Clint vs. Spike
Among the film directors I admire is Clint Eastwood, who has smoothly evolved fron Dirty Harry into an elder craftsman behind the camera. Another is Spike Lee, who pricked our consciences with such efforts as "Do the Right Thing."
Now, as Richard Prince reports, the two are going at each other over the authenticity of Clint's Iwo Jima epic, "Flags of Our Fathers. Lee takes Eastwood to task for not featuring a single black soldier's face in the film.
Richard Prince provides the play-by-play.
Comments (6)
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When Spike Lee arrives at the same level of film achievement that Eastwood has occupied for several years, then he can criticize Eastwood. Until then, he would be well-advised to sit down, shut-up, and listen.
Posted on June 13, 2008 10:22 AM
I'm not sure what Spike is talking about. The story centered on the guys who happened to raise the flag, one of which was an Amercian Indian, but happenstance dictated that none of them were black. Could some peripheral, background, token role been devised for a black character? Of course. Apparently this was not high on Eastwood's priority list and it is surprising a director of Lee's talent, experience and track record would, knowing the Herculean task of making a movie, stoop to this local hack politician nitpicking.
One should give Lee credit however in that he does usually have diverse casts in his movies which is what makes them interesting.
Posted on June 13, 2008 10:52 AM
Savage:
I agree. Eastwood's certainly open to various perspectives. In fact, I actually thought his take on the Japanese side of Iwo Jima, "Letters from Iwo Jima," was superior to "Flags of Our Fathers."
Posted on June 13, 2008 1:12 PM
You think Spike Lee is the diverse thinking?
Not one Arab character in the Fever in the Jungle.
F#@% heem! Hippocrit servicer of camels.
Posted on June 13, 2008 1:56 PM
I agree, Allen. I thought "Letters" was more viscerally touching although "Flags" was gut-wrenching too when you see what happens to Ira Hayes.
Posted on June 13, 2008 2:56 PM
When is the Spike Lee going to make The Fever in the Desert? You think the nice Italian girls are not going to go for the Arab mens? You must be kiddink!
Posted on June 13, 2008 4:07 PM