Red Tails opens in
movie theaters across the country in less than two weeks. Screenings have been held, yet there is still
no real word as to its quality. That’s
more than a little troubling when we are so close the wire. Many want this film to do well, and for
obvious reasons. The immediate future of
Black films not squarely aimed at the “Chitlin’ Circuit” crowd could very well
hinge on how Red Tails performs on its
opening weekend. Black audiences are being encouraged to come
out en masse, so as to show Hollywood that such films can be profitable. If Red
Tails is to receive the desired level of success, it would be nice if the
movie itself was deserving of it. The film will likely have to be exceptionally
good to enjoy any measure of crossover business.
As if to wet the pallet of audiences even further, seven
minutes of footage from the film recently got posted over at Vimeo. It juxtaposes both the action oriented and
dialogue driven elements. The former bears all the familiar stamps of Lucasfilm
product. The action is firmly steeped in
Lucas’s child hood influences. It’s
essentially 1940’s daring-do rendered with the best modern film-making
technology available. It’s all very reminiscent
of similar such footage from the first three Star Wars films, where the pilots can be seen in their cockpits
communicating with each other in the thick of battle. It’s damned exciting to see Black faces
behind the controls of these flying machines in the midst of large scale action.
As for the dramatic elements, the moments presented here
play competently. The cast clearly takes
the subject matter seriously, though the dialogue does seem of the stoically
noble variety. Terrence Howard and Cuba
Gooding Jr. do their usual thing. Watching
this, I’m beginning to think that black actors in Hollywood are encouraged to
play military dramas the same exact way every time out. At this point, it’s clear that the films tone
is deadly serious. In order for that to
work, the various elements of the production will have to be firmly in
sync. Then again, maybe Lucas doesn’t
mean for this to be Oscar fodder. He’s
gone on record as saying that the tone of the film is rather corny and
jingoistic. That can work to, as long as
Lucas isn’t writing the script.
Though I’m a bit worried, I’m still rooting for Lucas and
company to pull this off. Red Tails need not be a flawless masterpiece. It only needs to have something more to recommend
it aside from the aerial dogfights, which are admittedly a large part of the
films appeal. I used to watch the Death
Star trench run in Star Wars and
imagine myself behind the controls of an X-Wing fighter. Lucasfilm is now giving Black kids across the
country a chance to do just that, albeit not in a galaxy far, far, away. More power to him.
RT Clip from Tambay Obenson on Vimeo.
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