Red Tails

A war film set in Italy during the Second World War. There is an American air squadron and all its pilots are Black. Segregation still runs in the army; the unit is trained apart, stationed apart and given no serious duty. Their aircraft are old and their missions unimportant: low passes at ground targets and patrols. An officer in Washington works to change it. Eventually the unit is given the job of escorting bombers. That mission is at the centre. The pilots adopt a rule: they will not leave the bombers they are protecting to chase enemy aircraft. The choice earns them trust. The second line is the tension between two pilots: one disciplined and carrying responsibility, the other bound by no rule and drinking. The air sequences were built with computer effects and are the film's main display. The story of the production is interesting as well: for years the project found no support from the studios and the producer George Lucas largely financed it himself. He gave the reason as the lead cast being entirely Black. David Oyelowo, Nate Parker, Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. are in the cast. Anthony Hemingway directed. A showy choice for anyone who likes war films and aerial combat. For a viewer expecting depth of character, the film leans on patterns and the dialogue stays weak. Who it is for: anyone who likes the register of the classic war film and flying sequences. Who it is not for: anyone expecting the question of segregation to be worked more deeply; the film opens it and does not stay on it.