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Does Moriarty Believe In Spike Lee’s MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA?!
Hey, everyone. “Moriarty” here.
I’ll be curious to see how the reviews come in on this one. It’s been a few days since I saw it, and I’m still turning parts of it over, still trying to decide exactly where it falls in Spike Lee’s overall filmography for me. I know this much: it may be his film geekiest film so far, and that’s saying something. I’ve never understood why Spike isn’t a more frequent topic of conversation among film nerds. Like Jarmusch, like the Coens, like Soderbergh... he’s part of that late ‘80s/early ‘90s indy explosion where we suddenly started seeing filmmakers who had been raised on a concentrated diet of movies, people who were working completely outside the studio system making films that expressed these intensely personal visions, but with this enormous filmmaking vocabulary that was obviously derived from those movies they grew up on. I know Quentin Tarantino is seen as the sort of perfect storm of film geekery in terms of how his movies work, these crazy Frankenstein monsters of all the films he’s ever seen, but I see him more as part of a continuum that features guys like Scorsese and De Palma at one end and guys like Edgar Wright at the other end, people who make movies that are much about movies as they are about anything else. In some ways, that’s never been clearer for Lee than it is with MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA, which plays as a potent cocktail, made up of equal parts 1930’s Warner Bros. melodrama, 1940’s WWII picture, and 1950’s Italian neorealism. Toss in a dash of magic and a hint of miracle, and you’ve got this oddball epic that may be one of his messiest narratives, but also one of his most technically accomplished films overall.
The film is structured as a mystery. At the beginning, we’re in modern-day New York City, and an elderly black man rolls up on another guy in a post office and shoots him with an old German Luger. He’s arrested, and a rookie newspaper reporter (Joseph Gordon Levitt) starts trying to piece together what would have led to the shooting. The gunman turns out to be a solid member of the community, a war hero with a Purple Heart, without any criminal record at all. And yet, when police search his apartment, they come up with a rare Italian art piece that’s been missing since WWII.
That artifact’s significance, and who exactly the gunman and the victim were, are the key points that Lee holds back from us for as long as he can. “I know who the Sleeping Man is” becomes our only clue as we suddenly flash back to September 1944, which is where most of the story unfolds. When I first heard an announcement about this film, I heard that it had something to do with the Buffalo Soldiers, and I wrongly assumed that the film would deal primarily with the notion of being a black unit in a white-man’s Army. Although race is certainly an undercurrent to much of the film’s drama, this is not a movie that is primarily focused on ideas of race and identity. Instead, it’s just a good story that allows Lee room to explore any number of ideas, a WWII story we haven’t seen before, and I think he takes advantage of the idea that this is an epic. It’s his BAND OF BROTHERS, so to speak. And that cocktail of different influences I mentioned is really fascinating to watch play out. When the film starts, it’s like he’s working the same muscle he used for INSIDE MAN. It’s sort of a set-up for a suspense picture. Levitt’s sincere as he chases the story, as he hammers the stubborn, silent old man in jail. And as the story starts to fall into place around the world, we see a few Spike Lee regulars in these little vignettes, here and gone in a moment or two. Guys like John Leguizamo and John Turturro, who you’d expect to see in major supporting roles, are really just cameos, parts of the string of coincidence that has its origin in the hills of Italy all those years ago.
Once you’re back in time, the focus falls square on four soldiers, part of a much larger platoon that’s trying to cross a river. That’s it. Not an important river. Not a particularly beautiful or sacred place. Just a river. And they walk into a shitstorm in the process and get cut down. It’s staged with all the graphic aplomb you’d expect from a war movie a decade after SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, but there’s nothing heroic about it. These guys are cut down, torn apart. It’s brutal. And Spike illustrates through some of his cutaways how the Buffalo Soldiers were used to test areas, flush out ambushes, expendable ground troops to send in before you send the real Army in afterwards to clean up. It’s a rotten idea, and to the credit of James McBride’s script, there are a number of white characters who feel strongly that these troops deserve the same respect and firepower support as any other troops under their command. Not everyone’s a bigot or a jackass.
But during that tense scene out there along both sides of the river, there’s a German version of Tokyo Rose being broadcast over the battlefield, the provocative Axis Sally, played by the sultry Alexandra Maria Lara (so good in last year’s CONTROL and YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH). As the Buffalo Soldiers try to cross the river, she broadcasts this demoralizing constant chatter about how they're fighting a war for a country that doesn't love them, and how all they need to do is put down their weapons and join the Germans, and they'll feed them and love them and give them white women to fuck and fried chicken to eat. It's the single most racially charged sequence in the movie, and what makes it really work (as opposed to a later scene in an ice cream parlor that feels too cookie-cutter) is that there's an element of truth to everything she says, and all of the soldiers know it. That bitter reality makes each step an act of faith, and it really drives home just how selfless the actions of these men were. It's easy to fight when you know you'll be rewarded for it, but it's a lot harder when you have to hope that your actions will eventually result in a better world for your kids, if not for you.
Even within the group of four soldiers who survive and actually somehow make it across the river, there are tensions regarding trust and conduct and faith. Spike doesn’t make this an “us against them” movie in any way. Even among the Germans he portrays, he doesn’t paint in absolutes. The film has faith in individuals, no matter what is happening in the world around them, but it’s not so sunshiney that it pretends everyone will always make the right choices. 2nd Staff Sgt. Aubrey Stamps (Derek Luke) is the level-headed decent moral compass of the group, while Sgt. Bishop Cummings (Michael Ealy) is the little devil on everyone else’s shoulders. Corporal Hector Negron (Laz Alonso) is the guy who can be counted on to do the right thing under fire, the calm, steady presence who you want on your side. And then there’s Pvt. 1st Class Sam Train, played by Omar Benson Miller. It’s the love it or hate it storyline of the film, and Miller’s performance is pretty far out there. He seems to be doing exactly what Lee wants, though, and I found myself won over by him, charmed by his relationship with Angelo (Matteo Sciabordi), a little boy they find in a bombed-out barn.
There’s a lot of story here, but rather than bury you in synopsis, I’ll say this: I like the way Lee keeps taking left turns from one movie to another movie to another movie to another movie. Eventually, it gets you so off-balance that when he does take you to St. Anna, what you get is certainly not what you think you’re getting. Lee builds his movie to skip along until he wants to suckerpunch you, and it works. I appreciate that I did not know how this story was going to connect the dots until the moment it actually did, and that’s a rare and genuine pleasure. Valentina Cervi makes a particularly strong impression as Renata, a local woman in the small Italian village where the American soldiers take refuge. She does an electrifying topless scene, and later she manages to make an Army helmet look sexy in another sequence. She does a great job of shading in the quiet pain of a war widow, still struggling for survival without even the solace of answers to soothe her.
Matthew Libatique nails it with this, his third Spike Lee film. This is a beautiful movie, and he handles the tonal shifts in subtle, wonderful ways. Check out the scene where we first see Angelo in the barn. It’s like a clip from CINEMA PARADISO for a moment. It is such a totally different tone and look and feel than any scene before it that I almost thought it was the wrong movie. Lee hasn’t always had the most optimistic of outlooks in his films, so I’m sort of amazed he wanted to make this material into a film. This is a movie that believes in the possibility of grace, and Libatique alternates between an unforgiving realistic eye and a dreamy sort of romantic thing, depending on the moment. Terrence Blanchard’s powerful score certainly lends the film a recognizable Spike Lee feeling, and it’s one of the best of the collaborations between them.
I’m not sure I thought everything in the film added up, but griping about this dead end or that narrative digression almost feels petty when you’re dealing with a film this ambitious and rich. What I like most about Spike Lee overall is that he seems to be one of the few filmmakers who is not just constantly pushing himself, but who seems ready for whatever changes come to the film industry in the future. Here’s a guy who has shot giant-budget studio films like MALCOLM X that are epic in scale and theme, and who has also worked in DV video. He’s made self-financed indie films, and he’s worked in both narratives and features. Lee is the real deal, a filmmaker because he has to be, because it’s just part of his DNA, and I think the guys who are going to endure as our industry and distribution continue to change are the guys like him, who realize that they don’t have to do the same thing the same way every time. Even when I don’t love his films... and make no mistake, I think MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA is pretty damn good... I know that there is always something new and worthwhile in store when I sit down for A Spike Lee Joint. I’m just pleased to see him continue to redefine exactly what that means more than 20 years after making his first film. When so many big-name directors find themselves trapped into doing one thing, Spike Lee has proven consistently that the only person who defines what he does is him.
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
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irst.
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I'm still probably going to see this because the movie looks pretty damn good. I hope it just doesn't become "another" war film.
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the trailer for this movie is awesome, I've been fired up for it since I saw that and this just confirms that this movie will be great, can't wait to check it out, Joseph Gordon Levitt is fucking awesome
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Come on, tell us what didn't add up. Who is going to call you "petty" ? Give us everything.
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Sep 08, 2008 4:23:59 PM CDT
Spike Lee might be the most underrated filmmaker in America...
by pdorwick
He is a stunning talent who really never gets his fair due because of the perceived politics of his films.
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...almost unwatchable in my opinion, but the great ones he does ALMOST makes up for them. Almost.
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Thanks
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he (sometimes) makes excellent, well-rounded, though-provoking films that usually treat both sides of the argument with equal respect. but when he opens his mouth in public he says the stupidest shit that makes you wonder if he understands his own movies.
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The guy fronts for the most backward, bigoted elements of the black community.
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I require more data on this.
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That Lee crafts his movies to disguise what he really believes. But if you know black talking points, he's illustrating it. Everyone thinks "Do the Right Thing" was "treating both sides of the argument with equal respect", but the characters who mouthed Martin Luther Kingisms were portrayed as weak and silly. "Why can't we all get along!" He's a clever film-maker, but he's a bigot, who slips his bigotry in where he thinks most people won't notice it. Like in "Inside Man" where he got to beat up a Rabbi and annoying Jewish Lady (but it wasn't racist, see, because he turned out to be a Jew himself, and the movie ends with a uber-white villain that blacks and jews can unite against!). So, bigoted Jew-bashing is included as entertainment for a bigoted black audience, with a "anti-Nazi" fig-leaf.
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I actually sort of forgot about this film, after seeing the trailer during the summer and thinking it looked fantastic. I'll try to keep an eye out for this during the fall. I'm sure you purposefully left out these details, but you mention magic and miracles? Like magical realism, or something more grounded? Are these some of the narrative issues you found to not quite come together? I don't want the movie spoiled, but wasn't sure if more clarification could be given without doing that.
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Mori, how does the film register as a response-of-sorts to "Flags of Our Fathers". I'm sure that I am short changing Lee's work by boiling it down to such a simple comparison, but so much of the advance-press has focused on their war-of-words I would be interested to know. Great review though, thanks
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...Thanks. This one was off my radar but now I'll definitely see it.
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I love a lot of his joints but the guy just seems like a giant douche. Is it just me, or does he hate white people? I just get the impression he really, really hates me.
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I share your sentiments exactly...
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People don't like him and his politics so they downplay his work as a filmmaker. But Mori hit it on the head.
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Why no running list of movies you've seen this year with rankings of quality? I always liked using that as a guide for what less publicized movies were worth checking out.
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Still waiting for Deadly Friend 2.
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...like Girl 6, Crooklyn, and in an apparently controversial opinion on my end, Bamboozled.
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But I do have a question, how close does the plot compare against that great Simpsons episode, the Flying Hellfish??? You know, with Grandpa Simpson in the unit with that weasal Monty Burns
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in the reboot of Whiz Kids.
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"One of his messiest narratives" is really saying something. For what it's worth, Spike had a good point about blacks being excluded from WWII movies, but he blew it by focusing on Eastwood's films instead of the larger issue.
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... I also really hate BAMBOOZLED and GIRL 6. I don't think CROOKLYN is a total waste, but it's not one of his best movies. The one of his that I really dislike that a lot of people seem to love is SUMMER OF SAM, which feels to me like a faint retread of DO THE RIGHT THING.
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He over scores his films. He lacks subtlety and this cripples what would otherwise be great films -ie "Clockers" and "24 Hours." There's never a quite moment, there's annoying music through out. As much as he's a braggart I believe deep down he doesn't have confidence in his material and usually over compensates in the worst ways.
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... the movie leaves a number of things up to your interpretation, including whether there is any miracle in the movie at all. I guess "magical realism" would be the right benchmark to use, since nothing in it is overt.
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is evident in this here talkback. It's because he is black, and white geeks are terrified of black people. Spike Lee doesn't hate white people - he hates entrenched racism represented by culture and economy. And that's hilarious that you think he represents extremist black bigotry - he is now part of the black aristocracy in New York, who are about as snooty as Frasier when it comes right down to it. Bamboozled says some pretty harsh things about the willingness of black people to sell out, as did Jungle Fever. He tore down some serious walls for black filmmakers, opening them up to all sorts of genres and respect they didn't have before. He's a damn fine filmmaker, who yes, overscores his films (though Terrence Blanchard is a great composer and anyone who watches When the Levee Breaks and doesn't come away feeling touched by the man for life is probably Sarah Palin). Lee is an intelligent, arrogant, proud black man - and there ain't nothing more scary in America than a black man who can read some bigass books.. That said, When the Levee Breaks is the most underrated documentary in the past twenty years and makes Michael Moore look like a fucking hack. Y'all ignorant haters need to netflix The Wire to start to understand why black people might just be a little upset from time to time. At least you don't have to be scared watching that in your own home. And Moriarity, I know this is nitpicking, but how come you don't mention any of the cast except for Joseph Gordon Levitt til well into your piece?
Shit here we are with the most inspiring, level headed, pragmatic presidential candidate in decades who could inspire Americans to be truly great, doesn't take the low road in politics, and is actually half white but offers a referendum on what the American Dream is and our history of slavery and what's possible in this nation... And 50% of you all are scared shitless by him because he's half black. USofA has some issues. -
I don't like the fact however, that in 2004, the majority of people that voted against gay marriage, were african american. That shit ain't right. If anyone can understand a struggle, it should be them. Have a little compassion peeps. This movie does look really good though. And I greatly enjoyed Crooklyn. I've never seen She Hate Me though. I'm pretty sure I don't want to see that one though.
Lee's not a racist though. I think he's just a frustrated artist...psh. -
... I just always organize my thoughts differently. In this case, the cast is solid, but no one really jumps out. It's very much an ensemble picture, and there are so many speaking parts that I've left out a good percentage of them even in the piece I published.
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Sep 08, 2008 5:38:37 PM CDT
"I’ve never understood why Spike isn’t a more frequent topic...
by iamjack'suserid
... of conversation among film nerds." Because he has a big mouth that gets in the way of his film accomplishments. I actually loathe the guy, he's such a race-baiting ass. He starts shit just for publicity's sake, it seems.
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Sep 08, 2008 5:41:11 PM CDT
DrTuring is a nice example of that racial paranoia...
by iamjack'suserid
...that Spike Lee embodies. I like how he thinks he can speak for all white people by supposing this so-called fear of a smart black man. It's quite sad; he speaks like he knows the truth, but he is far worse than those racist whites HE himself fears and hates.
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Drturing, those are some mighty sweeping statements you're brandishing there. I always wonder if one who perceives that everyone else makes their decisions primarily on race is doing that because their own inclination to do the same. "white geeks are terrified of black people." Wha-? Huh? It just seems so out of nowhere for me. Somehow this got to Obama. Is this 50% number you invented derived from the voting polls? If you don't want to vote for someone you're scared of him? Should I then conclude that if you DO want to vote for someone it's because you are scared not to? Very confusing logical structure you have there.
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not a damn good movie... at all. to each his own and all that but there's no question spike missed the mark here. a great effort and a great looking film but a narrative mess with no standout performances. the ensemble is good overall but you don't walk away talking about anyone. and the score is intrusive and obnoxious. it's a solid 20 mins too long too. it'll have its defenders, but I won't be one of them. the potential was there though.
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Look, ive read quite enough of this crap about Spike being racist etc etc. I, being someone of a the darker skintype, i.e. black, probably has a clearer perspective of what it is like to be black. if you are not, you simply do not know what it is like to be looked upon by shop attendants, police officers, even some women, with fear/scorn/suspicion or rejected for no reason what so ever, except by virtue of your skin color. By law, we are equals, but the racism is still permeated in a myriad of forms throughout society informally. When someone comes across this everyday in their, they cannot help but feel anger and resentment. the venting of this resentment by the likes Lee and others should send a signal to america and the wider world that racism still exists, maybe not legally, but in the hearts and minds of a nation. And mostly it those who are do not even realise it.
lets cut the race and talk about spike's joints on their own merits, cause most of you don't know what the fuck you are talking about RE: race. -
I can understand how Spike Lee can talk about how many black men serves in WWII, but don't always show up in WWII movies. That's fine. I mean it does happen. Were there any black actors in Saving Private Ryan? I have to look back, I don't watch movies to point out if a black person, white person, or green person is in them. I just care if they are good or not. But if Spike wants to bring this up, fine. Many Asian-Americans and Native Americans served in WWII also, but we hardly ever see them in a WWII movie, as American soldiers. If you see an Asian in a WWII movie, they are usually the enemy. I don't think Spike has ever really had any main Asian actors in his films. Other than She Hate Me, which had Bai Ling in it, I don't think he's ever had an Asian character in any of his films who has more than a line or two. Spike wants to bring up how black actors get the shaft, but look how many black actors have been nominated and won Oscars. Asian actors have almost no parts in Hollywood. There's no Prime Time shows with an Asian actor as the main star. You can say lost, but that's an ensemble cast. Other than Kal Penn, can you name any other Indian actors? All Middle Eastern actors only play terrorists for the most part. So if Spike is going to fight for equality in film, he needs to fight for all minorities, not just black actors.
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I've never understood why people continue to praise this ass. I stopped watching his boring movies long ago. And yes, he is racist. Go read some of his fucking interviews, the guy's a nutjob.
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Sep 08, 2008 6:21:23 PM CDT
It just so happens that a black guy has a very strong shot at be
by brokentusk
Yes, racism still exists and it's still bullshit. Having said that, Lee needs to calm down instead of complaining every time a microphone is shoved in his face.
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kudos for all of you that actually make it through to the end:Spike Lee is like the SAT's...people complain about the SAT's and their biases, and how smart kids that are creative can't do well on the SAT's, and mediocre students that happen to be great at standardized tests do disproportionately well, etc. but really it boils down to these truths (and trust me, I taught these kids for more than a while, I'm not making this shit up):
-VERY smart kids will always do well on the SAT's
-smart kids usually will do well on the SAT's
-kids of average intelligence will do averagely well on the SAT's, and occasionally quite well, with extra tutoring
-dumb kids will NEVER EVER EVER do well on the SAT'sso although it's flawed, it is not completely useless, as some suggest. some dumb kids can get straight A's, and the SAT's are the safety net.Spike Lee is the SAT's for mild-to-overt racism in white people:-white people who are not racist in any way will ALWAYS take Spike Lee movies at face value. some of them will be enjoyed, some not so much, but they will never deride him as a useless filmmaker.
-white people who are sorta scared of black people will just avoid Spike Lee movies because they are disinterested in his viewpoint, and his statements both on film and off. but they won't have much of an opinion either way, if asked.
-white people that truly are racially biased, whether they would admit it or not (and almost always not) will ALWAYS hate Spike Lee. they will ALWAYS say he's a "loudmouth" (code for "uppity nigger"), a "race-baiter" (code for "someone who sticks up for his own race") and a "shitty filmmaker" (code for "black filmmaker".so before any of you from above (including some regulars that I'm shocked by) that have used these terms start getting up in arms. ask yourself this:if your argument is with Lee's filmmaking, and not his race (or racism), then why is that hardly ever discussed? and if your argument is with his race (or racism), and not his filmmaking, why do you descend into this talkback about his latest film (which Mori seemed to like a lot) just to shit on him? why not start www.spikeleeisracist.blogspot.com and voice your shallow opinions there?face it. you're the dumb kids. you're the closet racists. -
... is what my subject line should have read. I for one hope that Obama is elected, he is exactly what America needs right now. Just wanted to make that clear.
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I HATE HATE HATE HATE HAAAAATTTEEEEEE M .Night Shyamalan and his parade of narcissistic shitty movies...and not once in my many talkback tirades against him have I resorted to insulting (or even mentioning) his race.food for thought.
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It doesn't make one a racist to simply hold the view that Spike Lee is himself a racist and include it as the subtext to a review on one of his films. Especially sine the majority of his films are actually themselves ABOUT race and racism in America. If Mel Gibson had indeed made that Maccabees Film he had once mentioned, I'm certain that people would bring up their opinions of his Anti-Semitism. And further, a film can in fact BE racist and still be good art.
Don't call people names. -
because his movies only have black people in them. Or am I thinking of Eastwood and white people?
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are you saying that an Anti-Semite making an Anti-Semetic movie is the same as a Black filmmaker making a pro-Black movie?you've perfectly captured the disconnect I was describing above...
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it's a good time to question your judgement...(and if you don't know this guy, google is your friend...trust me, it's sad and funny at the same time)
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I do agree with your analogy, in terms of people's approach to Spike and his films. However, I do think that Lee is one of those autuers who isn't content to sit back and let his film speak for itself, he wants to be heard, he wants everyone to know who he is, and he will use whatever forum necessary to speak his opinion, including (but not limited to) film. As a result of this (as well as his Nike ads, and his Knick rooting) he becomes a personality, an icon, that the vast majority of Americans tend to pick sides on. I think this is a vastly unfair way to approach films, but it sort of goes with the territory. Also, I may be alone, but I really enjoyed Inside Man, I felt like it was an engaging, watchable, and incredibly entertaining film, and seemed to be a bit of a departure from what my previous experience with Lee "biased" me as to what I might expect to see.
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... this talkback depresses me enormously. I just wish I could say it surprised me.
ColWTH, you're a complete fool. Never made a good movie? Really? That is so powerfully, amazingly wrong that I'm afraid I am forced to agree with Wonka, as much as I hate imagining someone else's motivations. -
"-white people who are sorta scared of black people will just avoid Spike Lee movies because they are disinterested in his viewpoint, and his statements both on film and off. but they won't have much of an opinion either way, if asked."
This sounds a lot like me. I've only seen INSIDE MAN and it didn't do much for me and I don't really have an interest in Lee's films, but I'm not scared of black people in any way so is there a sub-category here? People like me who have no fear of black people and have no real interest or opinion of Spike Lee?
Though he does come off as a bit of an ass-hat in a lot of interviews. -
It looks like an interesting movie, but its a shame to hear that its a narrative mess. Hopefully not as bad as "Inside Man" though.
I like how they are focusing on the Italian front aswell, you don't really get to see it that often in recent WWII movies. -
funny how they're trying to franchise that
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When I saw the trailer for this a few months back I really liked the way it had that 'Spike does Speilberg' look to it and having enjoyed Inside man, how Spike did more of a mainstream and less personal type film, I went and bought this book. From the sound of Mori's review he is sticking to the tone of the book quite well, with the exception that the reporter that uncovers the story is only used to sort of bookend the story, a way to start and finish the narrative of the WWII events. It is a great read and an easy one as well, it took me about a weekend to knock out so I highly recommend it to anyone with any intrest in seeing this film. Cheers.
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if you drive down the street you have to imagine others' motivations, but I know what you mean.ColWTH is the dumbest kid in my analogy. the fact of the matter is, anyone who is not afraid of black people (and Lee, who is, last time I checked, a black person) has to admit he is an important filmmaker. I completely agree that the fact that Lee is left off of this unofficial list of cinephiles-turned-filmmakers is unfair and ridiculous. I also think that because he's studied a lot more than say, Tarantinto or Kevin Smith or whoever, and had a pseudo-mentor relationship with Scorcese, puts him a cut above, actually. at least technically. (I still think that as great as Pulp Fiction is, and how well written end edited it is, it looks like it was directed by the key grip)but anyway. idiots will be idiots. I just wish they could do it outside of the talkbacks.
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You might want to check out "Sucker Free City" by Spike Lee. Its about Asian people. Just saying.
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Good introspective of Lee. Although I'm not interested in seeing Miracle but I may watch it on tv or dvd when it comes out.
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You just hit it out of the park. There are people who think there is no race problem left in the U.S. and African Amerericans should just get over it. Racism has just gone underground and people who are "racially tolerant" think that watching a 30 minute Friends episode on racism makes them better people.
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There's a reason I've only ever posted on Talkbacks a handful of times. There is some decidedly unpleasant stuff on display in some of these comments.
As for Spike, he's easily one of my favorite filmmakers. I'm looking forward to Miracle at St. Anna very much. Ranking his films:
1. 4 Little Girls
2. Bamboozled (Sue me, this movie really tore me up, along with the number 1 and 3 movies. I'm like the biggest softy in the world.)
3. When the Levees Broke
4. 25th Hour
5. Do the Right Thing
6. Mo' Better Blues
7. Malcolm X
8. Jungle Fever
9. Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop
10. Summer of Sam
11. Inside Man
12. The Original Kings of Comedy
13. School Daze
14. She's Gotta Have It
15. Freak (Leguizamo's one-man show. Quite liked it.)
16. Clockers
17. Get on the Bus
18. A Huey P. Newton Story
19. He Got Game
20. Crooklyn
21. Sucker Free City
22. Jim Brown: All-American
23. Girl 6
24. She Hate Me
Wow, he really has done a lot in 25 years. I hadn't quite realized he's actually averaging one film a year. I'm not saying all of those films are great, but many of them are. And I'm not saying Spike is a fantastic human being, he can also clearly be kind of a dick.
It's also not like there isn't anything questionable in his works. There's some material that can be legitimately argued as anti-Semitic (whether intentional or not), especially in his earlier films. He also has serious issues with his female characters, as do most male filmmakers. But those are not the concerns most in this thread have voiced. Instead, it does seem to come down for many to the deeply-held fears of the uppity Negro, which is terribly depressing to see.
I used to naively think that the geek community (such as it is) was a bit more accepting and less overtly prejudiced than society at large. Reading the talkbacks in recent months/years has pretty much disabused me of that notion. -
I've successfully had line breaks in the past. But the last two times I've posted, it hasn't worked. What am I doing wrong?
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thank you sir.you named after Maceo Parker?!?!
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use "" but without spaces, of course...for line breaks...use The Shins when you want to feel stoned without drugsand thank you for speaking honestly about Lee (and his detrimental aspects) without resorting to the bullshit racist shit that most do...
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Interesting that Spike, who has had solid acting roles for many many white people in his movies, is often thought a bigot. But Woody Allen, who has make the whitest movies in American history for almost four decades, who has never had a non-white character without the entire point of the character's existence being their race, is given a total pass. Slightly hypocritical.
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and I have no interest in this movie.
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... is a little bit racist. Avenue Q. Check it out sometime.It's true, America. On all racial fronts, people will always have biases about others who appear different from them, at least with our history available to everyone and the influences of our parents and grandparents.SCENARIO:A white person supports equal rights, likes Spike Lee films and sympathizing with his viewpoints, and socializes with blacks, maybe even a best friend that is black. Then one night he is walking down a shady street alone one night, and from the opposite direction approaches on or more black men. His heart rate goes up, he looks for somewhere else to walk, maybe even crosses the street and goes around, and perhaps if it was a group of white men he wouldn't have felt unsafe at all. Is he a full-out bigot? Is he against desegregation? Does he think Obama shouldn't be president because of his skin color? NO!He knows it's wrong to assume he's going to get mugged, but the fear is still there. With our access to past and present news & media, there will always be racism, even slight racism that we know is unsupportable. Perhaps someone should do an experiment and raise some children of all races (one of each) completely isolated from racist ideals and all visual and documented racist incidents, then observe how they interact with one another and what their opinions are. Maybe then we'd find out where racism stems from and figure out a way to stamp it out. But since that kind of experiment is unlawful, I suppose we'll never know.
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... is a little bit racist. Avenue Q. Check it out sometime.It's true, America. On all racial fronts, people will always have biases about others who appear different from them, at least with our history available to everyone and the influences of our parents and grandparents.SCENARIO:A white person supports equal rights, likes Spike Lee films and sympathizes with his viewpoints, socializes with blacks, and perhaps has a best friend that is black. Then one night he is walking down a shady street alone, and from the opposite direction approaches one or more black men. His heart rate goes up, he looks for somewhere else to walk, maybe even crosses the street and goes around. If it was a group of white men, maybe he wouldn't have felt unsafe at all. Is he a full-out bigot? Is he against desegregation? Does he think Obama shouldn't be president because of his skin color? NO!He knows it's wrong to assume he's going to get mugged, but the fear is still there. With our access to past and present news & media, there will always be racism, even slight racism that we know is unsupportable. Perhaps someone should do an experiment and raise some children of all races (one of each) completely isolated from racist ideals and all visual and documented racist incidents, then observe how they interact with one another and what their opinions are. Maybe then we'd find out where racism stems from and figure a way to stamp it out. Since that kind of experiment is unlawful, I suppose we'll never know.
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yes!
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Crooklyn is one of his best and most personal films. The movie fucking rules. Alfree Woodard is easily as good as Meryl Streep but does'nt get the roles she deserves. Second. Crooklyn is also an amazing film. Lee is not the most subtle director to be sure, but thats kinda what i like about him. 25th hour is the best post 9/11 NY film out there, truly haunting without trying to be. Fuck clint eastwood(this is coming from someone who grew up on a healthy diet of pale rider and fistful). Flags was garbage and million dollar baby may be the most overrated film in history. You might wanna actually study the sweet science before you make a movie about it clint. And that ending....yuk. So fuck off detractors, Lee's as good as they come nowadays. Not sure if thats a compliment or not but, Im a fan...
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One- Spike Lee is one of the great American filmmakers of his generation. It's a shame his work and his role as a director doesn't receive the credit it deserves. I will admit he does stick his foot in his mouth at times, but it's more along the lines of his personality I think and not some racial political agenda. Two- P2Rock made some great points above. In many of his movies, Spike forces us to look at race and class and gender, etc. in American society. Specifically speaking about race, as a black man, I face these issues all the time. And it doesn't matter that "I've made it" or so to speak. I believe that part of having privilege, whether it be white, male, affluence, religion, sexuality, whatever (!) is having the luxury of not having to deal with a certain issue unless you really want to. Spike forces us to look at these issues that at times may make some of us uncomfortable, confused, challenged, etc. Now, we can either shut down and reject. Or we can admit our privilege (or lack thereof) and take his films as an opportunity to hopefully engage these issues in a positive manner. Somebody can't tell me there aren't lessons to be learned in Do The Right Thing or Malcolm X or He Got Game or Bamboozled or 25th Hour, etc. Spike is a filmmaker who engages the reality of American life- even the ugly side of that reality. And personally, I think we as film lovers and as a society at large are better for it. And no, Spike didn't pay me for this post, lol.
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Your self-loathing white guilt may drive you to see another crappy Spike Lee movie but I for one will not be Bamboozled.
I hated Inside Man and It wasn't because of the directors skin tone. It was because he sucks as a director.
I don't go to movies for a lesson. I want to be entertained and damn if SL doesn't make movies that don't. -
I'll buy 'knowledgeable', but intelligent is a whole different ballpark. He can read all the big ass books he wants to but that doesn't make someone more intelligent per se... it's just jacking up your brain with as many nuggets and data as it can hold without sounding stupid when you process it through your mouth. It's the application of said knowledge into life itself; the logic and understanding involved and the way in which you process said knowledge into a manner intelligible. In one instance with Mr. Lee, I've seen him on Bill Maher's HBO series for some politicking and comedy-induced 'debates' (which are usually lopsided)... and for a teacher at NYU I was highly UNIMPRESSED. Maher had to throw a question towards Spike Lee several times to coerce an interjection or his two cents, and when he did talk it was neither insightful nor entertaining. In one of my film classes I was also able to catch his work in "Lumiere et Compagnie"; it features a collection of international directors who do a short piece using the great Lumiere's 'Cinematographe'. His 50-second piece was probably the most unbecoming, laziest approaches I've seen. Now, I know artistic license is in no way a viable translator of 'intelligence', but if I hadn't known the director behind the piece I would've said "this guy is stupid." Yes, opinions of films are highly subjective, but tell me staring a baby for 50 seconds was intelligent or 'insightful'. David Lynch's piece blew Spike out of the friggin' water. Don't get me wrong... Spike Lee has to be a certain degree of 'intelligent' to even stand in the shoes he stands in today, but rather I see him as a hit or miss visionary who isn't as intelligent as people would deem him to be. I can only respect him for reading 'big ass books' [as drturing said] and as an integral catalyst in breaking the color barrier within the film industry, which is no small feat. You don't have to be witty to be intelligent, just talk intelligent enough for me to register you as a high-end sentient being in this society... and in all public appearances I've witnessed of Mr. Lee, not once did the notion of 'intelligent' strike me as evident. Either way... I will be seeing "Miracle at St. Anna". - GS
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In this case, I don't like to speculate about someone's motivations. Yet as a psych major and a human nature afficianado, I read people all the time. The key difference is that when I do so, I have ideas about what people *could* be thinking, not sure proof what they are thinking. As soon as we all define exactly what it is that racism looks like, for instance, why white people will dislike Lee's movies, we are committing the exact same psychological error behind racism - the confirmation bias. Without self-awareness, we typically form a schematic of perception, such as 'what racism is,' and find confirmatory evidence all the time, without the ability to see it as something else. Similarly, when unfortunate circumstances of ghettos turn 'black gang member' into a stereotype, that gets plugged into our schematics too. I'm not saying that is all that racism is - it's actually generally the fear of what we don't understand, and we don't yet have a full understanding of our common humanity - it is a mechanism involved allowing it to spread without self-awareness to intervene. While I admire the empassioned frustration with racism, and god knows there is a lot to be frustrated about, I personally believe the blame game is itself frustrating when what all people need, black, white and tope, is a greater self-awareness of who we are as a species (the genetic variance across individuals is greater than the genetic variance of whites and blacks as 'races' - race is a hollow construct) and the desire to rise above our collective limitations, like our tendancy to see what we think we'll see.
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Really? The dismissive tone of that comment is exactly the problem here. It suggests that a white person would only give Spike the time of day as some sort of atonement for racial sins. That's quite the load of bullcrap. I like his movies because I find them to be, um...good movies. He frequently blows me away, just as a lot of whitebread cracker filmmakers do. To suggest that Spike's success (limited as it may be compared to some directors) is some sort of cinematic affirmative action is stunningly ridiculous.
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You're at NYU? Likewise. As for Lumiere et Compagnie, Spike's was one of my three favorite pieces from that film. Not for any grand technical accomplishments, but simply because I'm stupidly sentimental. I saw an interview with Spike during CNN's coverage of the Democratic National Convention, and he impressed me with his responses (more than in probably most previous occasions I've seen him speak).
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they don't accept drooling morons...
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I won't take it as offensive but that was seemingly an attempt in insulting my intelligence as though I personally insulted yours by 'attacking' Spike Lee. I guess NYU is the center of intelligence. Maybe I went to a school just as good if not better than NYU so let's stop it right there. Either way, like I said... opinions are highly subjective, so you're entitled to yours. And if I'm correct a lot of interviews are 'scripted' [especially on news networks where time is of the essence and people will have no slack in getting their point across, much less at a convention where things are on the fly and time is that much more important] to the point where interviewees are briefed on questions prior to airing. This does NOT discredit his intelligence but it does boost face, as prepped material can make anyone look good [Obama case in point - great orator with prepped material but not so much a master debater by far]. Spike being prepared for questions would not impress me... and Bad Mr Wonka I take it you love Spike Lee just as much. Smoke some trees, drop some blotter, I don't care just chill out. I am a proud college graduate. /end - GS
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anyone who's first name is spike should be executed.
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halberd, I thought you were saying in your comment that you went to NYU. I wasn't trying to attack you about anything.
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I apologize if it seemed like that's what I meant.
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I went to NYU and I do drool sometimes but I'm hardly a moron, unlike Prossor. Rock the purple. Violets aka Bobcats Football Rules!
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Then turns around and self-righteously announces "You have NO IDEA what my politics are" anyone dares make any kind of inference based on quasi-related topics. But I'll grant that Mori regularly admits he is, like the rest of us, a hypocrite. As for Wonka's analogy - just about as puerile and simplistic as any racists thinking. Personally I love Spike's filming style - think he is in desperate need of a firm editor - can't help but notice how little credit he gets for calling out black folks for performing self-destructive behavior. Some of his "topical subjects" are now hideously dated (The debate over a better pitcher Gooden V Clemens in DTRT, as well as the very dated break-beat soundtrack, comes to mind...) but his later films seem to be trending more classic. He is a fascinating, albeit occasionally maddening, filmmaker.
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...Spike Lee is not held in higher regard, I'll quote two passages from this review. "that may be one of his messiest narratives" and "It is such a totally different tone and look and feel than any scene before it that I almost thought it was the wrong movie." Unfortunately this has marked most of the latter half of Lee's career. Messy, unfocused, rambling, films. Even his good stuff like 25th Hour is buried in this sort of cluttered nonsense. For me, it's not a major draw back, after all I think I enjoy He Got Game the most of all his movies, and thats pretty blottered with fairly random asides and half baked narrative. But I tend to enjoy someone swinging for the fences, rather than sticking to something safe. But even a real hardcore Lee supporter like myself can see why a fairly large chunk of the population find his films irritating. Plus his famously hypocritical and short sighted public rabble rousing. For those saying he's never made a great film, I'd put forward Malcolm X and Do The Right thing AT LEAST as two universally recognised great films, and I'd include Clockers and He Got Game on the list for good measure too.
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Inside Man should avoided if your scared of lazy, boring generic hollywood tripe. Or James Ransone. Even for a legitimate white knight, hes an awkward looking creature.
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...Is the best thing Lee has done since Clockers, probably. Shame about it being a pilot and having to end early, or just a shame it ended before it got going.
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His accusation of racism against Eastwood was just the latest example. Eastwood was making a historical film about the men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima, none of whom happened to be black. Lee, rather than recognize the historical fact at issue here, chose to attack a peer for, in essence, not fabricating history in order to satisfy Lee's own agenda. Clint was 100% right to tell him to shut up and the media should have had the balls to point out that there were no blacks in that particular unit.
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If I don't like Spike Lee movies it means I'm a terrible racist and I'm scared of black people. Big thanks to all the pansy PC white kids on here for clearing that up for me.
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I'll eventually check it out on DVD.
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Sorry, but anyone who makes the comment about "Black People Can't Be Racist" is a complete and total ass and an idiot to boot!
Oh wait...I am sorry...it's OK for Black peoples to make comments and call White people "Stupid "White" M.F-er", or "Kracker" (even though when a black person uses that word it cracks me up considering where the term originated from!)
It's ok that there continues to be racism in the form of ethnic cleansing in Africa based on the way certain people look and their religion
It's ok for an Asshole like Lee to cry foul and use the "Race" Card when he feels like he isn't being taken seriously
This guy is a total fucking Idiot who should take the time to actually LEARN what it is to be a good director by maybe going back o film school and also learning from other Actors and directors with class...like Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Delroy Lindo, CCH Pounder
And I ams saying all of this not based on Spike Lee's "Skin Color" but by the fact that he has and continues to come across as a major asshole in every single Interview he has given print or video...his words actions speak volumes! -
I personally have loved spike lee's work since I was like twelve,when I first saw do the right thing then I saw she's gotta have it,I was hooked! He is a true artist in every sense of the word. I have never cared what his personal views are just like I don't care what any other film makers views are except on film. Also Moriaty I'm not sure If Malcolm X(wich I believe to be the best bio-pic) was A big studio film.Warners gave him little money and then when he needed more to finish he had to raise it himself through Michael Jordan and Bill Cosby among others.I have loved every thing he has directed except a few(can't get through mo' better blues or school daze and haven't seen she hate me).I even loved Girl 6.Clokers would probably be my favorite(beautiful film).People have always given him shit or disliked him for what ever reason they come up with.I guarantee this same people will have no problems watching a mel gibson film or laugh at micael richards as kramer.
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I meant "these" same people.
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I was wondering do those actors have "class" because they don't share their personal opinions?What's wrong with personal opinions? Everyone here seems to have one. That's why we are commenting,right?
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Never the less he's made some good movies. I think the majority of his work is overtly race baiting crap, but occasionally he puts out a good flick. As I now do with all of his movies I'll download a DVD rip of this flick so I don't line the racists baiters pockets. It's just my little contribution to "the man" that is keeping the multi-millionaire Spike Lee down .... LOL ...
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"are you saying that an Anti-Semite making an Anti-Semetic movie is the same as a Black filmmaker making a pro-Black movie?
you've perfectly captured the disconnect I was describing above..."
No, I'm saying that a black filmmaker who makes pro-black films almost to the point of being anti-white is the same thing as a white film-maker who makes pro-white films almost to the point of being anti-black. -
Maybe because the Coens aren't arrogant pricks with a Napoleon complex.
oh and their movies generally fall into the 'does not suck' category. -
Great late-night movie.
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Sep 09, 2008 10:21:50 AM CDT
If we based our love of entertainment on the opinions of the art
by terry1978
We wouldn't like anything, honestly. Because every single actor, musician, writer, director, etc. that we love has said or done some pretty outlandish shit at one point or another, yet some get passes and some don't.
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The hostility oozing outta some of you is kinda disturbing. If you hate the guy so much why keep coming to these talkbacks saying the same old rubbish? But I guess you could apply that same argument to any talkback on this site. Some of you guys absolutely LOVE talking out of your asses. Badmouthing films you've yet to see and bashing directors you think you know. As a white male whose wife has worked with Spike Lee on six of his films, I can tell you (BTW: I feel so silly having to write the following) he doesn't hate white people. I've had many long conversations with the fella over the years. He's no racist. Have any of you guys actually sat and watched one of his films or is all of this based on something you read in a newspaper? Do you guys have any idea of the number of white actors Lee has directed over the past 20 years? The white film crews he's worked with? Do they all think he's a racist too but choose to keep quiet 'cause they're doing it for the money?The only thing Spike "hates" is ignorance and intolerance.
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discuss the issue of race is considered a "loud mouth" or "trouble maker"For the record: Spike NEVER called Eastwood a racist. Spike NEVER said Eastwood should have changed the race of the flag carriers in Flags Of Our Fathers. All Spike did was raise the issue of black visibility/invisibility in Eastwood's film. It was the media who (predictably) pumped it up into being a fight between the two men. I was disappointed Eastwood responded with the "he should shut his mouth" comment. Really Clint?
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If we say something, we're just playing the race card, if we keep quiet, we're deemed as just bowing down to suck the white man's cock. Can't win for losing.
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The thing about spike is that among white viewers he is vastly underrated but among black filmgoers he is vastly overrated.
Being african american I respect spike's work but sometimes he just needs to let the film speak for itself.The bottom line is that his guy has made some really good films and and his talent should be respected. -
Blacks did play a vital part of ww2. Not at specifically at iwo jima except for amunnution units but yes during the war. Spike had a legitmate arguement about black soldiers but he picked the wrong movie to criticize.
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There were no blacks in WWII? Uh, the Miracle at St. Anna is based on a true story. The Tuskegee Airmen was an all-black bombing escort unit.
Clint Eastwood had to go back and add in black soldiers after criticism because there were hundreds at Iwo Jima. But ignorant people still think there were no black folks in WWII because they don't see it on the screen.
Think about that for a second. White people complaining because minorities want to be represented in historical films because they don't think there were any because they've never seen any in historical films. Talk about circular ignorance.
People are really desperate to explain away their own racism on the topic of Spike Lee movies, even going so far as to ignore films he has made that contradict their opinions. -
Hate to bring up Hitler, but since Anti-Semitism was brought up ...
There's a difference between "Pro-German" and "Anti-Semitic", though "Anti-Semitism" was linked to Pro-Germanism. That's what makes it bigotry, the "support" of one people via the denigration of another.
And this is why Spike Lee is a bigot. He works to support black people by telling them how evil White People are. And, not surprisingly, any black people who don't agree with this point of view are branded race-traitors. Look at "The Girl Got to have it", a vicious misogynistic screed against black women for being shallow and not supporting black men, making it their fault that the men are angry, and partly blaming the rape the woman suffers at the hands of a black man on the woman herself. Believe me, I've listened to black callers to radical black talk shows, and this is an endless whine. And all Lee did was take the Whine and feed it back to the black audience on the big screen, with pleasing production values to make it all seem more "valid" just for being on the big screen.
And of course white audiences are generally not going to get it, particularly the non-racist ones. They'll see it as an honest portrayal of black frustration as they deal with centuries of White-caused oppression, and appreciate it. But that doesn't change the fact that it comes from a rather retarded level of mindless hate, and is intended to stoke the flames of hate in a black audience, not really DO anything for them, or uplift them in any way. -
WWII documentary on PBS that I realized the true extent of black & Latino involvement in some of the most significant incidents of that war. It's a shame that a desire for true historical representation by Hollywood is dismissed as being "PC"Once again: All Spike did was cite Flags Of Our Fathers as a recent Hollywood WWII film in which few or no black serviceman were visible. There's nothing unresonable about making that observation. I'm quite sure the grandchildren of the many black men who loss their lives defending a country that (at the time) had little or no respect for them are saddened to see just how many times they're ignored by filmmakers. I guess that's one of the many reasons Spike made his movie.
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There have always been great artists who were total assholes. I'm afraid Brother Spike falls in this category. He makes good movies, but is a racist (check out his opinion on mixed-race couples) and his views sometimes poison his movies. I remember enjoying "Do the Right Thing" and then doing a spit take when I saw the words "Tawana Told The Truth" scrawled on a wall in the background. I was saddened that he chose to perpetuate a vicious lie in an otherwise great movie. The beauty of "Santa Anna" can't be denied. It looks gorgeous so he's got my ten bucks. But I hope he leaves a lot of his shit on the cutting room floor and just makes a great movie.
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Spike Lee films tell black people how evil whites are? Do you REALLY believe that? If so, I'm glad I don't live in the same world you do. Wow.
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"Spike doesn’t make this an “us against them” movie in any way. Even among the Germans he portrays, he doesn’t paint in absolutes. The film has faith in individuals, no matter what is happening in the world around them, but it’s not so sunshiney that it pretends everyone will always make the right choices."
I may at least rent this movie if this is the tone he has. I felt that this very issue was a real sore spot in Saving Private Ryan: Spielberg clearly had no interest in that movie to give any humanity to the German soldiers. I mean, did he REALLY have to specifically reintroduce the same German that the Allies let go (and took pity on) to quietly and methodically kill one of those same Americans, shushing and chiding him like a child as the knife went in?
I'm not a big fan of Lee, but Kudos to him for that bit of insight. -
This sounds excellent. I'll be there with bells on.
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THANK YOU. That was well put.
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And he is a good filmmaker who has made a few great films, some good films, and some stinkers. There. I said it. Not a racist. So everyone please shut the fuck up and vote for McCain or Obama and stop beating this talkback to death.
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When you make a comment like that it's pretty obvious you've seen few or perhaps none of his films. I've seen all Lee's films. Some were dreadful (Girl 6, She Hate Me), some were fairly good but flawed (Crooklyn, The 25th Hour) and some have been pretty darn terrific (Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing, He Got Game and Clockers). None of them portrayed "white people as evil and racist." I've seen ignorant characters in his films who have been both black and white. Spike's been pretty fair, balanced and honest with the majority of his characters. Danny Aiello's character in Do The Right Thing and John Torturro's character in Jungle Fever are just two examples that make GurzEon's comment inaccurate.
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but don't expect that from 95% of those who typically respond to Talkback here-- Spike Lee is kryptonite to 95% of the comics/scifi/fanboy crowd..
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I always enjoy your writing and I look forward to this film.BTW: I thought both Flags Of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima were outstanding. Pity they didn't perform better at the box office.
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Sep 09, 2008 2:37:31 PM CDT
Nodiggity is another white man afraid of a black man with opinio
by hst666
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Sep 09, 2008 2:43:29 PM CDT
If you think Spike Lee is a racist who represents black extremis
by hst666
you have a problem. You pretty much have to be racist to hold those views. He says some stupid shot from time to time, but he is not a racist or extremist. He spoke at my university to a predominantly white crowd and gave an extended Q&A afterword and was funny and intelligent and very amiable.
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Sep 09, 2008 2:49:35 PM CDT
Anyone who thinks Spike is a hack needs to see Mo Better Blues
by hst666
The best film of his that I have seen.
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close up of Rosie Perez' breasts is okay in my book...
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Here's a quote from Spike himself:"I give interracial couples a look. Daggers. They get uncomfortable when they see me on the street."Speaks for itself, no?
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Is for me one of the most moving sequences I have seen in any film ever. And it is not at all about race.
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Your an idiot for dating someone of a different race? Lee's comment was retarded. It's the sort of comment physically feeble men like himself make.
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To quote an Adam Sandler movie...
"Mr BadMrWonka, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I've ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response was there anything that could even be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul." -
Sep 10, 2008 5:33:06 AM CDT
A Challenge to all those fanboys who say Spike Lee is a racist..
by crazybubba
Instead of making sweeping generalizations about his "racism" prove it with facts. Provide exact quotes from interviews he's done and the publication source of those quotes. To me its seems that anyone who argues or believes the racial situation in this country is far from perfect gets labeled a racist or hate monger for daring to speak up. The truth is no one wants to have an honest dialogue about the issue. Too many people want to believe that the Civil Rights Movement rectified everything and its all hunky dory now. I disagree and just because I disagree I don't think that makes me or anyone else who speaks up about it a racist.
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interracial couples? Anyone know?
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That quote can be found in at least two written articles. www.larryelder.com/racial/doublestandard.htm, and www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=2065. The only thing is that both articles quote the statement verbatim, but don't attribute where the quote itself comes from.It is interesting that both articles are written by (it appears right-leaning) African American men critical of Spike.
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If you Google Spike Lee interracial couples, you may find more...
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than I was before. I've read a lot coming out of Toronto regarding this film but was eager for your review. I'll always defer to you guys. Can't wait.
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Where is his answer to my Spike Lee quote that I read yesterday?
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since you're name is gibberish and you're quoting Adam Sandler movies, I'm kinda glad you didn't understand what I wrote and/or don't agree with it...
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