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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 2012)
arts & entertainment WWII Saga Recounts Heroic Exploits of Famed Airmen T he Tuskegee Air- men is the nick- name given the 332nd Fighter Group, the first squadron of African- American aviators ever trained by the U.S. Air Force. Formed in 1940, the historic unit had to be stationed at a base on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute in Macon County, Alabama, since the Armed Forces were still racially segre- gated at the time of its creation. Even after America entered World War II, the government initially remained reluctant to deploy these pioneering pilots overseas, out of a concern that the presence of black officers in the midst of white soldiers might have a negative effect on military morale. Consequently, the Tuskegee Airmen lan- guished stateside for several years, seeing no action until they were finally cleared for combat in the European theater of opera- tions. Upon arriving in Italy, their 2nd rate air- craft were upgraded from junky jalopies to state-of-the-art, P-51 Mustang fighter planes, thereby enabling them to escort B- Very Good III Rated PG-13 for violence and profanity. Running time: 125 minutes Distributor: 20th Century Fo x 17 bombers on dangerous raids behind enemy lines M ovie deep into Germany terri- r evieWS tory. The untested pilots proceeded to perform admirably on over 1,500 by Kam successful missions, Williams demonstrating an unex- pected combination of competence and valor in the process. Red Tails is an eye-popping, special-f/x driven adventure which recreates these belatedly-appreciated veterans’ daring exploits in the skies, while chronicling their simultaneous, uncompromising quest for dignity in the face of the incessant humilia- tion mandated by Jim Crow. The movie marks the feature film debut of Anthony Hemingway, who is previously best known for having shot episodes of a host of TV series, including The Wire, True Blood, Treme, The Closer, and CSI: NY. The picture was produced by Lucasfilm where it has been a pet project of the stu- dio’s legendary founder, George Lucas, for the past quarter-century. And it features an ensemble cast topped by Academy Award- winner Cuba “Show me the money!” Good- ing (for Jerry Maguire) and Oscar-nominee Terrence Howard (for Hustle & Flow). Aside from raising the question of the arbitrary color line, the plot reads like a typ- ical, cliché-ridden war flick revolving around a tight-knit, motley crew of colorful characters. Each is based on a simplistical- ly-drawn archetype, like the ill-fated pilot you know isn’t long for this world the We honor the many accomplishments of African Americans. It is our primary goal as a labor union to better the lives of all people working in the building trades through advocacy, civil demonstration, and the long-held belief that work- ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work. A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength- ens families, but also allows our communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens' needs. Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people working in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard- less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious beliefs. The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State. Do you want to know more about becoming a Union carpenter? Page 10 The Portland Skanner January 25, 2012 moment he’s shown sitting in his cockpit gazing fondly at a picture of his fiancée right before takeoff. Another familiar figure is the cigar- chomping Major (Gooding), a paternalistic pontificator given to delivering inspira- tional speeches about God, mom and apple pie. He cares about each of the men under his command, including alcoholic “Easy” Julian (Parker); daredevil “Lightning” Little (David Oyelowo); class clown “Joker” George (Elijah Kelley); and “Junior” Gan- non (Tristan Wilds), a youngster who yearns to be taken seriously by his teasing col- leagues. Meanwhile, back at the Pentagon, we find exasperated Colonel A.J. Bullard (Howard) tirelessly lobbying the military brass to put an end to racial discrimination in the ranks. In the end, the film proves more memorable for its eye-popping, action sequences than for its corny dialogue to trite poster-speak. Nonetheless, Red Tails amounts to a wor- thy, overdue tribute to a group of intrepid, World War II heroes who never let their sec- ond-class status diminish their patriotism.
