The results are in. After weeks of hype and hyperbole, executive producer
George Lucas's World War II action film "
Red Tails" has finally had its moment in the spotlight, and now we have a chance to examine what the box office totals say about race and racism in both Hollywood and America. But first, let's have a quick recap for those who haven't been following the story from the beginning.
For decades, Lucas -- the man who brought us "
Star Wars" and all that comes with it -- wanted to make a film about the Tuskegee Airmen. An all-black division of pilots during World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen fought for respect and the opportunity to prove themselves in combat, neither of which came easy. Despite the desire of Lucas to make this film -- which to a certain extent was made by HBO a few years ago -- no one in Hollywood would finance it. The prevailing logic being that most Americans don't want to see a movie with a predominantly black cast, at least not one that would cost what Lucas's film would cost to make. Undeterred, Lucas decided to finance the film himself, and when no one wanted to release it, the wizened Jedi master decided to release it himself, but not before going on a publicity campaign that recounted this whole story, and accused Hollywood of being racist.
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