Today’s film is a war movie with a scene that happens on January 22. Watch it tonight and
enjoy.
RED TAILS
The 332nd Fighter
group made up of African-American pilots and flying antiquated P-40 fighters is
only allowed to carry out ground attack missions against the German supply
lines and they wonder if the results they achieve are worth the sacrifices they
make. Their commander Col. Bullard is in Washington, fighting attempts to have
the unit disbanded. They get a break when they are ordered to provide air cover
for the Anzio landings a/k/a Operation Shingle. On January 22, 1944 [30:32 to 44:35] they cover the Anzio
landings. After "Lightning" Little is almost shot down, they follow a
damaged German plane back to its base and destroy the airfield. However,
“Junior" Gannon is partially blinded as a result of injuries sustained in
the attack. The unit is transferred to provide close bomber support. Instead of enduring racial insults,
Lightning engages in a bar room brawl. The squadron gets brand new P-51 Mustang
fighter planes. On their first bomber support mission, no bombers are shot
down, but Junior is. Lightning had smooth talked the medical officer into
clearing Junior to fly, in spite of his poor vision. Returning from the mission
Lightning and Deke Watkins strafe a destroyer, heavily damaging it. However,
Deke is hit and barely survives a crash landing back at base and is sent home
on a medical discharge. Junior is sent to a POW camp. Lightning, who had often
been insubordinate to his commander, Capt. "Easy" Julian makes a deal
with him. If Julian will give up the alcohol he had been using to ease his
self-doubt, Lighting will obey him from now on. Lightning proposes to his
Italian girlfriend Sophia. Junior escapes from the POW camp. Sophia accepts
Lightning’s proposal. The unit is informed that Junior was killed in the
escape. The unit is supposed to cover the first bomber raid to Berlin only part
way, but when the unit that was to relieve them does not show they follow them
all the way there. They are attacked by Me 262 jets. Lightning saves Easy, but
is shot down and killed. Sophia is devastated by Lightning’s death. Junior
returns to the unit having actually managed to escape. The squadron is awarded
a Presidential Unit Citation.
A good movie. The aerial combat
scenes are very well done. The personal interaction scenes at the base create
believable, likeable characters
A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II by Gerhard
L. Weinberg (Cambridge University Press, New York, 1994) at page 661 gives date
of Anzio landing.
Producers - Rick McCallum, Chas.
Floyd Johnson and George Lucas
Director -Anthony Hemingway
Screenplay - John Ridley and
Aaron McGruder
Runtime – 2 hours 1minute
Released – January 20, 2012
Cast - Terrence Howard as Col.
A.J. Bullard ,Nate Parker as Capt. Martin "Easy" Julian
Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Major
Emanuel Stance, Ne-Yo as 2nd Lt. Andrew "Smokey" Salem
David Oyelowo as 1st Lt. Joe "Lightning" Little,
Marcus T. Paulk as "Deke" Watkins
Tristan Wilds as 2nd Lt. Ray "Ray Gun" or
"Junior" Gannon, Daniela Ruah as Sofia
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015
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