As I have said before on this site, I firmly believe that black directors should not be put “in a box”. That they should be allowed to make whatever films they want to make. If a black director wants to make nothing but films about about black life and culture that’s terrific. More power to them. But if a black director wants take a film about King Louis XVI of France during the French revolution, then that’s great too. More power to them as well.

Which brings us to director Mario Van Peebles and his new film opening on May 30th “USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage”. The independently produced and distributed film tells the true and harrowing story of the the sailors on the Navy ship, returning from the south Pacific after delivering important parts for an atomic bomb during World War II, and was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.

Of the nearly 1200 people on board when it was hit, only 317 survived, almost 300 sank along with the ship, and all the others died from dehydration, exposure, salt water poisoning, or shark attacks. You may recall Robert Shaw playing the character of Quint in Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” telling the story of the ship in a mesmerizing monologue as a survivor, in the film.

Judging from the trailer below, they had limited resources to make the film. It does have a cheesiness about it; and let’t face it, when you have Nicolas Cage, whose A-list actor status was years ago, as your lead actor, then we’re not talking about a big budget studio release. But when was the last time a black director had a chance to direct a film like this?

Still, you can’t blame Van Peebles for not passing up an opportunity like this; and he did the best he could with what he was given. No doubt there are other directors at his level who wish they had the same chance.