Oooof, first Vulture put Spike Lee on the ropes by reminding him that Clint Eastwood actually did have African-Americans in the WWII “Flags Of Our Fathers,” and now a prominent group of Italian Americans – the Italic Institute of America (not a font group) – weighed in and reminded the black filmmaker that his portrayal of Italians throughout most of his career haven’t been exactly favorable.
Lee, who’s making his own WWII epic, “Miracle At St. Anna,” had chastised Eastwood at Cannes for not including blacks in either two of his ‘Iwo Jima’ war films. Eastwood countered by telling Lee he didn’t know from history lessons and should shut his big trap, Lee parried by claiming that actually? He did know history, ‘but you know what? I’m taking the Obama high road.’
About 25 minutes after taking that said “high road,” Lee was back at it telling Eastwood he was a bitter old man and that ‘you not my massuh!,’ and racial plantation barbs and whatnot.
“Spike Lee is very talented, but I sometimes wish he’d practice what he preaches,” Bill Dal Cerro, president of the IIA, said. “His points about African-Americans are well taken, but, ironically, he does the same thing to Italians in his films.”
You’ve seen “Do The Right Thing,” and “Jungle Fever,” we’re sure. Those two films alone are pretty damning good points. Obviously ‘Right Thing’ is an incredibly complex commentary on race, but still. Spike?