What’s with all the auteur beef these days? First it’s Werner Herzog vs. Abel Ferrara in the indie-circuit and now of course it’s Clint Eastwood vs. Spike Lee in the more mainstream Cannes-inspired drama.
Lee, promoting his new African-American soldiers experience WWII movie “Miracle At St. Anna,” at Cannes 2008, called out Eastwood at Cannes because of the lack of black representation in the ‘Iwo Jima’ films he made in 2006 (FYI, ‘Miracle’ didn’t screen, but an eight-minute trailer was played).
MTV dialed up Lee to get a response, but the “Do The Right Thing,” director tried to do just that and wouldn’t take the bait. I’m going to take the Obama high road,” the filmmaker said, refusing to fuel the beef. “It’s not a feud.”
There were many African-Americans who survived that war and who were upset at Clint for not having one [in the films]. That was his version: The negro soldier did not exist. I have a different version.”
Proded one more time, Lee just brushed the dirt off his shoulders Obama style. “I’ve said my statement. I have no ill will towards Mr. Eastwood. What I said to him was not a personal attack, it was an observation. So that’s really the end of it.”
Well, that’s mature, clear-headed and all and we love it, but not so great for auteur beef watch, huh? Well, at least we’ll always have crazies like Ferrara and Herzog to amuse us. Update: Cinematical has the new poster to “Miracle At St. Anna.”