I was honored to have been a part of the audience that participated in a private screening of George Lucas' movie "Red Tails" hosted by Terence Blanchard, Roy Glapion, Rod West and the movie's director Anthony Hemingway which was held at the AMC Elmwood Palace 20 in Harahan, Louisiana this past Friday evening. Providing added meaning to New Orleans' premiere of "Red Tails" was the opportunity to hear first-hand from New Orleans own Blanchard, who did the scoring for the movie; and Hemingway's take on what is was like to direct the World War II action-drama based on the real-life story of the first all African-American squadron and their fight to defend this country.
The packed audience of New Orleans Who's Who showed their appreciation as soon as the credits began rolling with a round of applause, especially when Blanchard and Hemmingway names rolled across the screen. The audience included leaders of New Orleans' African American community such as Alden McDonald, President and CEO of Liberty Bank & Trust; Charles Rice, President of Entergy New Orleans; Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, the first African American woman appointed to the United States District Court in the State of Louisiana; former judge and mayoral candidate Nadine Ramsey; Magistrate Marie Bookman; local civil rights advocate Sheila Williams; Barbara Waiters of Algiers Economic Development Foundation; Eric Cager, Producer of Cutting Edge Music Business Conference and NOLA Downtown Music & Arts Festival; entrepreneur Cleveland Spears of the Urban League's Young Professional; political broker J. Banks; business leaders Dan Packer and Paul West; Blanchard's wife Robin Burgess; and most important, a few members of the audience who's family members actually served as Tuskegee Airmen.
The theater crowd also included members of the majority community such as the Andy Kopplin, 1st Deputy Mayor & CAO, City of New Orleans; Gambit magazine's owners Clancy and Margo DuBos; Michael Paz, The Paz Group Entertainment Consultants; music critic Geraldine Wyckoff; Nancy Rhett, and power-couple attorneys Kenny Bordelon and Kim Moore among others.
Admittedly after reading a few reviews of the movie, I was a bit apprehensive about the quality of the film. However, almost as soon as the film began, it became clear that the Hollywood critiques had once again showed their inability to accurately review black-oriented films. This seems to be a pattern across the board. While many of the reviews had given the film only a fair to good rating, this New Orleans-based audience provided their overall approval for the film.
Opening with a brutal quote from a 1925 "report" by the U.S. Army War College which outlined why blacks could not be soldiers; claiming that African Americans were not just inferior, but also incapable of operating complex machinery, Lucas immediately transformed the audience to a period of time during the 1940s.
"Red Tails" captures events in 1944 when the 332nd Fighter Group, comprised solely of African-American fighter pilots, finally got its chance at crucial action in the skies over Italy and Germany. "As the war in Europe continues to take its toll on Allied forces, the Pentagon brass has no recourse but to consider unorthodox options - including the untried and untested African-American pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program. Just as the young Tuskegee men are on the brink of being shut down and shipped back home; they are given the ultimate chance to show their courage. Against all the odds, with something to prove and everything to lose, these intrepid young airmen take to the skies to fight for their country - and the fate of the free world."
When asked about the challenges of directing a film which has so much historic importance, Hemingway said, "telling historical stories is very tricky because it is something that is known. It is not like you can tell a lie or change something that is written in black and white. There was a huge sense of responsibility in telling this story for me about the Tuskegee Airmen. The fact that these men were so courageous and what they did in helping this country and our world and to not be known was something that I felt we had to hit truthfully and really honestly and give them the credit that they deserve. . ."
Hemingway added, "But I think every move we made was backed with "These are true facts" and that "These are true events and that nothing we are telling didn't happen." However, yes, we may need to have a creative license here or there to try and pump something up or to make it a little bit more appealing. But I think everything that is there and anything that anyone will see is rooted in reality and truth."
Blanchard shared with the audience that while it felt as if he worked on the original motion picture soundtrack for a year, he actually spent about eight weeks on the project. "The music is definitely heroic. We actually used a 70-piece orchestra with a 40-piece choir. Then, underneath all of that, I have a lot of African and ethnic percussion grooves that I created here at my home studio. I wanted to service the movie in a way that made it grand and big. But at the same time, I didn't want to lose the whole notion of who these guys were and where they came from. So I used the ethnic percussion as a subtle kind of flavor. I didn't want to go too over the top with it . . ." he added in a published statement.
His task was to present a sense of presence by creating sound that worked with the many action scenes in the film. His selection of the tune "Blue Skies" was indicative of the use of his background in jazz in developing musical themes that were true to the period. Blanchard composed a total of 32 tracks for the movie and I argue reaching the desired objective with each one.
While there are still many untold stories; the racial tension of the country prior to the War; the rigorous training process the pilot-recruits had to go through to get selected; the Black female love interest and family members these soldiers left behind as they headed to war; their post-war treatment upon their return; the many accomplishments these select men obtain later in life; and many others; however Lucas, Hemingway, Blanchard and the nearly all-Black cast were spot on for the time period covered.
"Red Tails" have succeeded in bringing honor to a class of men who for many years had been denied their respectful honor. The film also creates dialog of an ignored and forgotten period which will likely fuel the development of other projects which deals with this often ugly part of our country's history. The film is truly a family film which is so needed in this age of egocentricity.
If "Red Tails" also provokes a sense of pride and encouragement, then mission accomplished!
Vincent Sylvain is publisher of The New Orleans Agenda.com, the leading local alternative for information on News, Arts, Culture & Entertainment in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region. He may be reached via email at Vincent@SylvainSolutions.com.
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