Was Spike Lee's criticism and charges of racism against Clint Eastwood legitimate?

Question

Spike Lee Rips Eastwood for WWII Films

AP / AOL

Posted: 2008-05-21 14:37:03

Filed Under: Movie News

CANNES, France (May 21) - Spike Lee is slamming Clint Eastwood over his two recent Iwo Jima movies, saying the filmmaker overlooked the role of black soldiers during World War II.

Lee - whose next film is this fall's "Miracle at St. Anna," the story of an all-black U.S. division fighting in Italy during the war - said Eastwood's 2006 movies "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" were whites-only affairs.

"He did two films about Iwo Jima back to back and there was not one black soldier in both of those films," Lee said Tuesday at the Cannes Film Festival, where he was a judge in an online short-film competition.

"Many veterans, African-Americans, who survived that war are upset at Clint Eastwood. In his vision of Iwo Jima, ***** soldiers did not exist. Simple as that. I have a different version," Lee said.

http://news.aol.com/entertainment/movies/movie-news-story/ar/_a/spike-lee-rips-eastwood-for-wwii-films/20080521131109990001?icid=1615988631x1202843836x1200307107

Answer 1

Both Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood are correct in their presentation of race in the US Military during WWII.

During WWII theaters of participation did segregate forces.  There is an element of correctness on the part of Clint Eastwood in that there were areas and events with no colored troop participation.

Spike Lee is correct in his authenticity of colored troops in Europe.  All African American units did participate in combat and support actions during WWII.  

Desegregation ordered by President Harry Truman  in 1948 fixes appropriate authenticity.

African American veterans have a vested interest in the truth of brave and valiant military service.  We also need to be mindful of teaching the authentic truth.

Clint Eastwood is a person of good character and integrity.  He has also acted in war films of Vietnam with integrated units.  There are also Clint Eastwood productions with jazz theme and soundtrack.

Veterans of African American descent must claim for their heirs a sense of investment in the struggle to correct racial errors.  We must also have the integrity to identify authentic portrayal of circumstances when they are correct in time and place.

What Spike is saying is essentially correct.  However to infer from the production a racist motive on the part of Clint Eastwood is a mistake.

If people wish to draw conclusions based upon a lack of correct historical information, it is a factor of their miseducation.  It is the fault of neither Clint Eastwood or Spike Lee that there continue to be areas of information and knowledge which must be taught.

Answer 2

American history I'm beginning to find out isn't always entirely correct.  Black Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines were what I call "The Disenfranchised Ones" during wars such as WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam.  Fighting to "Support and defend the Constitution of America against all enemies foreign and domestic, "The Disenfranchised Ones" were treated as second class citizens.  

The "Powers that Be" in America (back in the 40's even until present day) felt that black men lacked intelligence, skill, courage and patriotism.  I said "even until present day" because there are some who maintain a "1940's" mentality when viewing Blacks even though we're living in the 21st century.  Not to belabor my point.  I think Clint Eastwood was a great actor back in the day, and is an even greater producer today.  Whether or not Clint's omission of Blacks in WWII films was an oversight or completely deliberate is something I've come to expect of American History when dealing with Blacks period.  It's a tradition and American as apple pie.

I purchased "Letters of Iwo Jima" in Dec of 07 as I'm a huge Clint Eastwood fan and a war buff as well.  I haven't watched it yet because I have a good number of unwatched DVDs.  I might watch it this weekend.  The bottom line?  Spike Lee is indeed correct.  "Historically correct."

Answer 3

I think it's ironic that people are accusing Clint Eastwood of being racist.  He is the only American director in history to create a film showing BOTH sides of Iwo Jima.  The only one to film it from the Japanese soldiers point of view...and, have the balls to film the whole thing in Japanese with English subtitles.  If he was telling the expericence of the main 6 who raised the flag, based on the books...   well, sure maybe he could've deviated from the story and sprinkled some black soldiers in to be 'pc', as well as native american and some women.  But most of us aren't over analyzing the honest storying telling of the brutalities of war.  

Besides, I'm sure we could all find the same things in Lees (and other black directors) films.... if we viewed them through a similar critical lense.

Answer 4

Both sides may be forgiven or condemned, depending on your point of view. Of the total of 110,000 american troops committed  at Iwo Jima about four companies or 900 were black.  You may view a more complete answer at http://artofthepossibleonline.com/2008/0... (Black Troops at Iwo Jima)

Answer 5

No. AA's were a small fraction of the total number of soldiers in this invasion and the war itself. That's why no one else has brought this up before. Spike has a movie to promote.

This is more typical c**p from African-American's that will cry "massive racism that is rampant today" (BET' tv host comment) while a black man is about to run for the Presidency as a major political party candidate.

AA's can make movies like "White Men Can't Jump". But it's ok for AA's to do this because they live in a world of "I can do it but you can't".

They can sing n* this, n* that, call each other n* and then ask why  this word still gets used by other people as they promote it in mainstream pop culture. And don't you dare make a movie like "Black Men Can't Think" because that would be "racist".

AA's are the biggest racist in America today. They racist groups are just legal. NAACP, United ***** College Fund, which you can't even write ***** anymore because now that's "racial". Soon "African-American" will be a racist term.

Answer 6

I think Lee might be charging Eastwood with NOT being "Politically Correct..." -& that Eastwood simply wasn't aware how significant a role Black Soldiers played in those battles. Let's see how Lee's version "hold up" in Comparison... I'm looking forward to seeing, "Miracle at St. Anna"- as I've enjoyed MANY of Spike's movies over the years...  :)