The View from Here

This back and forth sparing between Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood has got me thinking when I watch historic movies now. "Using a wider-angle lens might have brought into sharper focus a group often elbowed to history's fringes" ends an article in Time magazine. I totally agree. To write, direct, cast, or produce a movie one must have an open mind...an accurate account...a viewers perspective....Especially when shooting a film based on a historic event. Of course their purpose is to display their work of art and to please critics and viewers....but most importantly to inform viewers. Why do I say inform? Because honestly most Americans do learn from movies alone. Some are way too lazy to pick up a book and inform themselves on anything...much less history that they on hear say and movies.

For Example, I remember when Titanic came out and a classmate of mine asked the teacher "so is this movie real?" Instead of the teacher responding... a confident but naive classmate of mine stated "yes it is real, my mom told me that this huge giant ship sank because there was this popular couple ..Rose and Jack...on board and all of the crew admired them ...so they were too busy paying attention to them that the didnt see this big ice rock and the big ship hit it and then the ship went down...but no black people died because none were in the movie...Rose is still alive...she is old now". Me sitting in that class ...I believed every word that girl said. lol.... Until the teacher corrected her and gave us an assignment to research the Titanic. There were black people on board the Titanic and it is recorded that one man did die. Movies give you an idea of the history...an accurate idea is preferred of course but it does all depend on the directors focus.

Clint Eastwood wanted to focus on the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima...not the U.S. Forces as a whole. But I do agree with Spike Lee...there should have at least been 1 black extra yanno? He could have been holding his gun in the distance ...laying dead....tying his shoe...anything!...No lines necessary...just a glimpse of a Negro on site would be enough. Because believe me..people notice. And im not just talking about black people...lots of people notice...and the people who take movies to heart and the movies is there only account of history...they take the message and run with it. If there were no black people on screen...then they were not present during that time in history... credulous i know...but that is just how some people think. Spike Lee is aware of that... im sure. But im sure that is not his only reason for speaking up. Actors are a part of the art/design of a movie. The picture was not complete. I can put it this way...to me its like a piece of Picasso's work...not complete without plenty of color..although daring...it gives a better picture. So yea... I agree that the lens needed to be adjusted and focus sharpened to capture the black labor during the war. Because without the hundreds of African Americans that fought in the war...i am with no doubt sure there would have been a different ending.