Nobody can beat Spike!!!!

Sent by Kimberly Coleman | 1:28 PM ET | 06-10-2008

Spike Lee is clearly promoting his own war film by drumming up an old argument and playing his favorite card. I mean, come on... he basically called Eastwood a "plantation owner".

Clint Eastwood overreacted. "Shut your face" is not the kind of cantankerous rhetoric anyone was expecting from him. And this story probably would have gone away if he didn't react the way he did.

By now, both are probably guilty of drumming up publicity by extending this argument.

Sent by Ben Worcester | 2:37 PM ET | 06-10-2008

both are wrong. however spike started off right by simply stating a huge error in the fact the two films did not have any black soldiers. in all wars america has been in, all races have played importent roles.

Sent by michael | 7:20 PM ET | 06-10-2008

Does anyone really care???

Sent by Kwende I Madu | 7:21 PM ET | 06-10-2008

Were there really no black soldiers on Iwo Jima? If that's true, and it could be (the army was segregated then), then Eastwood got it right. If there were, then Spike got it right. I like them both. And they both can be opinionated.

Sent by Don Johnson | 7:26 PM ET | 06-10-2008

I never really questioned it really, but here is a link

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/oct/20/usa.film

and an author that wrote about it ...

Dan Glaister

I think Spike has a valid point (and trying to hype up his film) and Clint should do better research.

Both of them may be doing this on purpose, nonetheless, blacks were involved in the war.

(Say Mr. Eastwood, it took me ten minutes of research to find the answer to the question...ten minutes...Did you even check?)

Sent by Marcus Ginns | 5:46 AM ET | 06-11-2008

They're acting like kids.

Sent by Bill M | 8:57 AM ET | 06-11-2008

I'm not sure, but I don't think the Imperial Japanese Army had that many black people enlisted

Sent by mike | 4:40 PM ET | 06-11-2008

Two rich people fighting with each other. Just what the rest of us just LOVE to hear more about :-$.

Sent by Matthew Scallon | 5:48 PM ET | 06-11-2008

Let Spike 'Race Card' Lee make his own Iwo Jima with an all-black cast.

Sent by Frank Nelson | 8:11 PM ET | 06-11-2008

The last comment highlights a suttle (or no so suttle, it depends on your point of view) fact that those in the majority culture do not have to think about race in the same way or as omnipresent as those in the minority culture have to. Mr. Eastwood made some very good films but like many historical films, it may not be completely accurate to some events and people that were involved. Does that make it any less compelling? Not neccesarily so. It just makes it inaccurate.

Sent by Nicholas Young | 1:02 PM ET | 06-13-2008

Yes there was blacks on those shore..Dam, clint do your homework next time..

Sent by lee | 12:39 PM ET | 06-15-2008

Previous commenters are right in that Spike got it right, though he could have addressed his differences in a less abrasive tone, I kinda like the way he told Clint off. Now as far as me seeing those movies...that's another conversation

Sent by OD | 3:58 PM ET | 06-26-2008

Clint needs to do his home work, African American Marines saw action in segregrated ammunition and depot companies at Iwo Jima. Given the nature of the battle and terrain these men fought, bled and died the same way their white counterparts did.

This is a common occurrence in American historical movies, especially war movies that focus on attributes such as courage, valor, integrity, ect...

The same charge was correctly leveled at Tom Hanks for his Band of Brothers series. He neglected the roll of African American troops during the Ardennes campaign (Battle of the Bulge).

I believe both Clint and Tom would argue that the subjects of their movies did cover African Americans in either theatres, which I can understand.

The problem however, is that they could have recognized the contributions of African Americans indirectly by including a few black extras in the background. This could have been easily done without detracting from their core story lines.

However, like most whites, I think they just dont have any sensitivity to these types of issues. The history they learned as children did not include black faces at Iwo Jima or the Battle of the Bulge.

Heck, I'm African American and came to this history later in life myself.

This is not to excuse them but to say I understand. However, there is enough information available today for film makers to make films that are more historicaly accurate.

Sent by Kent | 6:44 PM ET | 09-15-2008

St. Anna is a must see, it is one of Lee's most compelling films to date- as much as I hate to see films about contemporary wars; this went far and beyond the error's of killing. Of course like always he deals with the complexities of race and our history but this was about deep and abiding hope and miracles. It was beautiful to look at even through tears.

I am sorry that Eastwood took umbridge with Lee's statement; but if it is an historical fact that there were between 700 to almost 1000 African American soldiers at this battle then they should have been recognized.

Eastwood is one of the few Hollywood directors who uses black actors in his films, I wish he had done it in these films.

I think that his retort was reactionary. I wish Lee luck as there are very few African American directors that are able to flex his artistic muscle.

Sent by Rhonda Jewel Brie' Celester | 12:04 PM ET | 09-26-2008

Spike should have known that there were no AA at Iwo Jima. Is Clint trying to act like Dirty Harry by saying, "Shut yer face!" Can't the boyz get alog?

Sent by abe alarcon | 11:27 PM ET | 09-26-2008

Hollywood has always been the problem, writing African Americans out of history, I discovered over the past years that I had a cousin that was a Tuskegee Airman. Never in my educational learning has there been any mention of African American Pilots during the 2nd World War. PS .. I enjoy Clint and Spike Lees movies. Clint is older than Spike Lee and responded as being somewhat immature.

Sent by R.Newsome Sr. | 3:18 PM ET | 09-27-2008