Red Tails - Movie Review Example

“Red Tails” Movie Review The idea of staging a film about African-American pilots came to George Lucas in 1988 but at that time he could not find any film companies that would agree to make this movie. Therefore it was released almost 25 years later, in 2012. The plot of the movie “Red Tails” takes place during World War II, the idea of The movie is the story of Afro-American pilots known under the name of Tuskegee Airmen, after the name of their dislocation at the first war base in Alabama.

The pilots colored the tails of their airplanes red, and this was the characteristic sign of this battalion. This is the story of a young black pilot who overcame racism and hatred, managed to unite his brothers in blood, and created the first-ever air battalion composed entirely of African Americans. The directors of the movie did not dwell a lot, or put a stress on racial discrimination of those times. People know that it was there, but the spotlight is not put on these problems, the viewer just sees the life of ordinary people, their struggles, their fights.

And exactly this makes this movie very remarkable and helps the viewer see the problem deeper and live through it, in a way. The genre of the movie is action, but this is not just that. This is the story of friendship, self-sacrifice, and honor, as well as the ups and downs that the heroes of the movie are going through when they do not feel like heroes at all. The pilots were not there for glory or fame, they had a job to do, and they had to obey orders, and they did it. They fought for their countrymen and for their fellows.

This is not the story of World War II or the glory of America, this is a story of people, and this makes it closer and more understandable to each one in the audience. These pilots put up their lives for the country that considered them second-class citizens, and this is remarkable. The cast of the movie is outstanding. The spotlight is put on several major characters performed by Terrence Howard (as Colonel Bullard), Nate Parker (as Mary “Easy” Julian), Tristan Wilds (as Ray Junior Gannon), and some others.

The actors managed to reflect the characters they were playing naturally and accurately. The big plus of the movie is that the cast and the director of the movie have worked closely with the original airmen, so they know the story firsthand. The characters of the movie have their share of differences, since they are all just humans, at the same time the viewer can feel the real spirit of brotherhood and camaraderie between the characters. There are friendship and romance lines in the movie, which makes the heroes all the closer to reality – they are not just fighters, they are people and everything human is inherent to them.

The story portrayed is very realistic and should be viewed from the perspective of that time, not through the lens of the post-World War II situation, the fight for civil rights, etc. This is a historical movie, and through watching it the viewer can plunge into the atmosphere of that time. This is part of World War II that was never really portrayed in the movies, which makes it even more interesting. The action scenes are excellent and are done in the best traditions of action movies of the 21st century – with good quality and high realism.

Most of the action scenes are made based on different documented combats. The action is quite intense and does not make the viewer feel bored. The special effects add to the movie and do not take out of it. The action and the storyline are harmoniously combined. This is the movie worth watching for those who are interested in history and love good action combined with an interesting plot.