Spike Lee Takes Another Stab at World War II

Spike Lee has a pretty good cinematic track record. He makes, we watch, he usually conquers. But then he decided to shine a light on the African American contributions to World War II with Miracle at St. Anna. Gone was the box office he gained from Inside Man, and the critical acclaim he earned with both that film and When the Levees Broke. However, while his first try sits at a paltry 32% on Rotten Tomatoes, not even reaching $8 mil at the box office, Lee is ready for more.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, he's getting ready to raise some more hell by grabbing the rights to Brendan Koerner's Now the Hell Will Start. This book takes the trials and tribulations of black soldiers in WWII a step further, entrenched in the social commentary and injustice that Lee's career is based on. Hell tells the true story of a soldier sent off to do backbreaking work in India, where conditions were terrible and treatment of the troops was well under par. The man struggled in this life, and ended up shooting a white officer and fleeing to the jungle where he joined a tribe. From there, well, it wasn't roses, and not a happy ending.

The theme is definitely on-target, but can Lee gain more ground with this war story and handle filmmaking in the Indo-Burmese jungle?