Spike Lee slams Clint Eastwood for all-white WII films


Dalya Alberge | May 21, 2008

SPIKE Lee has launched a bitter attack on Clint Eastwood, condemning his failure to include a single African-American soldier in his WWII films about the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Spike Lee has slammed the absence of African Americans in CLint Eastwood Iwo Jima films. Picture: Reuters


The Oscar-nominated African-American director, one of the most influential figures in contemporary cinema, said black soldiers were conspicuous by their absence from Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. Hundreds took part in the battle for the Japanese island in 1945.

Lee said: "There were many African-Americans who survived that war and who were upset at Clint for not having one (in the films). That was his version: the negro soldier did not exist. I have a different version."

He was speaking at a press conference in Cannes, where he gave the world premiere of an eight-minute trailer for his latest feature film, a war drama with which he hopes to set the record straight.
Miracle at St Anna is an epic story about members of the all-black 92nd Buffalo Division, which fought the Germans in Italy.

While refraining from using the word "racist", Lee said that rewriting WWII history was typical of Hollywood. The Dirty Dozen was among the few films that showed the contribution made by African-American soldiers, he said.
White heroes played by John Wayne and other Hollywood stars had until now overshadowed the sacrifice of brave heroes of colour who laid down their lives for their country, he added.

"Here's the paradox," he said. "These African-American men wanted to fight against fascism in the name of democracy. At the same time, they were still second-class citizens."
Although Lee emphasised his respect for Eastwood as a filmmaker, he claimed that the director had been told of the African-Americans who fought at Iwo Jima, and had chosen to ignore that "information".

He said: "It's not like he could say he didn't know. It was a conscious decision not to have any black people."
Half an hour later, Eastwood was at the other end of La Croisette, giving his own press conference for his latest film, L'Echange (formerly The Changeling), the story of a woman, played by Angelina Jolie, who brought down a corrupt police department in 1920s Los Angeles.

Asked twice by The Times to respond to Lee's criticism, Eastwood stared out into the audience as the compere refused to accept a question that did not relate to L'Echange. Later, his spokeswoman also declined to comment.
The Times

Spike Lee slams Clint Eastwood for all-white WII films | The Australian

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

So, Spike thinks political correctness should trump historical accuracy. What a racist, myopic, POS he is. While I'm at it, have you read any really detailed histories of the 92nd ID? It was commanded by a white racist general who thought African troops were worthless. Many of the officers were second rate. Their "relations" with the locals in Sierra Vista, Fry, or Naco Arizona outside Ft. Huachucha AZ were just short of mutunious. In service the division did not distinguish itself. There were black units that did do well but the 92nd wasn't one of them.

Spike wants to romanticize their service and include blacks where they did not serve. History is poorer for his stupidity.

I think it is just to drum up PR for his own movie.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

Political correctness is actually worse than racism. It's not only legal but it's fashionable and the "Yes men" will approve for fear of being called "incorrect". It is honorable to praise the Blacks for what they did , revising facts isn't doing them a favor. Spike Lee would be better off making a movie for what black units did in other theaters.

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The trouble with having too open a mind is that everything tends to fall out.

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Regards,

Gordon
History Vault Bookshop
FortressScotland-http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian/

i enjoyed the japanese eastwood film,but i also liked inside man by spike,in fact,i enjoyed inside man more than the other..lee.

Well both are talented, no doubt about that.

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Hmm. Of all the footage I have seen, there was not a single black, African-American, negro or whatever they go by soldier. This demand to get a share of the limelight by minorities is getting too old. I am one so I can speak. How many troops took part in the invasion compared to the "hundreds" that he quotes. Seems pretty accurate to me.

I piss of people when they ask me for my nationality. I usually say Texan. Then they ask from where I am from. I answer Texas. I was born in Texas therefore I am Texan and from Texas. All Americans have mixed heritage and usually numbering 4 or more. So if you have Irish, German, Italian, and Polish in you, how do you answer the question when you are born American? Idiots. I don't see these people crying out for signs to be in German or Polish or Norewegian, etc. This is the US and the national language is English. Live with or get the h--- out!

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

Weren't Negros (I suppose that was the term then, but I might be wrong) in segregated units in the USArmy anyway?

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For the most part they were until the infantry shortages in 1944.

I did post this about the 2nd Cavalry Division.

"Colored" Cavalry in WWII

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

Only three Colored divisions were formed during the war. Only one saw extensive combat service and it was plagued by problems. On the other hand, the few separate Colored combat battalions formed gave excellent service, most in the ETO.
The second 2nd Cavalry Division (originally it was the 3rd Cavalry Division, it became the 2nd Division when the original 2nd Division was disbanded) was disbanded in 1944. Ironically, the 2nd Cavalry Division was arguably one of the most experienced and professional divisions in the Army. The 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments of the division, known as the Buffalo Soldiers, were two of the most famous regiments in the Army. When the division was disbanded the men of these two great regiments were assigned as laborers to port and engineer battalions.

In Italy, the 92nd Division was placed under the command of Major General Edward M. Almond, an avowed racist. Almond despised his men believing them incapable of learning the duties of combat soldiers, training was perfunctory at best. Officers, who were mostly white, took their cue from General Almond and ignored many of their fundamental duties. In it's first engagements, the division appeared to confirm his fears, making little headway with heavy losses. The division was then reorganized in March and recommitted along the Ligurian coast, again with little effect. Post war studies of the use of African-American combat troops confirmed however that most of the divisions problems could be directly associated with poor training, poor leadership, and neglect of troops in the field.
The experience of the 93rd Division in the PTO was similar. It was split up and served mostly as labor parties on various Pacific islands. It suffered only 138 combat casualties however, losses to disease were severe.

Probably the most famous Colored units were the 561st Tank Battalion, the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, and the 969th Field Artillery Battalions. The 561st was assigned to Patton's Third Army over his strong objection (he believed them incapable of "thinking fast enough to fight in armor"). However, the intrepid gallantry of the Black tankers soon won him over. By the end of 1944 Patton declared "I have nothing but the best in my army. I don't care what color you are as long as you go up there and kill those Kraut son's-a-bitches." In 1978 the 761st was awarded a belated but well deserved Presidential Unit Citation. The 333rd was caught by the German onslaught in the Ardennes and was partly overrun defending its guns. The remnants of the battalion fought on, joining the 969th as the backbone of the defense of Bastogne.

Another use of African-American manpower was a result of the massive attrition that was suffered in the winter of 1944 in Europe. As the infantry replacement pool evaporated in the ETO, radical steps were taken. In January 1945 General Eisenhower took the then unprecedented step of allowing African-American soldiers to volunteer as combat infantry replacements. The response was overwhelming, soldiers accepted reductions in rank in exchange for the chance to fight. These men were assigned to hard-hit divisions where they soon made an impression. Eager to prove critics of African-American combat prowess wrong, these men made up for their lack of experience with a reckless bravery. Most of the replacements continued to serve in effectively segregated units however, most of the divisions formed them into separate platoons or companies that were attached to White units.

The experience of African-American soldiers in World War II had one major and unexpected beneficial effect. Postwar investigations showed that the Colored units that performed poorly had experienced indifferent training, were poorly led, and were often issued with substandard or condemned equipment. Food and housing was also generally poorer than for comparable white units, both in garrison and in the field. On the other hand, the better led units usually performed well. These findings were partly responsible for the post-war drive to integrate the military, which indirectly led to the integration of the entire country in the 1950s and 1960s.

Military History Online - US Army in World War II

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

I once had to fill in a file in the U.S. for some administration. I wanted to mention my country but the closest I could get was "Caucasian"...... Not even my continent... ( I Didn't know I was supposed to be related to uncle Stalin, because that's where Caucasians live!) I felt like ticking something like "Aryan", so I refused and wrote "Earthling" instead. They did not like that at all......

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Well-said all of you guys.

Spike Lee isn't a stupid man but, he sees only with tunnel vision.


Well said TA, Skipper, Gordon, Ike, JC,

JC, thanks for the run-down on some of the other "colored" units that fought well during the war. I admit i'm not very educated about those mena nd their brave deeds, but do wish to learn more about those guys.

AS Ike said, I too have never seen any colored soldier in any of the docu-film I have seen that has anything to do with Iwo Jima. Spike Lee is the one who is racist and I think he is utterly jealous of Clint Eastwoods films being very successful. I do not thing that Clint Eastwood, has a racist bone in his body. I wonder how Lee can say that? did he seem to forget that Eastwood (much alike John Wayne) married an American woman of Mexican descent? All three of Dukes wives, were of Hispanic origin. All of his children are half-hispanic.

Clint Eastwood also has had a child with his hispanic wife. Spike Lee speaketh with a forked tongue.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

A sperate thought from the above posting.

If Spike Lee wants so much to show the contributions of colored soldiers in WWII, then why does he not make a new movie about the men who made up; The Redball Express. That unit had a significant number of black soldiers serving with white soldiers. If he or someone made an updated version of this Jeff Chandler classic, i'd go see it.

I think the Jeff Chandler film, gave a very good representation of this unit. I also thought that Sidney Poitier gave an excellent performance in this film, as well as the gent who played: "Tappey."

Whats next on Spike Lees "shiplist?" griping about no blacks serving in Merrills Marauders? or better yet-no black troops serving with the Anzacs at Gallipoli! (Yes I know, wrong war)

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Thanks Bob!

Naaah, Carl, he's going to gripe for no Blacks serving with the Russians on Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky"!

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Carl, here is a pic i posted in the helping enemy thread. I don't know how many colored units fought though, just that some where there.

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"Like so many of our people, we have now had a personal experience of German barbarity which only strengthens the resolution of all of us to fight through to final victory."-King George VI
"Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat efficiency; we are winning."-Colonel David M. Shoup-Saipan

I wonder how many whites are in Spike's movies. It's all about the point of view of the storyteller.

I suppose there are some politically correct Japanese whizzing and moaning about some aspect of the Eastwood movies as well.........

tom

Oh there'll be whites in Spike Lee's film, and I imagine they're be stereotypical bigots, rednecks or a mix of the two.
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