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Left to Right - Dean Rogers, Shelby Jones, Nell Minow, David Oyewolo, Dr. Roscoe Brown (Tuskegee Airman) Terrence Howard and
John Hanlon
RITZ CARLTON, GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON DC | January 14, 2012
Based In Part on Research Material From The Book "RED TAILS, BLACK WINGS: THE MEN OF AMERICA'S BLACK AIR FORCE" by John B. Holway
Why you should see it NOW.
By Shelby Jones
January 20, 2012 shelby@ufpweekly.com
“Blacks are mentally inferior by nature subservient… cowardly… and therefore unfit for combat.” - 1925 Army War College Study
I have always loved films about war. PLATOON, FULL METAL JACKET, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, APOCALYPSE NOW, MEN OF HONOR, and I thought Spike Lee did a great job with MIRACLE AT ST.ANNA.RED TAILS. RED TAILS. RED TAILS. By now all of America has probably seen an article, video, trailer, commercial, Tweet (#occupyredtails), blog, vlog, or some kind of material on RED TAILS (even the President and First Lady are down with RED TAILS) which hits theaters today and a lot of eyes are watching to see how it’s reviewed, how much money it generates, public reaction, and how historical yappin’ heads will take to it. I call them “yappin heads” except for the entire evening MSNBC staff, Roland Martin, Meet the Press (occasionally), and Bill Maher. The bias of people sometimes, I tell ya. As you will learn from RED TAILS, in 1944, although our characters talk a lot, serious business was at stake at all times.
With the cost of going to the movies becoming equivalent to your monthly auto-insurance bill, I make sure I only tell subscribers to attend a film if I truly believe it is worth your time and hard-earned dollar bill. Some films have been so bad lately theaters may have to establish a refund, or two for one policy at some point. However, not this film. Not RED TAILS. Nah, you have to see this in a theater with hundreds of other movie fans. And then tell your hood, your Facebook crew, Twitter crew and LinkedIn crew how good it was and how you learned something new about a critical and stressful time in world history. It is hard for our generation to imagine what it was like back then. Imagine that Hitler was literally trying to take over the world. Today we experience the same force with Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. Well, he is all over the world handling more than 25% to 30% of all internet traffic. And to think, all started from a dorm room in flip-flops. See, times are so different now. Hmmm, considering human behavior, maybe that SOPA bill is needed to prevent a future evil war-monger.
Opening with the men at flight, the film doesn’t waste any time getting started. Moving in and out of combat situations while sitting in the theater is a lot of fun. Some of the shots by Director Anthony Hemingway are starving for 3D, which I don’t necessarily like, but the action is so intense you want to feel the danger a little more. The two cornerstone characters of the film are “Easy,” played by Nate Parker and “Lightning” played by British actor David Oyewolo. Black male British actors are on a roll. (Idris Elba wins Golden Globe) Lightning and Easy are best friends struggling to understand why after so much hard work, training, and dedication the Tuskegee Airmen are still essentially grounded. Not to mention back in the United States, they were still harshly discriminated against and the military was segregated. Allowed to fly less than adequate plains only to clean up behind the official battles between US/Allied Forces and the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan), Easy struggles to keep the squad’s moral high, while Lighting, if he gets a chance to “light something up,” the boy is like Ray Lewis in the 2 gap, you will be lit. Borrowing a little from TOP GUN’S Maverick, Lightning is today’s gunz blazin rapper to Easy’s calm, cool hand Luke persona. One of the more appreciative parts of their portrayal was how they solved problems and dealt with their own demons while at war by communicating. Communicating not just about war but about who they are as men; their fears, joy, and pain all right there for us to absorb. Lightning loves the women and unfortunately, Easy likes the bottle. Bottle or women, both are vicious in the sky.
The two are off-set by heavyweight stars Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Howard plays “Colonel A.J. Bullard” and Cuba plays “Major Emmanuel Stance.” Both actors borrowed their persona from the late General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. who was the first 20th Century graduate of West Point. Davis was so solid, so grand that he withstood not being spoken to by his classmates except in the line of duty. Some of us are upset if our text or phone call is not returned in 2 minutes. It was Davis who would later Command the 332nd Fighter Group, which comprised the Tuskegee Airmen. Now consider in 1925 the Army War College essentially said the male Negro basically couldn’t tie his shoelaces and chew gum at the same time, let alone fly an airplane to kill Germans. But they sure can dance. Well, it didn’t say that exactly. What they did say was so inflammatory and racist I could only type it once. It’s at the top of this review if you missed it. Colonel Bullard is having none of that. He constantly lobbies the Pentagon and top brass that his boys can fight, will fight, and deserve to fight. Stance is back in Italy holding it down as best he can. Stance constantly instills in the men that although they are treated far worse than the white fighter pilots, they are still fighter pilots, and must stay ready to answer orders immediately and effectively. “You are fighter pilots,” says Stance.
BOOM.
The orders come and The Tuskegee Airmen must answer the call. US Bomber planes were being torn to shreds by German aircraft hindering their ability to get to their bombing locations. I know this to be true because my former boss, the late MPAA CEO, Jack Valenti, flew 51 bombing missions during World War II. As the pilot-commander of a B-25 attack bomber with the 12th Air Force in Italy, Valenti received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with four clusters, the Distinguished Unit Citation with one cluster, and the European Theater Ribbon with four battle stars. One day he called me into his office and asked that I visit the National Archives to verify his war records because Variety was doing a story on him. I spent hours sifting through WWII bombing records. The orders and post op reports were written on onion-skin paper which becomes extremely brittle after all of those years. Handling the material was nerve racking (what would I say if I damaged a WWII record, oops, messed that one up), and combined with reading the reports of so many that didn’t make it back to base made the experience something I will never forget. Sitting in a theater years later and seeing some of those exact situations in the film RED TAILS was definitely a surreal moment.
The film takes off when we finally get to see what the men can do in the air with Hitler’s homey’s trying to blow them up. The action is intense and the actors perform the intensity with a relaxed vibe which is how the Tuskegee Airmen had to handle it. Imagine these men were thousands of miles from home, ready to die for a country that showed no love or respect for them at all. So when they had a mission to accomplish it was an accomplished mission; done deal, kills and more.
I had the pleasure to sit and talk with Tuskegee Airman Dr. Roscoe Brown who was a Squadron Commander for the 332nd and served as a consultant to George Lucas on the film. Talking with this man you quickly realize that this man is a true hero with courage, faith, and skill dancing on every word he speaks. Click here to listen to the audio of the interview. Watching RED TAILS you feel you are in the cockpit with these men as they wage war against the Axis Powers, resist racism in the military, and back home.
My grandfather fought in WWII, uncle in Vietnam, dad was a Marine, first boss was a female US Air Force Captain who took no crap from a then smart ass 17 year old. Most dear to my heart with respect to service men and women is one of my best friends was killed on 911, US Army Captain Clifford L. Patterson, Jr. While in high school and college, Cliff and I worked for the Department of Defense under the guidance of Air Force Captains and Colonels. Needless to say meeting Dr. Brown and working for Mr. Valenti certainly helped to fuel my already deep love and respect for our service men and women. I also have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking more than a few times with the Grey Eagle, General Frank E. Petersen, the dad of a lifelong friend. Lieutenant General Frank E. Petersen was the first African American aviator and general in the United States Marine Corps. His distinguished service to the United States Marine Corps includes the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Combat "V", Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" and the Air Force Commendation Medal. So yes, my love of RED TAILS goes beyond a film review. I understand the sacrifice and real life toughness of these men and women. Not only does their story deserved to be told, it should be told over and over again. These men and women are the very reason we enjoy so many freedoms in the world today. We should honor them always.
I thoroughly enjoyed RED TAILS from start to finish. Some critics or super cgi desiring film fans may jump on the simplicity of the film. But remember part of the vision of this film came from the mind of Executive Producer George Lucas who also poured millions, out of his own pockets, into the production and distribution of RED TAILS. George Lucas has more than a dozen Academy Awards for his amazing contributions to cinema; how we see films and how we hear films thanks to George Lucas. So if Mr. Lucas and director Hemingway thought it best to film it with a feel of a 1944 film, then I agree. No argument here. I am eager and hoping to read in the near future that the filmmakers are already working on the prequel and sequel but of course that somewhat depends on us, the movie goers, and how we like this one. Vote LIKE on Facebook, see it in theaters, Tweet it, and buy the DVD down the road. Don’t you want to see how these young men got started? In this film we see them in war. But who raised them, who were their first love interests, how did they become interested in flying airplanes? Such a dynamic story and a master story-teller provided a great beginning with RED TAILS. Start knowing more about the legendary and honorable Tuskegee Airmen.
And lastly, if you have some reason not to see it, think again for a second. Remember this film is dedicated IN MEMORY OF LT. COL. LEE ARCHER and LT. COL. WILLIAM 'BILL' H. HOLLOMAN III. Their distinguished service to all Americans is beyond measure. Take a kid if nothing else. These men lived long, successful lives after defending the United States of America and this is their story from 1944 Italy when they changed a nation. “TO THE LAST BULLET, TO THE LAST MINUTE, TO THE LAST MAN, WE FIGHT.”
ABOUT THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN
"Tuskegee Airmen" refers to all who were involved in the so-called "Tuskegee Experience,” the Army Air Corps program to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors, and all the personnel who kept the planes in the air. To learn more about The Tuskegee Airmen, please visit http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org
ABOUT THE FILM “RED TAILS”
1944. World War II rages and the fate of the free world hangs in the balance. Meanwhile the black pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program are courageously waging two wars at once one against enemies overseas, and the other against discrimination within the military and back home. Racial prejudices have long held ace airman Martin "Easy" Julian (Nate Parker) and his black pilots back at base - leaving them with little to do but further hone their flying skills - while their white counterparts are shipped out to combat after a mere three months of training. Mistakenly deemed inferior and assigned only second-rate planes and missions, the pilots of Tuskegee have mastered the skies with ease but have not been granted the opportunity to truly spread their wings.
Until now.
As the war in Europe continues to take its dire toll on Allied forces, Pentagon brass has no recourse but to reconsider these under-utilized pilots for combat duty. Just as the young Tuskegee men are on the brink of being shut down and shipped back home, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) awards them the ultimate chance to prove their mettle high above. Undaunted by the prospect of providing safe escort to bombers in broad daylight - a mission so dangerous that the RAF has refused it and the white fighter groups have sustained substantial losses - Easy's pilots at last join the fiery aerial fray. Against all the odds, with something to prove and everything to lose, these intrepid young airmen take to the skies in a heroic endeavor to combat the enemy and the discrimination that has kept them down for so long.
DISTRIBUTED BY Twentieth Century & Lucas Films
PRODUCED BY George Lucas
DIRECTED BY Anthony Hemingway
WRITTEN BY John Ridley & Aaron McGruder
STARRING
Cuba Gooding Jr. - Major Emmanuel Stance
Terrence Howard - Colonel A.J. Bullard
Bryan Cranston - Colonel William Mortamus
Nate Parker - Marty "Easy" Julian
David Oyelowo - Joe "Lightning" Little
Tristan Wilds - Ray "Junior" Gannon
Ne-Yo - Andrew "Smokey" Salem
Elijah Kelley - Samuel "Joker" George
Leslie Odom, Jr. - Declan "Winky" Hall
Andre Royo - Antwan 'Coffee' Coleman
Michael B. Jordan - Maurice Wilson
TECHNICAL ADVISORS
CAPT. ROSCOE C. BROWN JR.
ED SHIPLEY
CHRIS BUCHOLTZ
DANIEL L. HAULMAN
JASON McKINLEY - RADICAL 3D
ED NORED
DAVID LITTLETON
LT. COL. LEE ARCHER
LT. COL. WILLIAM 'BILL' H. HOLLOMAN III
MPAA Rating: “PG-13” (for some sequences of war violence)
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With the cost of going to the movies becoming equivalent to your monthly auto-insurance bill, I make sure I only tell subscribers to attend a film if I truly believe it is worth your time and hard-earned dollar bill. Some films have been so bad lately theaters may have to establish a refund, or two for one policy at some point. However, not this film. Not RED TAILS. Nah, you have to see this in a theater with hundreds of other movie fans. And then tell your hood, your Facebook crew, Twitter crew and LinkedIn crew how good it was and how you learned something new about a critical and stressful time in world history. It is hard for our generation to imagine what it was like back then. Imagine that Hitler was literally trying to take over the world. Today we experience the same force with Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. Well, he is all over the world handling more than 25% to 30% of all internet traffic. And to think, all started from a dorm room in flip-flops. See, times are so different now. Hmmm, considering human behavior, maybe that 
The two are off-set by heavyweight stars Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Howard plays “Colonel A.J. Bullard” and Cuba plays “Major Emmanuel Stance.” 
The orders come and The Tuskegee Airmen must answer the call. US Bomber planes were being torn to shreds by German aircraft hindering their ability to get to their bombing locations. I know this to be true because my former boss, the late 
I thoroughly enjoyed RED TAILS from start to finish. Some critics or super cgi desiring film fans may jump on the simplicity of the film. But remember part of the vision of this film came from the mind of Executive Producer George Lucas who also poured millions, out of his own pockets, into the production and distribution of RED TAILS. George Lucas has more than a dozen Academy Awards for his amazing contributions to cinema; how we see films and how we hear films thanks to George Lucas. So if Mr. Lucas and director Hemingway thought it best to film it with a feel of a 1944 film, then I agree. No argument here. I am eager and hoping to read in the near future that the filmmakers are already working on the prequel and sequel but of course that somewhat depends on us, the movie goers, and how we like this one. Vote LIKE on Facebook, see it in theaters, Tweet it, and buy the DVD down the road. Don’t you want to see how these young men got started? In this film we see them in war. But who raised them, who were their first love interests, how did they become interested in flying airplanes? Such a dynamic story and a master story-teller provided a great beginning with RED TAILS. Start knowing more about the legendary and honorable Tuskegee Airmen. 