to remember the 60's and 70's. Back then, the only parts a black actor could get is playing the 'angry negro' type, unless you were Sydney Portier or a few others.
Eastwood was one of the pioneers in getting better roles for the minority actors and actresses. He began to cast them in roles other than criminals, etc.
That was my point.
Lee forgot this history, too.
We are all in this together.
Black Marines on Iwo Jima:
Black Marines of the 8th Ammunition Company
Black Marines in the 34th Marine Depot
the 36th Marine Depot
16th Marines
Read about it from one who was there:
Google 'Black Marines who both fought and worked and died on Iwo-Jima'
comfort Spike Lee with that info. Then Spike can try to give Clint a lesson in history.......which Spike will fail miserably at.
This is the part you forgot to read;
According to Eastwood, there were no African-Americans in those films because there were no African-American soldiers involved in the specific battles he portrayed in film.
'Does he know anything about American history?' Eastwood said. 'The U.S. military was segregated til the Korean War, and the blacks in World War Two were totally segregated. The only black battalion on Iwo Jima was a small munitions supply unit that came to the beach.
'The story was about the men who raised the flag and we can't make them black if they were not there. So tell him: Why don't you go back and study your history and stop mouthing off!'
Hey Spike.
Do the right thing and shut the F$%*@ up.
Also, check the facts next time.
Do I like Eastwood films........heck yeah!! However, I can understand where Spike was coming from because I'm a vet and while I did my time, the mentality of my fellow soldiers after we drank the 'truth serum' called beer was mind ripping. You would think they read their history but of course they were narrow-minded, just like the folks who think only 900 were there so they[Iwo Jima Black Soldiers]don't count. WTF??
If Clint feels he wanted to focus on the main soldiers in his movie, cool, it's 'his' movie. However, with all the extras hired to shoot the beach scenes not one African-American?? That's Spike's main point. Period.
If one really thinks the only thing these soldiers[Blacks at Iwo Jima] did was burial detail and ammo runs while the bullets were flying get your head out of your fartbox.
Read Gerald Astor's book, 'The Right To Fight: A History of AA's in the Military.' and Wallace Terry's book, 'Bloods'. It all comes down to the simple fact, talk to the Black veterans who were there. Oh yeah, and remember the 'Brothas' who built the roads in Alaska during the 'war years' too.
Spike lee,SHOULD keep his mouth shutt! (GIVE IT A REST LOSER!!!!!! :)
page: 1
Whining doesMay 23rd, 2008 - 14:16:32
not become you Spike. You're turning into Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton and Lou Farrakhan all rolled up into one and now you are standing there with egg all over your face. Take a lesson from Clint.
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