Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Eastwood Rejects Lee's Criticism of His WW2 Films
reuters.com ^ | May 23, 2008

Posted on 05/24/2008 1:26:22 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY

BERLIN (Reuters Life!) - Veteran actor and director Clint Eastwood rejected criticism from fellow U.S. director Spike Lee that his films "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" failed to recognize the role of African-American soldiers.

In an interview with Germany's Focus magazine, Eastwood said it was nonsense to suggest he had "erased the role of black GIs from history". He said there were no Afro-Americans in those films because there were no Afro-American soldiers involved.

"Does he know anything about American history?" Eastwood told Focus when asked about Lee's criticism. "The U.S. military was segregated til the Korean War, and the blacks in World War Two were totally segregated. The only black battalion on Iwo Jima was a small munitions supply unit that came to the beach.

"The story was about the men who raised the flag and we can't make them black if they were not there. So tell him: Why don't you go back and study your history and stop mouthing off!"

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News
KEYWORDS: hollywood; makemyday; race; racebaiting; wwii
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-102 next last
To: zeestephen

If you find out anything, please ping me. I have been trying to get information on something slightly related. My Chinese GF’s grandfather was killed in the PI in WWII. I know he wasn’t fighting for the US, and I don’t believe any Chinese willingly fought for the Japanese. Her family, as per cultural habit, does not talk about it, even within the family.


61 posted on 05/24/2008 3:43:27 PM PDT by tarawa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: AuntB

Of course they do. We’re supposed to be ashamed to be white. Never had White Guilt Syndrome myself & quite certain I’m immune.


62 posted on 05/24/2008 3:47:49 PM PDT by Sue Perkick (And I hope that what I've done here today doesn't force you to have a negative opinion of me....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: rabidralph

He’s all mouth and no Moxie.


63 posted on 05/24/2008 3:50:23 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country! What else needs to said?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: Sue Perkick
White Guilt Syndrome : I’m immune.

Me too......

64 posted on 05/24/2008 3:50:57 PM PDT by just me
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: SandRat
“For the most part, if you look at the history of Hollywood cinema they haven’t dealt with anybody other than white Americans.

Black troops made up less than 8% of total G.I.s in WWII.

65 posted on 05/24/2008 4:06:11 PM PDT by montag813
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: RayChuang88

“It wasn’t until President Truman integrated the military that blacks became involved directly in combat, starting with the Korean War”............................. Not so, Lincoln used “colored troops”, the 9th and 10th U.S. Colored Cavalry regiments during the Indian wars and the Spanish-American War, and the 369th Infantry Regiment during World War I, and they were involved in WW II in Italy with the 92nd Div. (Buffalo Soldiers) Spike is going to make a movie about them.(92nd ID) I’m sure he will blame all their short comings on the white officers that were leading them (maybe rightly so in a few cases). The 92nd consisted of 3 infantry regiments, the 365th, 370th and the 371st; four field artillery battalions, the 597th, 598th, 599th and 600th; plus headquarters battery, and the 92nd Reconnaissance Troop, along with the support units. The 92nd division was one of the units, that fought along the German Gothic line. As a newly trained division they took a beating, but they were up against some very battle hardened troops, including an SS Division and in the worst terrain possible. At one point the were fighting along side the famous 442RCT. We will have to wait and see what Mr. Lee produces before we can pass judgment.


66 posted on 05/24/2008 4:08:56 PM PDT by Bringbackthedraft (Where have all our Great Leaders gone? Certainly there must be one out there?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Liberty Valance

The Black Widdas!


67 posted on 05/24/2008 4:11:27 PM PDT by headstamp 2 (Been here before)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Bringbackthedraft
Lets not forget "M*A*S*H" 1974.



"Oliver Wendell "Spearchucker" Jones was a surgeon in the movie and television series M*A*S*H. He was portrayed by Fred Williamson in the movie and by Timothy Brown (who had played the corpsman CPL Judson in the film) in the television series."
68 posted on 05/24/2008 4:14:13 PM PDT by ktime
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: zeestephen
“Anyone here know how the Koreans were treated, or how many Koreans died, or where they went after Iwo, or what ultimately happened to them?”

Badly, most of them, the few who survived were American POWs.

69 posted on 05/24/2008 4:23:26 PM PDT by GAB-1955 (Kicking and Screaming into the Kingdom of Heaven!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: ktime
Also the movie Platoon (1986).

Keith David played "King" and Forest Whitaker played "Big Harold".


70 posted on 05/24/2008 4:23:49 PM PDT by ktime
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: Free ThinkerNY

Spike Lee was just using this to push his own film. I’m glad Eastwood set him straight on history.


71 posted on 05/24/2008 4:28:40 PM PDT by Retired Chemist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Free ThinkerNY

72 posted on 05/24/2008 4:48:29 PM PDT by Ron Jeremy (sonic)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Free ThinkerNY
And what about Tropic Thunder, huh Spike? Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
73 posted on 05/24/2008 4:59:21 PM PDT by Mentos
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AuntB
Well, we've got John Wayne and Ronald Reagan.

Spike's got Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Obama.

74 posted on 05/24/2008 5:04:32 PM PDT by Czar ( StillFedUptotheTeeth@Washington)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Free ThinkerNY

Spike Lee’s a moron for bringing this up, he should have checked the facts before mouthing off. I’m sure he has “people” that could do that.

This has been a “BlueStateBlues Joint”


75 posted on 05/24/2008 5:07:25 PM PDT by BlueStateBlues (Blue State for business, Red State at heart..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: humblegunner

If people studied history, most would never vote Democrat.

A few would still...but they would be the people who get Ds and Fs in history.


76 posted on 05/24/2008 5:36:11 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat (Just say NObama!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SJSAMPLE

If I’m not mistaken, that’s Lawrence Fishburne...


77 posted on 05/24/2008 5:44:25 PM PDT by rlmorel (Clinging bitterly to Guns and God in Massachusetts...:)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: SJSAMPLE

I know a lot of people dislike “Apocalypse Now”, but I love the movie.

I understand completely, though, the people who hate it and why they hate it. It is complete fantasy masquerading as reality, and digs a bigger hole for Vietnam Veterans to dig their reputations out of.

I like it because it is complete and total fantasy...and you gotta love some of the characters in it. I mean, hey...any character who utters the lines “I love the smell of napalm in the morning...” has got me!

See, John Kerry loves the movie, because in his twisted brain, it is reality. He sees it as HIS reality, complete with a Cambodian excursion. What a twit.


78 posted on 05/24/2008 5:53:35 PM PDT by rlmorel (Clinging bitterly to Guns and God in Massachusetts...:)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: SandRat

‘preciate the popcorn. Has your popcorn prices gone up too?


79 posted on 05/24/2008 6:45:51 PM PDT by uptoolate (The Republican fear of Liberalism is why we are in this predicament)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Bommer
Bommer - very good link - as a Conservative I would not normally look to a site edited by Alexander Cockburn - the article, however, struck me as basically honest and well researched and well written - extraordinary to think that many of those poor souls were “liberated” by the USA only to spend the rest of their lives in North Korea, or in South Korea, which was a third world impoverished nation well into the 1970’s - thanks again
80 posted on 05/24/2008 6:55:13 PM PDT by zeestephen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-102 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson