Lions for Lambs is a political drama about the ways war and politics affect individual lives and society as a whole.  We spoke with Derek Luke who plays Arian Finch, a promising student and young soldier who becomes trapped on a snowy mountaintop in Afghanistan during a new anti-terrorism campaign.  Luke also talks about his upcoming films Definitely, Maybe and Miracle at St. Anna, directed by Spike Lee, about Black soldiers fighting in Italy during World War II.

Are you working on a project with Spike Lee?

Derek Luke: I'm working on a movie called Miracle at St. Anna with Spike Lee.  He was the first filmmaker to have an impression on me. The first of his films I saw was Malcolm X and Mo’ Better Blues. They really stimulated my imagination. This film takes place during WWII and talks about the men and women fighting for this country. They were definitely important to many generations. That's all I can say about it right now. It’s the Buffalo Soldiers.

How did you approach your character?

DL: Many times you don’t get involved except with identity.  When I grew up I didn't know the history of my father and grandfather being in the war. In my family we talked about music, but not politics. This film kind of visits the roots of African Americans in the war... I just didn't know how much. Being here in Italy, seeing places where they fought, it’s just amazing.

What are the differences between these two wars?

DL: There isn’t much difference between these wars.  In WWII, you would ask yourself why would African American people fight?  In Lions for Lambs, you wouldn’t expect a character like Arian to fight.  You get a job, the first thing you do is buy a house and move out the hood. This guy was unique because he kept going. He met this man, his mentor that made him think a little bit deeper than himself. There’s more to it than just a job. You have to participate in life. Those are some similarities but there isn’t much difference between this war and that war. That’s what I see that sticks out for me.

Robert Redford mentioned you really got into the soul of the character.

DL: I just like finding the spirit of the character, more than what he says and how he thinks. Heart is what you develop over time and with research. And many times my conflict was how could Arian, a guy who comes from Compton, gets to this school which is a heck of an achievement, go to the war? In the middle of the film I was able to discuss the soul of the character without looking at the script.  It takes a great amount of discipline to want to go and fight in your home town…especially when your country hasn't paid you anything. And you go and participate despite racism. Some of the most dominant statistics of the people listed in the army now and in WWII were Black and Latino.  That was impressive because you normally only hear about gangs. There are so many women and men giving their lives to a country, and we would say, “why would you do that?”  That was what the speech in the movie, to the students, was about. To me Arian represented the great majority that had not been talked about in that light.  

Has doing this film changed your views on the Iraq war at all?

DL: It changes my involvement when having a political conversation.  I defined being political as whatever is on your heart and how you see the world. It seems to me that a lot of wars and policies were opinionated.

Is it your choice to make such serious films?

DL: I really believe that you don't choose films, they choose you by way of the need and by way of the purpose. An artist is no good to his generation if he doesn't speak to them on a conscious level.  That’s the great thing about this film...it asks “what do you stand for?”

You have an uncanny instinct for getting characters with a transition in their life

DL: Everybody has a purpose in life. One of the great things about acting in this generation is that you get a chance to see what you don't get to see on TV.  My generation is crying out for transition.  I see it from the conversations that I have on the street in public places, the rebellious generation or x generation.  I think a lot of young people are going through a transition.  For me it happened through media, just by dreaming and imagining.

Tell us about Definitely, Maybe.

DL: It's a romantic comedy. It opens Valentine’s Day. A father reminisces based on the question posed by his daughter.   He and I were sharing the same dream and going after the same thing.  It's lighter.