It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Clint Eastwood’s work. Having said that, it took me completely by surprise when Spike Lee publicly criticized Eastwood’s World War II films Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of our Fathers for the exclusion of any African American soldiers. In response to his accusations against Eastwood comes Lee’s latest and most ambitious film to date, Miracle at St. Anna.
Spike Lee’s intentions were admirable and commendable, however I felt that he wandered a bit off track in regards to his film’s original intentions. From my understanding, Lee’s objective was to honor and recognize the African American soldiers (Buffalo Soldiers) who fought brilliantly and bravely in World War II, but instead he added what I felt was an overly opinionated issue of race which dampened the overall quality of the film. Although I felt that the issue of race was essential to the film’s overall success, it just seemed too blatant for my taste. There were definitely moments of absolute genius in this feature, but there were also an equal amount of counterproductive moments as well.
Overall, I have to say that this film is still worth watching. The message Lee is attempting to get across is quite powerful when you get past all the negatives, and the actors in the film hold their own quite well. If you have three hours to spare and are a fan of war dramas, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the message behind this movie.
I thought the film had brilliant moments as well but it was hampered by the racial moments. This movie had enough going for it to be outstanding.
FIlm-Book dot Coms last blog post..Fringe Season 1, Ep. 13 – The Transformation, Ep. 14 – Ability
It definitely had a chance to be absolutely outstanding.
I’ve been meaning to see this film as well as some of the others you have reviewed. I’m biased though, because I don’t think we talk about race productively enough. Often, when we talk about race, it is through the lense of the majority instead of the minority. I think that’s what Spike Lee is essentially trying to produce. I never get tired talking about race politics, because we have not arrived yet as a people. There is still much more work to be done.
Ayprels last blog post..Masters of Restraint
I really find it laughable when whites watch this movies and don’t want to deal with the racial element in it! That makes as much sense as a movie about rape not dealing with act of rape! That’s cowardly and whites don’t want to deal with because they’re still racists and will call us that to justify there own denial!!!
Gerald, I think the idea of race in the film was definitely needed. However, I thought it was also done a tad bit too much.