Paragon’s Mike Whalen with Lt. Commander Leo Gray and Mayor Peggy Noland.
By Dave Montalbano
AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com
The Paragon Theater in Deerfield Beach deserves honors for screening Red Tails last Friday evening with a featured appearance by Tuskegee Air Core pilot, Lt. Commander Leo Gray, (ret.) USAF.
More than 14 World War II veterans were acknowledged with prolonged applause in the sold-out auditorium.
In the past, I have written how certain movies from my childhood provided inspiration. These older films contain outdated production values today, yet a film like The Alamo still influences my life. I wonder how young people will respond to a movie like Red Tails (Many were in attendance, wearing cadet uniforms).
Red Tails tells a traditional story with a clear beginning, middle and end. With the backdrop of the World War II European campaign, Red Tails celebrates the Negro pilots from the Tuskegee Air Core training program.
The characters are archetypes. The flight commander secretly drinks alcohol to cope with the stress of command and the second-in-command has a rebellious streak because he is an excellent daredevil pilot. Then, there is “the innocent,” a young pilot who is yet to be tested in battle. Each character fulfills his character arc with little emotional connection with the audience.
Fifty-two years after release, The Alamo retains classic status due to the well-directed action sequences. The same can be said of Red Tails, which features five aeronautical action sequences that even impressed Lt. Commander Gray.
Avoiding attention deficit disorder editing techniques, Director Anthony Heming-way provides clear and concise attention to detail without sacrificing human empathy.
Red Tails has not been a critical darling of the elitist critics circle, yet the sold-out audience at Paragon applauded the film at its conclusion. This crowd behavior is a harbinger for Red Tails durability for the next five decades.
Lt. Commander Gray best sums up my feelings of Red Tails with this quote: “This is a Hollywood version and enjoy it as such. Don’t let it bother you that a little bit of history was overlooked. It is still a good movie and the aeronautical sequences are going to blow your mind.”
