“Red Tails” the historically-based action movie, earned nearly 19 million dollars its Jan. 20 opening weekend, according to Variety magazine. It was the second highest grossing film behind “Underworld: Awakening.”
“Red Tails” is the brainchild of George Lucas, the acclaimed Star Wars filmmaker. The film follows the trials and successes of the Tuskegee Airmen, a segregated air combat unit during WWII.
The Tuskegee Airmen were comprised of the 333rd fighter group and the 477th Bombardier group of what was then known as the Army Air Corps. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American pilots to serve in the U.S. military. The military was still highly segregated during this time and as the war waged on, the need for trained pilots became too great for the Army to continue its discriminatory policies.
The “Red Tails” earned the moniker because of the distinctive red paint which the group used to coat the entire tail section of their fighter planes.
FoxNews reported that in 2007, President George W. Bush awarded 300 Congressional Gold medals to the Tuskegee Airmen for their valor and bravery in battle. The President was quoted in the article as stating, “Even the Nazis asked why African-American men would fight for a country that treated them so unfairly.”
Brian Williams, Huffington Post writer, wrote that “the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is quintessentially American. It is one of valor and an unquenchable desire to demonstrate one’s patriotism. The Tuskegee Airmen story is also a reminder of the tragic reality that post WWII America, in many cases, treated Nazi prisoners of war better than the returning black soldiers who were part of the ‘greatest generation.’”
The racism that the pilots endured during their service and afterwards as veterans is well documented and makes their accomplishments even more noteworthy. Although the story of the Tuskegee Airmen had been brought to screen before (twice for television), this film is a first for African-American cinema because of its major budget and nationwide release.
But the road to getting “Red Tails” to screens was not an easy one. The film took over 20 years to produce, according to George Lucas in an interview on the Daily Show with John Stewart. He said that no major studios were interested in the film because of its all-black cast.
“Major studios have traditionally been reluctant to finance large scale films with all-black cast,” Lucas said.
When he set up a private screening for top level studio executives in order to get financing, no one showed up. Lucas ended up financing the production and advertising himself.
“Red Tails” may not have constituted a significant technical advance in film production like “Avatar,” but if successful, it may contribute to a different kind of advancement by helping to break down color barriers that still exist in Hollywood and prove to the studios that audiences don’t care what ethnicity the actors are, they just want to see a good movie.
“Red Tails” stars Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was directed by Anthony Hemingway, produced by George Lucas, and distributed by 20th Century Fox.
Contact Julius Williams, sports assignment editor, at jwilli78@jccc.edu.