We  keep getting invited to screenings about World War II (not on purpose) and similarly to FREE MEN this story is not the usual western dramatisation of the war.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States armed forces during the period that the American military was racially segregated, as was much of the federal government.  The Airmen were subjected to the obligatory racial discrimination of the time, both within and outside the army. Despite these adversities, they trained and flew with distinction playing an important part in the war victory. All black military pilots who trained in the United States trained at Tuskegee, including five Haitians.

George Lucas has famously wanted to tell their story to a mass audience for the last 23 years but could not bank roll the film until now and had to use much of his own money.

One of the stars of the film our very own David Oyelowo made the point that a problem Lucas faced was if Denzel, Eddie Murphy and Lawrence Fishburn were not free there were not many named black actors to entice film investors or even to fill the cast to make the film. -Too true. 
Therefore it was an opportunity to showcase an impressive cast of young actors, and that it did. Many promising young black actors burst onto the screen and they provided the movie with its moments of spark and genuine rapport.So many of these actors have shown talent on our screens, but remained in limited supporting roles, which reflects a movie industry that hasn't seen a black male movie star emerge in 20 years....Just sayin'.

What has been brought to light by these two respectable takes on the war is the shamefulness of how few of the innumerable films about the war have focused on these highly decorated Black Airmen and the worldwide all culture and creed united fight against the Nazi's in general.  I want to see more.

This film intends to speak from and to the heart and though rather idealised, Red Tails is hard not to get behind. Though the intended family audience might have limited how deeply, gritty and somewhat groundbreaking this action drama could go. The 332nd Fighter Group has long deserved its moment in the spotlight and in part this does tell their story. It is a part of our history that has waited a long time to be told to the mainstream, support this one it is definitely worth going to watch.

SOME OF THE ORGINAL RED TAILS