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lronitulstahp -> RE: "Shut yer face, Spike!" (6/11/2008 3:19:55 AM)
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quote:
the United States military was not desegregated at the time in question. Other than certain blacks only combat units such as the Tuskegee Airmen or the Buffalo Soldiers blacks were at that time fourth class citizens in support units - cooks, stewards, stevedors.... Watch Cuba Gooding Jr's portrayal in "Men of Honor" for a fairly accurate representation of the status of blacks in the military at that time in our history Ahh yes...the good old days.....quote:
am sick of the revisionism of history to embrace the role of the black man where he in fact had no such role. I commend movies such as "Men of Honor" or "The Tuskeegee Airmen" which accurately portray the heroic achievements of real blacks in their accurate historical context but when you start rewriting history to have blacks raising the flag on Iwo Jima - SORRY it didnt happen. I mean the recent "Walking Tall" pissed me off to no end. The Rock is a good enough actor, and is extremely popular etc however - BUFORD PUSSER WAS CAUCASION. That doesnt make him better or worse than anyone else - but it was not a black sherrif who drove the state line boys out of McNairy County it was Buford Pusser - a real man with a real family. i am sick of the revisionism of history that negates the presence of people of color period in many important moments of this country's history. quote:
Thomas said he initially "found a couple of guys, but not enough to start a search and rescue. I remember saying, 'I'm going to start a search and rescue with or without you, because someone needs us.'"
Shamberg excused Thomas' casting as a white man by saying that "by the time we discovered he's black, we had already been in production for a day, and it was too late to do anything about it."
Thomas was the first person to hear the faint cries for help from two New York City police officers, John McLaughlin (portrayed in the film by Cage) and William Jimeno. Thomas and Karnes found the officers after crawling over dangerous, smoking debris and screaming, "United States Marines, is anyone down there?" Unconcerned for their safety, both men rejected orders to leave the area.
While Thomas lay on his stomach, he heard Jimeno's voice. "I couldn't believe these guys were still alive. I said, 'we've come to help you out. It got pretty emotional. I think they may have thought we meant we were going to go for help, (but) I promised those guys we wouldn't leave them.'" Thomas wasn't military personnel, or a police officer or fireman...he is a father of five who had some experience working as a security guard, and just decided to help. He saved lives...
Thomas and Karnes spent more than an hour talking with the officers to boost their flagging spirits.
After the two officers were brought to the surface, Thomas, exhausted, left the site but returned to volunteer for two weeks.
Afterward, Thomas, who was traumatized by his experience, left John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he was a student, and New York City. He soon relocated his family to Columbus, his wife's home city.
Meanwhile, the script on which the film is based was reportedly co-written by McLoughlin and finished with input from Jimeno for authenticity. Strangely, Shamberg said, neither of them was asked for a physical description of the man who saved their lives. not arguing the fact that blacks didn't actually raise the flag...but that there were none present besides cooks...highly unlikely
By changing the color of the characters, you change the complexion of history." said in regards to Oliver Stone's World trade center....which omitted black heroes , and minimized their roles in the Sept 11 tragedy.
And, Kersee added, referring to Shamberg and Stone, "there is no excuse for this. Films are very often re-shot."
Ultimately she said, "this is the problem with the histories written and portrayed in this country. African Americans don't control them, so other people tell our stories and write us out of it."
my point, DA concerning the all holy Buford....is that shit happens in the movie biz. The fact that the very sexy Dwayne Johnson played some white dude seems to offend you so much, but you won't admit that blacks (and other people of color)were whited out of history for as long as this has been a nation. Sometimes it makes sense to question history.
Unfortunately, i think Spike aimed at the wrong target. Clint has been more of one to have some inclusion in his films than others. Criticizing him was out of line, in my opinion. But i try earnestly NOT to let my pigmentation be a source or excuse for my being myopic. However, i see where the frustration comes from.
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