It’s heroic.  It’s action packed.  It’s brave young nineteen- and twenty-year olds going up against the newest in modern jets of the feared German war machine of World War II and winning!

George Lucas was determined to make Red Tails and is vocal about his determination to showcase these brave young men.   “These are unsung heroes who have never been fully recognized for their bravery.”  In fact, it took him twenty-three years to complete the film…and he used his own money to pay for it!!!

Black director Anthony Hemingway, takes full advantage of the opportunity to direct one of few all black big box office action movies ever made. Red Tails is designed to have the look and feel of an old-fashioned movie of the 1940′s.  It is intense and well executed. Teenage boys will enjoy in particular the air fights since Lucas designed these scenes to appeal to them.

While the movie captures the talent, heart, dedication and determination of these heroic young men it lacks important historic details.

They were called the “Schwartze Vogelmenschen” (Black Birdmen) by the Germans in World War II who both feared and respected them.  White America bomber crews reverently referred to them as “The Black Redtail Angels” because of their reputation for not losing bombers to enemy fighters as they provided fighter escort to bombing missions over strategic targets in Europe…Four hundred and fifty black fighter pilots under the command of Col Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. (who was later to become the U.S. Air Force’s first black Lt. General) fought in the aerial war over North Africa, Sicily and Europe.  static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2012/01/RedTails3.jpg

According to Lucas, this is the middle of a trilogy.  Part I details the challenges faced by the young men to become the first black pilots.  Part III covers the racism they faced upon their return home from war.

The all black 332 Air Fighter Group were given hand-me-down airplanes, segregated facilities, were disrespected at the highest levels of a racist military establishment and yet they prevailed.

Even now George Lucas with all his success could not get the powerful Hollywood studios to back the movie.  Studio executives turned down the chance to distribute Red Tails because “they didn’t think the big-budget epic about the heroic African American Tuskegee Airmen would be a hit overseas…they did not want to take a chance.”  According to Lucas, the studios don’t believe there is a foreign market for Red Tails.

Terrence Howard brings a crisp, professional and chess-like depth to his character of Commanding Officer, Colonel A. J. Bullard.  Cuba Gooding, Jr.  as second-in-command, Major Emanuelle Stance, plays a staunch and knowing ally to Colonel Bullard.  And, David Oyelowo as Joe “Lightning” Little, captures the brash confidence of a flying ace.

To the credit of  Director Hemingway, we see something rarely depicted on screen…a black hero engaged in a beautiful romance.  Joe “Lightning” Little is a hero with a heart.  He falls for a young Italian woman and she for him.  There is a wonderful scene where he first visits the young woman.  Her mother takes full charge.  Every member of the audience will identify with that scene whether mother, father, son or daughter.  It’s a good chuckle.

Go see Red Tails.  It’s worth it.

[It is a good idea to do a little history search.  Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II.  Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Many people have a slight knowledge of Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University.  It was founded by Lewis Adams, a former slave who despite being a slave, could read and write.  He was a prominent leader in the African American community.  W. F. Foster, a white candidate for state senate sought Adams' help in securing the black vote in his run for the senate. A deal was reached that if Foster won he would support a school for blacks.  After Foster won, $2000 (per year) was allocated from the state general budget.  Tuskegee was founded on July 4, 1881 with 25 year old Booker T. Washington, a teacher from Hampton Institute, as its first principal].

blackpast.org/?q=aah/tuskegee-university-1881

For information on:

Alpha Phi Alpha preview of  Red Tails: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtPLXnoK98E&feature=youtu.be

Women aiding Tuskegee Airmen by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  www.theroot.com/views/three-women-red-tails-left-out