Spike Lee slams Clint Eastwood for being racist

[Dusty Ayres]

Apologies if this has been posted already:

Spike Lee has slammed legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood for failing to include black soldiers in his films Letters from Iwo Jima (2007) and Flags of Our Fathers (2006). The Inside Man director claims Eastwood should have included African-American soldiers in the films about the Battle of Iwo Jima—considering hundreds took part in the 1945 battle. Lee launched his attack on Tuesday at the Cannes Film Festival, saying, “There were many African-Americans who survived that war and who were upset at Clint of not having one (in the films). That was his version: the negro soldier did not exist. I have a different version. But I know it was pointed out to him and that he could have changed it. It’s not like he didn’t know.”

Spike Lee slams Clint Eastwood for being racist

 

[Aragorn]

Yeah! Just imagine how much better Iwo Jima would've been if Eastwood had cast Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Don Cheadle and Forest Whitaker as the main Japanese characters! Spike Lee crying racism is like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton crying racism -- which one's the kettle and which one's the pot?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yeah! Just imagine how much better Iwo Jima would've been if Eastwood had cast Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Don Cheadle and Forest Whitaker as the main Japanese characters!

Did you actually read what Spike Lee said?

 

[Dusty Ayres]

Yeah! Just imagine how much better Iwo Jima would've been if Eastwood had cast Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Don Cheadle and Forest Whitaker as the main Japanese characters! Spike Lee crying racism is like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton crying racism -- which one's the kettle and which one's the pot?

He said that he wanted black characters (soldiers) in the movies, and for them to be recognized, not for the actors you mentioned to play the Japanese characters. And he's got a point-it's not as if he was filming the Battle Of Britain, which mostly was all-white.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

In that link the OP posted, one of the comments makes this observation:

In the battle of Iwo Jima the USMC combat units involved did not include any African-Americans. The naval vessels had African-Americans as part of their crew but few, if any, saw combat on the island. They did fight off Japanese air attacks on their vessels and apparently some were involved in manning the LCTs and Amtracks that took the Marines ashore.

 

[J.T.B.]

He said that he wanted black characters (soldiers) in the movies, and for them to be recognized, not for the actors you mentioned to play the Japanese characters. And he's got a point-it's not as if he was filming the Battle Of Britain, which mostly was all-white.

They weren't soldiers (army) in those movies, they were marines. At that time, the Marine Corps did not use black marines in front line infantry units, which are the focus of the movies. There definitely were black marines and sailors on Iwo Jima, but they were in supporting echelons in rear areas. Those kinds of units were not shown in the movies (except at very long distance in aerial shots &c.). Spike needs to do his homework: Eastwood is not racist, but the times he was depicting were.

--Justin

 

[Kegek]

Spike needs to do his homework: Eastwood is not racist, but the times he was depicting were.

Pretty much. Certainly, with its conscious depiction of the travails and indignities suffered by a Native American Flags of Our Fathers is hardly a racist film.

 

[biotech]

Didn't Spike direct Jungle fever, where all the white guys are racist twats, and the only good people are black?

 

[zenophite]

so according to "Spike" Lee anybody who doesn't go out of their way to include blacks in their films is a racist.

Yeah whatever, Shelton. Compared to the frequency of depictions of Asians and Native Americans, blacks have nothing to complain about.

 

[CorporalClegg]

What a tool.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

And didn't Spike fall for that bullshit rumor about Liz Claiborne?

 

[1001001]

What a tool.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Goliath]

Spike Who?

 

[M'Sharak]

He said that he wanted black characters (soldiers) in the movies, and for them to be recognized, not for the actors you mentioned to play the Japanese characters. And he's got a point-it's not as if he was filming the Battle Of Britain, which mostly was all-white.

They weren't soldiers (army) in those movies, they were marines. At that time, the Marine Corps did not use black marines in front line infantry units, which are the focus of the movies. There definitely were black marines and sailors on Iwo Jima, but they were in supporting echelons in rear areas. Those kinds of units were not shown in the movies (except at very long distance in aerial shots &c.). Spike needs to do his homework: Eastwood is not racist, but the times he was depicting were.

Bingo.

I do wonder about this, though -- from the article:

Lee launched his attack... saying, “...I know it was pointed out to him and that he could have changed it. It’s not like he didn’t know.”

What, precisely, was pointed out to Eastwood, and what is he supposed to have known, according to Lee? Surely, Lee isn't suggesting that historical accuracy be sacrificed to fit a latter-day sense of inclusion which did not exist in that time and place?

The "article" gives no indication.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Seriously, I was watching it and there was a black soldier in the end...

 

[Harvey]

Didn't Spike direct Jungle fever, where all the white guys are racist twats, and the only good people are black?

I've only seen the film once, but from what I remember, the film's analysis of race relations was far more complex than that.

These comments about Flags seem to be a little off the mark, though. There are bigger fish to fry than Clint Eastwood.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I think he's just one of those guys who stirs the proverbial pot simply for attention. He's always yapping on about something and is really good at pointing fingers.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

Spike Lee is annoying.

 

[Aragorn]

He said that he wanted black characters (soldiers) in the movies, and for them to be recognized, not for the actors you mentioned to play the Japanese characters. And he's got a point-it's not as if he was filming the Battle Of Britain, which mostly was all-white.

So tell me, how many black soldiers saw frontline combat in Iwo Jima?

You were all for the statue of the four white 9/11 firefighters being changed to multi-ethnic, weren't you?

 

[DarthPipes]

He said that he wanted black characters (soldiers) in the movies, and for them to be recognized, not for the actors you mentioned to play the Japanese characters. And he's got a point-it's not as if he was filming the Battle Of Britain, which mostly was all-white.

They weren't soldiers (army) in those movies, they were marines. At that time, the Marine Corps did not use black marines in front line infantry units, which are the focus of the movies. There definitely were black marines and sailors on Iwo Jima, but they were in supporting echelons in rear areas. Those kinds of units were not shown in the movies (except at very long distance in aerial shots &c.). Spike needs to do his homework: Eastwood is not racist, but the times he was depicting were.

--Justin

Exactly.