This is such a “he said, he said” story. Eastwood defended himself against what Spike Lee said at the Cannes film fest by saying Lee should “shut his face.” Lee and Eastwood currently represent absolute opposites in terms of industry acceptance. Lee is way on the outside, Eastwood way on the inside. Is it any wonder they would clash? The rest from the BBC:
“The story is Flags of Our Fathers, the famous flag-raising picture, and they didn’t do that,” he told the Guardian. “It’s not accurate.”
Eastwood added that he would not compromise the facts with future projects.
Spike Lee’s latest film follows black soldiers in World War II“I’m not in that game. I’m playing it the way I read it historically, and that’s the way it is,” he said.
“When I do a picture and it’s 90% black, like Bird, I use 90% black people,” said Eastwood, referring to his 1998 film about jazz musician Charlie “Bird” Parker.
His next project, The Human Factor, will look at post-apartheid South Africa: “I’m not going to make Nelson Mandela a white guy,” he joked.
Lee’s forthcoming film, The Miracle at St Anna, shows the contribution made by African-American troops in Italy during World War II.
Accent Watch: Eastwood is also making The Human Factor, btw, will feature Matt Damon doing a South African accent (thanks S.T.!)