I was fortunate enough to have actually hear a Tuskeegee Airman talk, long before this movie's conception. There was a lot more to the Red Tails' legend that would definitely not have made a good movie viewing experience for the mainstream audience.
Now, imagine taking an important part of history and making a movie showing countless hours of studying, practicing, campaigning, struggling against ancient prejudicial ideas to overcome bleak odds, dying, and yes, even sometimes flying in combat in a "strictly" historical detailed portrayal. That movie wouldn't even make a good Blue Ray disc Frisbee, no matter that this is what "American Exceptionalism" was coined after.
I remember interviews including Tuskeegee Airmen pilots who did consult on the movie. They were satisfied with the "swagger" (like that of John Wayne) that accurately portrayed their crew and pilots. These consultants, as well our own cartoon pilots
in AH, must have had hundreds of accounts of extraordinary cockpit moments. Now, go out there and recreate just a couple of stories with real aircraft and pilots and make it "memorable". Otherwise, forget about putting any butts in the seats to recover any part of your investment (the real qualifier to decide if the filmmaker was successful or not).
What did you expect? I find it hard to believe most of what I have seen on "Dogfights" but I do not question the integrity of those who lived to bring the accounts to life in oral history and recreation. "Red Tails" did excite my imagination, and as an adult who was well aware of these men, I praise the filmmaker's efforts.
Guppy, you are doing a fine job raising a new generation of men. Thank you sir for sharing that story. It makes me wish I knew enough sign language to have been able to share that moment with him also.
