After a terse response at Cannes to Spike Lee’s accusation that “Flags of Our Fathers” sidelined African-Americans’ contribution to WWII, Clint Eastwood has spoken at greater length about the matter. In a substantial interview in today’s Guardian, he makes his feelings toward Lee quite clear:
“He was complaining when I did Bird. Why would a white guy be doing that? I was the only guy who made it, that’s why. He could have gone ahead and made it. Instead he was making something else.” As for Flags of Our Fathers, he says, yes, there was a small detachment of black troops on Iwo Jima as a part of a munitions company, “but they didn’t raise the flag. 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.”
In what appears to be a pre-emptive strike, he defends his new film “Changeling” against similar accusations, noting that it takes place in Los Angeles before it had a significant black population:
“What are you going to do, you gonna tell a fuckin’ story about that? Make it look like a commercial for an equal opportunity player? I’m not in that game. I’m playing it the way I read it historically, and that’s the way it is. When I do a picture and it’s 90% black, like Bird, I use 90% black people … A guy like him should shut his face.”
Well, I wouldn’t expect the Clintster to mince his words, but still… wow. It will be interesting to see if Lee has (another) rebuttal prepared. For one thing, one wonders what makes of Eastwood taking on Nelson Mandela in “Human Factor.” (Eastwood has a quip prepared already: “I’m not going to make Nelson Mandela a white guy.”)
Lots of good stuff in the interview besides, particularly for fans of the Dirty Harry films. Check it out here.
Comments
9 responses to “Eastwood tells Lee to ‘shut his face’”
Go Clint! When is Spike Lee going to learn to keep his mouth shut towards other directors?? Did he not attempt to tell Tarantino not to use the “n” word in his films?? Clint’s message is loud and clear?
Spike is talented director but like a person he’s a complete “dick” and we’re boring about his theory of “Black People Good-White People Evil”…
First: if Clint Eastwood is a racist how he counts in her two best films (Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) a Black Actor. Morgan Freeman is a co-star in those films…
Second: He made “bird” and since them Spike critizes him… Get over a life.
Be careful Taylor Hackford, because later Spike speaks against “Ray” and “An officer and a gentleman”
Sorry is “His best Films”
You’re not being entirely fair, Xavi – Lee didn’t accuse Eastwood of being a racist. Rather, he felt that “Flags of Our Fathers” was racially one-sided in its perspective. I don’t agree with him either, but I think Lee might have found more sympathisers if he hadn’t framed his argument in such a clumsy, aggressive manner. It’s a shame that it’s come to this.
Yeah it’s a bit of a strange discussion going on there. Why did he have to attack Eastwood in particular? I don’t get it.
Spike is an interesying guy — I hve had the pleasure of interviewing him a few times (3) and find him to be intelligent and very informed — he knows how to get a reaction and follows what’s what in the business — all for a purpose — I agree that he is a brilliant director, Malcolm X is a masterpiece, and When the Levees Broke may be the finest documentary I have ever seen, but his attacks on white directors exploring black subjects (and getting it wrong)has grown tiresome — Mr. Lodge is right, he did not accuse Mr. Eastwood of racism, he is too smart for that as Clint gave Morgan Freeman two of his best roles and directed Bird, but he did accuse him of slopping storytelling and playing with the facts — the problem here is Spike was as informed as he should have been, and comes off looking mean spirited and arrogant…again, which is a shame because as a person he is truly neither. What I find fascinating about him is that for all his independent ranting, his attempts not to give a damn about Hollywood, he covets an Oscar and wants to be accepted into the community — attacking one of that community’s beloved icons is no way to get in.
Wow…sorry for spelling…interesting and have in the first line…was in a hurry.
[…] really is getting ugly. As we all knew he would, Spike Lee has responded to Clint Eastwood’s instructions that he “shut his face” about the issue of the supposed sidelining of […]
[…] is equal parts over-simplified and shrewd. The Lee/Eastwood dispute has been talked to death…and again…and again, but the overriding feeling I had following the initial Cannes fracas was sadness […]