Movies like this are interesting for several reasons. The movie is divisive because of what it might represent image-wise. Red Tails goes through the same evaluation process in the critical black mind as does hip-hop, Spike Lee, or Tyler Perry. We have always been fixated on the image of African Americans represented through our art. Hidden in these movies are also unintentional insights on the intellectual and character potential of African-Americans, a defense of the relevance of things particular to African Americans, and the universality of our experiences in the dominant human narrative (plainly stated, how can white people relate?). Every “black” movie is subtly and unknowingly interrogated by these questions.
Then, every now and again, the African American artist continually creates literature, music, films, and art that force us to re-evaluate those questions. Despite our desires to place the traditional standards of evaluation, our artists conspire to make the hardline statement “it’s a black thing.” Why I am torn over Red Tails is because I am unsure if this is one of those works.
Fact is, I am almost helpless to impose onto the movie my previous experiences of WWII movies. I came into this movie looking to have an experience that would make me altogether despise the existence of war like the horrid scenes of Pearl Harbor and Saving Private Ryan. I came into this movie expecting to cringe at the site of black men working tirelessly to prove themselves to this country time and time again. I came into this movie looking for a combination of action, tears, triumph, and its impact on family- all traditional components of war movies and the general things that come to mind when we consider the realities of war.
Reality is, however, that the father on Jason’s Lyric left me more sympathetic to the realities of war than did Red Tails. While the commander’s father is mentioned, the non-existence of family in this film, in addition to the comical emphasis of “black Jesus” were features in the movie that troubled me. Perhaps a deeper religious emphasis in the film, maybe a flashback or two that allows us to identify with the characters a bit more, possibly suggesting that our characters had something to fight for like family, loved ones, racial pride and not their own individual competitiveness were things that discouraged me in the movie.
The problem is that our characters vacuously appear into the thrusts of WWII. And while perhaps a “white” movie could get away with that (which they rarely ever try to), a “black” movie can never get away by isolating its characters into a space. This not only makes the movie more believable, it adds a depth to the plot and characters that was very needed in the movie, and it did not require much work. If 15 minutes-worth of flashbacks from various characters, or some other method to display the main characters history had been devised, it would have done much for the movie. I found myself adding suggestions to the movie and trying to justify the reasons these things were not present. A dilemma that only a black movie can have me go through.
On the other hand, maybe our producers were not concerned with those details. Maybe they only cared about giving Negro children and teenagers something to watch when their history class goes over WWII. Maybe they just desired to make this a novel movie the black community could be proud of and outsiders just have the choice to embrace it. Perhaps their target audience did not care for the extraneous backdrop to the movie. Maybe they just want to inform people of the Tuskegee Airmen. Maybe they will leave the enthralling emotionally-charged, developed plot to the next filmmaker who desires to take it to the next level.
It is quite reasonable to just be concerned about giving this country some black WWII heroes their just media exposure. We deserve one, we’ve earned it. Maybe they intentionally downplayed the atrocities of war to portray fearless black men, who were confident in their abilities even in the most unfamiliar and intimidating of circumstances. Maybe they thought departing from the traditional media features of black culture would have prevented black youth from being enthusiastic about the movie. Maybe they intended to make taking on a warship with an old plane feel like an alley-oop. Maybe the directors knew exactly what they were doing. And that the boring, tear-jerking, gore-filled film about war was exactly what they were trying to avoid making. What if this was one of those moments where they were standing right against the standards of evaluation, screaming proudly, “it’s a black thing.”
Keep that in mind. Or, you’ll think the movie was ass.
