Director’s Spotlight: Miracle at St. Anna

We end this month’s Director’s Spotlight on controversial director Spike Lee with his most recent picture, 2008′s Miracle at St. Anna. After viewing Clint Eastwood’s 2006 war pictures Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, Spike Lee stated at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival that Eastwood should have included black Marines in his movies. Eastwood responded that they were specifically about the Japanese soldiers and the Americans who raised the flag, that there were black soldiers at Iwo Jima but they were segregated and therefore not directly involved, and that Lee should “shut his face”. Lee countered that Eastwood was acting like an “angry old man” and that he should have included them anyway. Thus, Miracle at St. Anna was born.

Director Spotlight: Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 World War II drama that follows Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his men through the D-Day landings on Omaha Beach. After surviving D-Day, as depicted in one of the most visceral opening 25 minutes ever filmed, Miller and his squad are ordered to risk their lives and find Private James Ryan (Matt Damon). Ryan’s three brothers have all been killed in action within days of each other. The last one dying on Omaha Beach.  Miller is sent to find Ryan somewhere in Nazi occupied France and bring him back home alive.

Inglourious Basterds (Might just be the best Tarantino yet)

IB as I will call it (cuz my spell check isn’t going to let the actual spelling fly)is, in my opinion, the best Tarantino film yet. I may even think it’s the best Brad Pitt film yet. I’m being as subtle as “The Bear Jew’s” bat up against a Nazi scalp I know. I freaking loved this film. Many years ago when I was all of 16 I found a movie called Reservoir Dogs. My friends and I loved it and from that day I became a disciple of the Q. Pulp Fiction all the way to Kill Bill 1 & 2. Sure there have been some misses but I’ve stayed true. IB knocks it all out of the water.

Inglourious Basterds (Devil’s Advocate Review)

I am the Devil’s Advocate this week, but I’m putting my initial thoughts front and center soldiers, and then I’ll get into Kill Bill, hack and slash mode for the DA part.

Right away, I’ll put this out there, into the ether…this was a brilliant film.  I absolutely dug it in a big way.  Tarantino is in top form, with what has been billed a war film, but we all know better.  It’s another revenge film.  Revenge wrought upon the Nazis by the people they have tormented.  It is revenge and it is justified.  Just like Kill Bill or even Pulp Fiction (Bruce Willis’ thread in the film was very revenge driven).