Clint Eastwood: Spike Lee Should "Shut His Face", Lee Responds, "We're Not On A Plantation"

UPDATE:
"First of all, the man is not my father and we're not on a plantation either," Spike Lee told ABCNEWS.com about Clint Eastwood. "He's a great director. He makes his films, I make my films. The thing about it though, I didn't personally attack him. And a comment like 'a guy like that should shut his face' -- come on Clint, come on. He sounds like an angry old man right there."

"If he wishes, I could assemble African-American men who fought at Iwo Jima and I'd like him to tell these guys that what they did was insignificant and they did not exist," he said. "I'm not making this up. I know history. I'm a student of history. And I know the history of Hollywood and its omission of the one million African-American men and women who contributed to World War II."

"Not everything was John Wayne, baby..."

"I never said he should show one of the other guys holding up the flag as black. I said that African-Americans played a significant part in Iwo Jima," he said. "For him to insinuate that I'm rewriting history and have one of the four guys with the flag be black ... no one said that. It's just that there's not one black in either film. And because I know my history, that's why I made that observation."

******
PREVIOUSLY:

Clint Eastwood has advised rival film director Spike Lee to "shut his face" after the African-American complained about the racial make-up of Eastwood's films.

In an interview with the Guardian published today, Eastwood rejected Lee's complaint that he had failed to include a single African-American soldier in his films Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, both about the 1945 battle for the Japanese island.

In typically outspoken language, Eastwood justified his choice of actors, saying that those black troops who did take part in the battle as part of a munitions company didn't raise the flag. The battle is known by the image of US marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi.

"The story is Flags of Our Fathers, the famous flag-raising picture, and they didn't do that. If I go ahead and put an African-American actor in there, people'd go: 'This guy's lost his mind.' I mean, it's not accurate." Referring to Lee, he added: "A guy like him should shut his face."

Keep reading

-or-

Read Spike Lee's Clint Eastwood criticism from Cannes just last month:

"He did two films about Iwo Jima back to back and there was not one black soldier in both of those films," Lee said Tuesday at the Cannes Film Festival, where he was a judge in an online short-film competition.

"Many veterans, African-Americans, who survived that war are upset at Clint Eastwood. In his vision of Iwo Jima, Negro soldiers did not exist. Simple as that. I have a different version," Lee said.

Comments

[TrustMeImASalesman]

I can't believe this crap is still going on for Cripes Sakes!!! Come on everybody, Spike Lee is not worth all this attention!

The only reason he attacked Clint is to have everyone continue to talk about:

GUESS WHO???? SPIKE LEE!

So, if everyone is talkin about Spike, then a certain percentage of us will actually spend money to go see Spike's Work! So ok, everyone makes mistakes from time to time. But, to cushion the punishment; WAIT until Spike's movies are at the $1.00 theaters!

And, that boys and girls is a cheap nite out except for popcorn which now runs $3.25 a bag!!!(Thanks bio-fuel enthusiasts) Thanks a lot!

Trust Me I'm a Salesman!

[Agentlady007]

( Mister, would you mind getting your foot outta my door? )

-Actually the dollar theaters are now $6.50.

[Agentlady007]

I actually respect salespeople. At least they know the harder you work-- the bigger your paycheck is.

[TrustMeImASalesman]

for AngentLady007 and Patianneb: On Tuesdays nights in Altamonte Springs, Florida (Greater Orlando) we have .75cent nights. And then on the other days of the week they're $1.25 per person. Check it out on the Al Gore Web: www.movietickets.com look for "PictureShow at Altamonte".
Enjoy a inexpensive evening when you ever visit our fair city! An lest you forget.....Sing in a loud voice now....
"Who's the leader of the gang that's made for you and me>>>MIC>>­>KEY>>>MOU­SEEEEEE!!!­!!!

IT'S HARD TO SING ABOUT A KILLER WHALE!

Trust Me, I'm a salesman!

[patianneb]

one of the biggest red flags in the world is a salesman saying "trust me". enough said.

[ehemingway]

Clint Eastwood doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. Nevertheless, his reply to Spike Lee was so stupid it’s hardly worth this blog. Brilliant people do dumb things. So why am I adding to the dialog? My father, heading for France in World War I, saw African American Doughboys on the lower decks of the transport ship. My brother serving in the Army Air Corps World War II Pacific, never saw an African American because they continued to be segregated yet fought valiantly, i.e. the distinguished Tuskegee Airmen over North Africa and Southern Europe.

“Flags of Our Fathers” is not about African Americans or white Americans or John Wayne Americans. It’s about the flag—that particular flag in that particular place and the photo taken by Joe Rosenthal on Mt. Surubachi. BTW the movie is about racism of another color. Ira Hayes was a native American U.S. Marine who suffered all disgusting manner of discrimination, yet fought for and loved his country as much as his buddies.

The central theme of “Letters From Iwo Jima” is the Japanese point of view—with a Japanese cast, speaking in Japanese, and with a smattering of Americans at the end. Even if black Americans were on that part of the island, what difference would it had made in those very dark final scenes? Spike Lee is nit picking. Why do such brilliant people do and say such dumb things? The egos of Hollywood artists.

[Swordsman1104]

Mr. Lee bring on the Black Marine veterans from Iwo Jima. Since you are a student of history you must know that 30,000 Marines invaded Iwo Jima. Of that 30,000 less than 900 were Black. Those Black Marines were in segregated units. Mostly as munitions , litter carriers , and security for rear units. The only one down playing the role of Black Marines in WWII isyou.
Your films have highly racist under tones, your remarks are racist, yet once again you try to portray some one else in that role. I wonder just how many of the 900 Black Marines from Iwo Jima still survive, and how many would agree with the racism that you spout and they had to live with.

[UnknownSoldier]

and if you know the history of the battle you'd know that eveyone fought and many died no matter what unit they were in and no matter what color they were. Their enemy only saw the colors in their flag (Red, White and Blue) not the color of their skin. the Japenese did not discrimate when they killed Americans on Iwo Jima, but Clint Eastwood did when he recreated the battle scenes.

The movie was about the propaganda surrounding the iconic Flag Raising, but the Flag could not have been raised without the battles.

Spike Lee's beef was about the historic white washing of history in American Films. Clint Eastwood's film is just one of many.

[aubrey8]

According to Eastwood, there were no African-Americans in those films because there were no African-American soldiers involved in the specific battles he portrayed in film.

"Does he know anything about American history?" Eastwood said. "The U.S. military was segregated til the Korean War, and the blacks in World War Two were totally segregated. The only black battalion on Iwo Jima was a small munitions supply unit that came to the beach.

"The story was about the men who raised the flag and we can't make them black if they were not there. So tell him: Why don't you go back and study your history and stop mouthing off!"

If anyone can disprove this feel free to respond.

[aubrey8]

No one has disproved this yet. Where are all the big talkers now?

[aubrey8]

study your history and stop mouthing off Lee !

[Agentlady007]

What about OZ?

[aubrey8]

Guess all you Black people agree that this post is correct.
It's been up almost 4 hours and no one can disprove it.

Time to shut your face Spike.

[teri526]

I believe that if there is anything that should be done to correct misgivings about our history it is to rewrite the accounts to accurately reflect the participation of the many men and women who served with pride and honor to defend this nation. People of color have fought valiantly throughout our history; it has been the failure of the story tellers who use film as their medium to tell the story completely. No doubt Blacks have served this country well and in many cases with superior ability to their white counter parts. I wish we could get beyond the need to distinguish Americans by race creed or color.

Many have been forgotten in the tales of this country's history not just Blacks. Native Americans, Hispanics and Asians have been over looked all too often. Above any particular race or ethnicity have been the women who have served this country who have been given innocuous footnote credits here and there. Such is life.

[Gronamox]

Did someone ask Spike Lee to recast or comment on another film director's vision? If Spike needs to complain, I am certain he can pick up the phone and call Clint whenever he wants in private. Making a public attack on a fellow artist about race or any other topic is simply P.R. Does Spike need the publicity? Apparently so. Obviously, no one is going to intimidate Clint. No matter who won the nomination for the Democratic candidacy, one artist calling another artist a racist is bad form.

[kingfireman]

"No matter who won the nomination for the Democratic candidacy,.."

Are you serious?

[kimbari]

I think Gronamox is implying that since a black man won the Democratic nomination, those Nigras have gotten mighty uppity....

[cobobs]

Robert Peary and Matthew Henson in polar exploration. It is a recurrent theme in American history telling.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/0110_030113_henson.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Henson

Vivien Thomas and Alfred Blalock in Heart surgery:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivien_Thomas

Yes, noise makers like Spike Lee are essential to ensuring that such pioneers are remembered during their lifetimes and even after their deaths. It is bad for the psyches of African American children for this society to pretend that they do not exist.

How do any of these netpundits pontificating about here know that African American soldiers did not play an important role in Iwo Jima? If history is any guide, the tendency has been to hide their accomplishments and to embellish those of the white guys.

Way to go Spike!

[Agentlady007]

Six Men:
http://www.museumofworldwarii.com/Images2005/15bFlaglg.gif

[Ping]

The second flag raising at Mt Suribachi. There was no picture of the first flag raising.

[Agentlady007]

Pong. :)

[dr4Will]

write Obama,Lee--he will save the day and add blacks to any statue you want--how about the Constitution---we can act like black men wrote it---how about the Boston Tea Party,maybe black men threw the first teabag overboard--this is what Obama will create if elected--black hate and white hate!!!

[KillgoreTrout43]

What kind of tea?

[copernikus]

Based on your comment, the hate already exists.

[exmun]

Well given that Crispus Attucks, a former slave of 1/2 African ancestry, was the first person shot in the Boston Massacre it isn't as far fetched as you seem to indicate to believe that there were Black persons at the Boston Tea Party.

[Agentlady007]

How many of us here have ancestors who survived the Nazi concentration camps? Hands?

[robXdion]

No, Obama is bringing out white ignorance. Like you not knowing Crispus Attucks, a black man, was the first death at the Boston Tea Party and thereby the Revolutionary War itself.

[BlackWidowPilot]

Crispus Attucks was shot down during the *Boston Massacre,* not the "Tea Party."

There was also a Rhode Island Regiment of infantry of African Americans who were promised their freedom if they fought for the rebels during the AWI. Sadly, their heroism was repaid with a return to slavery IIRC.

The movie Glory IHO went a long way to bringing the stories of Black American patriots to the public consciousness. More IMHO needs to be done:

*761st Tank Battalion (WW2)

*369th "Harlem Hellfighters" (WW1)

*370th Infantry (WW1)

*371st Infantry (WW1)

*372nd Infantry (WW1)

*Eugene Bullard (WW1 soldier, WW1 fighter pilot, WW2 resistance fighter)

These are just examples that IMHO are most glaring and conspicuous by their absence from film.

Film makers like Eastwood and Spike IMHO need to stop bickering and take notice.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[yngcelt]

Clint may sound like an "angry old man" but Spike IS an ignorant little man!

[yngcelt]

Where were the black soldiers in Saving Private Ryan or Wind Talkers? Where is the outrage about those films Spike?

[geaaronson]

Clint Eastwood did have a black actor and character play prominently in ¨THE UNFORGIVEN¨. Offhand, that`s the only character I can recall in any of his movies that played prominently in the storyboard. In his earlier movies, he did have the bad guy (a black person) at the receiving end of the barrel of a gun, and Clint spouts, Now youre probably thinking that I only shot 5 bullets, but then again are you really so sure....etc.etc.
I am not privy to the original statements made by either men, but I sincerely doubt that Spike had in mind a black hoisting the flag, but that if the movie was indeed about the group effort in fighting the Japanese over the island, then, yes, as there were blacks in the fight, they should have been represented realistically in the movie.
On the other hand the plantation remark was out of line. But perhaps this is only part of the story. Perhaps the two genuinely have disliked each other for years. And perhaps Clint is a racist and Spike is aware of it from other dealings with the man. Or perhaps they just simply cant stand each others guts and Spike is making it into a racial issue. Who knows? Who really cares?

[KillgoreTrout43]

It's Lee who is the racist. What, a black man rob a bank? Say it ain't so Gracie.
Eastwood did co-star with Morgan Freeman (the coolest black man on the planet), and he made a full length feature film about a great black jazz artist, Charlie Parker. No, it's Lee who is the racist.

[robXdion]

Do you have racial Tourrett's Syndrome? You say "racist" like Geraldine Ferraro. I think the only real racist here is you. Claiming to be a Marine and only serving 3 years? Probably never left the States. Now stack that against my 10 years!!!

I know you never even talked to old black WW2 veterans to have any context other than "Spike's a racist". There's a black Marine that was on Mt. Suribachi named Thomas McPhatter that provided the pole for the FIRST flag raising. Read a book and learn something. Being a Marine (for 3 measly years) doesn't make you an expert. You were a "short-timer", now you want to flex like a old salty dog??? Stop embarrassing yourself.

[Ping]

True Crime - Isiah Washington got a major lead role.

Clint Eastwood is definitely not a racist, Spike Lee is.

[kimbari]

Spike Lee CANNOT be a racist. A bigot, maybe, but not a racist.

[Azjhutch]

Anyone see Clint's movie about Charlie Parker? he'snot a racist, and Spike Lee SHOULD shut his face.

[Ping]

Clint Eastwood is one of the good guys in Hollywood. Spike Lee is a putz.

[yngcelt]

I don't remember there being any black soldiers in WindTalkers or Saving Private Ryan or Schindler's List! Where is the anger about those films Spike?

[kimbari]

Schindler's List? Are you serious?

[yngcelt]

Was Spike Lee serious about suing the Spike channel for "infringing on his name"?

[aubrey8]

anyone remember that hot little chocolate drop Clint was French kissing in Cogans Bluff or one of those movies?

[KillgoreTrout43]

Yeah, Eastwood is not a racist. Not in the least. His musical heros are black jazz legends, like Charlie Parker, John Coultrane, Thelonius Monk....et al.
It's Lee who is the racist. Nearly all of his movies are about the black man being put down by whitey, in some form or another.

[AlligatorShuz]

That don't mean anything because he like black jazz legends. The people who lynched blacks in Mississippi in the 1960's liked Rock & Roll Music. Racist like basketball and Michael Jordan... Clint Eastwood according to many leading black actors in Hollywood they say he is racist and they have named other people who are racist...

[kimbari]

Maybe because black men ARE put down by whitey, something you, being a white person, wouldn't know about.

Unless you were the one doing the down-putting...

[danton2000]

Do the words ... "Let go of it" mean anything to you watch a soap opera or work with lepers or something...

[KillgoreTrout43]

It's on topic. Don't be a thought cop.