Introduction

Red Tails is a 2012 American war film directed by Anthony Hemingway in his feature film directorial debut, and starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr.

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The film is about the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) servicemen during World War II.

The characters in the film are fictional, although based on real individuals.

The film was produced by Lucasfilm and released by 20th Century Fox, and would be the last film Lucasfilm releases before being purchased by The Walt Disney Company nine months later.

This was Cuba Gooding Jr.’s first theatrically released film in five years since his starring role in 2007’s Daddy Day Camp.

Outline

In 1944, as the air war over Europe enters a deadly phase with increasing losses of Allied bombers, the 332d Fighter Group (the Tuskegee Airmen) consisting of young African-American USAAF fighter pilots, after enduring racism throughout their recruitment and training in the Tuskegee training program, are sent into combat in Italy. Although flying worn-out Curtiss P-40 Warhawk aircraft and chafing at their ground attack missions, the Tuskegee Airmen recognise that they may never fight the Luftwaffe. The tight-knit group of Captain Martin “Easy” Julian, 1st Lt. Joe “Lightning” Little, 2nd Lt. Ray “Ray Gun” Gannon, 2nd Lt. Andrew “Smokey” Salem, and 2nd Lt. Samuel “Joker” George under the guidance of Major Emanuel Stance and Col. A.J. Bullard, face a white military bureaucracy still resistant to accepting black flyers as equals.

Strife develops between friends Easy and Lightning, each of whom battles his own inner demons: Lightning is a hotheaded and reckless pilot, while Easy is an alcoholic prone to self-doubt. After returning to base, Lightning becomes infatuated with Sofia, an Italian girl, and starts a relationship. When Lightning punches a white man who uses a racial slur at a “whites only” officer’s club, he is sent to the brig and reprimanded by Colonel Bullard.

Meanwhile, Bullard secures a chance to “light up the board” when the Tuskegee Airmen are chosen to support the Allied landings at Anzio, Italy known as Operation Shingle. There, they battle Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters led by a German ace pilot they nickname “Pretty Boy” and manage to raze the base that Pretty Boy retreats back to. Pretty Boy is stunned to see the pilots who damaged his plane and razed his base were African-Americans. During their first victory, Ray Gun is injured by anti-aircraft fire and suffers impaired vision in one eye. Easy reluctantly allows Ray Gun to continue flying.

Impressed with the Tuskegee Airmen’s performance, the USAAF Bomber Command ask Bullard to use his fighters as escorts for Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers because of unacceptably high casualties among bomber crews. Bullard accepts on the condition his unit be supplied with the new North American P-51 Mustang. The tails of the aircraft are painted bright red and become the unofficial name of the outfit. Noting the reckless aggression of previous escort fights, Bullard orders his pilots to stay with the bombers at all costs. Their first escort mission is a success, and the 332nd downs multiple Luftwaffe aircraft without the loss of a single bomber. Lightning even takes his chances to attack a Kriegsmarine destroyer before returning to base. However, Ray Gun is shot down and captured by a Wehrmacht patrol, while Deke crash-lands and nearly dies, but is rescued from his burning Mustang before the fuel tank explodes.

As a result of his injuries, Deke is discharged. Ray Gun is taken to Stalag 18, a German POW camp. A group of POWs recruit him, as they believe that he cannot be a German spy. Easy blames himself for Ray Gun’s apparent departure, and spirals deeper into alcoholism. Worried, Lightning makes a deal with Easy: he will fly less recklessly as long as Easy remains sober. Meanwhile, attitudes against the Tuskegee Airmen begin to change as they earn the bomber crews’ respect. Lightning proposes to Sofia, who accepts as long as he stays in Italy. Ray Gun and his group of POWs escape, but German guards spot several POWs; Ray Gun draws the Germans’ attention while the others escape. One of the POWs reaches the 332nd’s base and, assuming Ray Gun to be dead, informs them about his sacrifice.

The Tuskegee Airmen are tasked with escorting the first American bombers to attack Berlin, though for propaganda reasons they are only asked to escort the bombers on the first leg of their journey. When the fighter squadron meant to relieve them never arrives, Easy stays with bombers. They are attacked by Pretty Boy, now leading a flight of the revolutionary new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters. Despite being outclassed, the Tuskegee Airmen shoot down several enemies, and escort a wounded B-17 back to Allied airspace. Pretty Boy nearly shoots down Easy, but at the last moment, Lightning attacks and kills Pretty Boy in a head-on attack. Although victorious, Lightning is mortally wounded and dies, and his Mustang crashes. Easy then has to inform Sofia about Lightning’s death, and consequently overcomes his alcoholism. At Lightning’s funeral, Ray Gun returns, having survived his escape from German captivity, invoking Lightning’s memory.

Ultimately, the Tuskegee Airmen are awarded the Presidential Unit Citation in honour of their achievements.

Trivia

• John Ridley wrote the screenplay. Additional material was shot the following year with executive producer George Lucas as director and Aaron McGruder as writer of the reshoots.
• It was filmed in March and July 2009. Red Tails was a personal project for Lucas, one that he had originally conceived in 1988.
• It is the first Lucasfilm production since the 1994 film Radioland Murders that is not associated with the Indiana Jones or Star Wars franchises.
• Terrence Howard had previously portrayed a Tuskegee pilot in Hart’s War (2002), and Cuba Gooding Jr. had previously starred in The Tuskegee Airmen (1995), an HBO made-for-television film about the same group of pilots.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): Anthony Hemingway.
• Producer(s): Rick McCallum and Chas. Floyd Johnson.
• Writer(s): John Ridley and Aaron McGruder.
• Music: Terence Blanchard.
• Cinematography: John Aronson.
• Editor(s): Michael O’Halloran and Ben Burtt.
• Production: Lucasfilm Ltd.
• Distributor(s): 20th Century Fox.
• Release Date: 11 January 2012.
• Running Time: 121 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAwAwT-7v0A