Thank you so much, George Lucas for fighting so hard to tell this story. It's always been an intriguing tale for me since my visit to Tuskegee University many years ago. I've always admired the Tuskegee Airmen for so many reasons. It had to be hard enough fighting the prejudices of Tuskegee, Alabama. But, to have to deal with the same madness from American soldiers, in Italy, including top ranks, had to be rough.
Anthony Hemingway did an amazing job as the director. Red Tails is his first feature film. I think he was able to create a loyal following with this high quality movie. The movie had something to keep the entire family intrigued. There was action, drama, love, and believe it or not, lots of humor. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I'm not usually into Wikipedia, but I recommend you check out the Anthony Hemingway Bio they have featured.
And, to answer the questions of many, many parents... YES, TAKE YOUR KIDS to see this movie. Although it is about "Black Airmen", it's a story of American history... period. There is no nudity, maybe two curse words, no sex, and the only violence is war. This story is important to our culture as a country. It shows how far we've come to learn how to fight together, as one... We The People!!!
The following is a post from imdb.com about the controversy behind getting Red Tails to the theaters:
"George Lucas began
developing Red Tails around 1988 but was unable to secure funding from
any major studio, as any he approached believed that producing a film
featuring an all black cast would be unmarketable. As a result, Lucas
ended up funding the project with his own money, investing $58 million
into the production of the film, and a further $35 million towards
marketing.
In preparation, George Lucas and his staff interviewed surviving Tuskegee Airmen and were given access to their original mission logbooks.
A prequel and a sequel are planned. George Lucas wants Lee Daniels and Spike Lee to direct them, respectively.
In an interview with The New York Times, George Lucas stated that the personalities of Easy and Lightning are based on Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, respectively."
Hello, I just happen to come across your site and saw this interesting post. I myself plan to go see the movie and admire those Tuskegee airmen. It is good for African American men to have the opportunity to show others what they could do as pilots. The trailer is so amusing. I am definitely going to see it some time this week.
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