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Chinese people & other people of colour: Please boycott "The Great Wall" movie!

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jul/29/the-great-wall-china-film-matt-damon-whitewashed

This is outrageous! The movie is about China 1,000 years ago and Chinese history, and yet instead of a Chinese actor yet again Hollywood has cast a white person in a role that clearly should have been portrayed by someone of relevant ethnicity.

Moreover, as the actress Constance Wu comments in the article above, Hollywood repeatedly perpetuates this myth people of colour would be nothing without the white man to come and save us!

This is just like the time recently when Ohio University decided to run a play on the civil rights movement and they picked a white actor to play Martin Luther King. Are you f*****ng kidding me?

It's disgusting, and I for one am sick and tired of the constant whitewashing that goes on in the media. We need to take a stand and show Hollywood and the media its not ok to write people of colour out of their own history, and the easiest way to do this is to boycott the movie.
(edited 7 years ago)

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Original post by Virgil.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jul/29/the-great-wall-china-film-matt-damon-whitewashed

This is outrageous! The movie is about China 1,000 years ago and Chinese history, and yet instead of a Chinese actor yet again Hollywood has cast a white person in a role that clearly should have been portrayed by someone of relevant ethnicity.

Moreover, as the actress Constance Wu comments in the article above, Hollywood repeatedly perpetuates this myth people of colour would be nothing without the white man to come and save us!

This is just like the time recently when Ohio University decided to run a play on the civil rights movement and they picked a white actor to play Martin Luther King. Are you f*****ng kidding me?

It's disgusting, and I for one am sick and tired of the constant whitewashing that goes on in the media. We need to take a stand and show Hollywood and the media its not ok to write people of colour out of their own history, and the easiest way to do this is to boycott the movie.



This is ridiculous. I firmly believe that actors like Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen should be playing this role, not some white person (no offence, but there were no white leaders 1000 years ago in China)
A poor decision that will undoubtedly get the film shredded by the media and critics. OP, do you feel the same about ethnic minority actors being cast for historically white roles?
What a racist article
Reply 4
Original post by Mathemagicien
The Guardian was praising the use of a black actress to play Hermione; why is it 'wrong' for a white actor to play the role of a coloured person?


I have no idea where to stand on all of this, but Hermione being black is consistent with the period and region she inhabits. Matt Damon in China 1000 years ago, not so much.
I don't buy into any moralistic argument, but I do prefer accuracy in historical affairs where possible and an Asian actor would seem more fitting.
Then again, perhaps we exaggerate the importance of race as a trait. The heroes in Disney films always have American accents no matter where they're from, but we don't hear massive upcries about this even though one's accent is a distinctive characteristic.
(edited 7 years ago)
When white people's history is portrayed inaccurately by non-white actors, no one bats an eye, why the double standard?
Lol have you even seen Asian cinema? There's like two white people playing all the roles of all white people.

Historically, some massive asian films did exactly the same thing.Look at Jackie Chan's Armour of God - it's a Hong Kong Chinese guy playing Indiana Jones. In the opening scene he goes to Africa and fights a bunch of tribesmen (who are idol worshipping savages) and the tribesmen are all wearing crap animal masks.

Why?

Because they're all chinese stuntmen blacked up.

I think I saw a bit of a film that was like a Bollywood version of Speed -and it made out that everyone in Britain was Indian. Like at Scotland Yard, if you weren't an extra with a blonde ponytail, you were a middle aged Indian man. I'm also sure that some of the actors were just light-skinned Indians in blonde wigs.
I don't see a problem with this, it's hailed as progress whenever a POC (hate that term but hey ho OP is using it) actor plays a white character. Now I don't actually ever really have a problem with this, if they're a good enough actor you can and do get immersed enough in the film you are watching that it's not at all an issue (and afterall in many ways why should it be).
Original post by Virgil.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jul/29/the-great-wall-china-film-matt-damon-whitewashed

This is outrageous! The movie is about China 1,000 years ago and Chinese history, and yet instead of a Chinese actor yet again Hollywood has cast a white person in a role that clearly should have been portrayed by someone of relevant ethnicity.

Moreover, as the actress Constance Wu comments in the article above, Hollywood repeatedly perpetuates this myth people of colour would be nothing without the white man to come and save us!

This is just like the time recently when Ohio University decided to run a play on the civil rights movement and they picked a white actor to play Martin Luther King. Are you f*****ng kidding me?

It's disgusting, and I for one am sick and tired of the constant whitewashing that goes on in the media. We need to take a stand and show Hollywood and the media its not ok to write people of colour out of their own history, and the easiest way to do this is to boycott the movie.


Why aren't you asking for EVERYONE to boycott this movie instead of just "Chinese people & other people of colour". I mean if this IS and racist casting choice then surely we should be calling for EVERYONE to boycott it.
Original post by limetang
Why aren't you asking for EVERYONE to boycott this movie instead of just "Chinese people & other people of colour". I mean if this IS and racist casting choice then surely we should be calling for EVERYONE to boycott it.



Oooh, good one. Over to you OP. 😊
Original post by Virgil.

This is just like the time recently when Ohio University decided to run a play on the civil rights movement and they picked a white actor to play Martin Luther King. Are you f*****ng kidding me?


-_-

It's a university play, not a multi million dollar blockbuster movie. Pick the best actor for the job and it shouldn't really matter if they're black or white. Black Hermione is progress, but a white MLK is not?

It's like the female ghostbusters movie... Sure, an all female set of leads is awesome and a step for feminism, but just because you can do something doesn't mean you should... Trailer looked awkward imho.

And on the subject of the Wall movie - do you realise this is a Western movie? Paid for by Hollywood money? Who, on the whole, are not known for their historical documentaries?
If China wanted to do their own movie then they can make it as historically accurate as they fancy.

Reverse racism logic again
Reply 11
Original post by 1010marina
Black Hermione is progress, but a white MLK is not?


Hermione = fictional character with technically unspecified race
MLK = highly renowned and influential real life activist for rights of black people

I mean, I pretty much agree with you, but these facile comparisons don't serve the argument imo.

Incidentally though, I think the point of casting MLK as white was to do with his message that people should be judged "not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character". If I recall correctly, a white actor did it some nights, a black actor other nights. The director wanted to carry MLK's message forward by demonstrating how the skin colour of the man saying the words does not matter; rather the words themselves matter. But obviously MLK's message still falls on deaf ears.
I'd have wanted to cast an Asian actor myself, probably, but it's a directorial choice and we don't know the options that were available etc.

Ultimately it's about making a product that people want to consume, and if Matt Damon helps with that then, unless you're the one funding the film's production, you don't really get to complain. What you do get to do is not watch it, if you object so strongly.
Reply 13
Strange, I don't recall the Guardian being outraged when the BBC cast a black woman to play the very white and blonde haired Margaret of Anjou in, The Hollow Crown. Nor do I remember them telling white people to boycott the drama.
Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
Hermione = fictional character with technically unspecified race
MLK = highly renowned and influential real life activist for rights of black people

I mean, I pretty much agree with you, but these facile comparisons don't serve the argument imo.

Incidentally though, I think the point of casting MLK as white was to do with his message that people should be judged "not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character". If I recall correctly, a white actor did it some nights, a black actor other nights. The director wanted to carry MLK's message forward by demonstrating how the skin colour of the man saying the words does not matter; rather the words themselves matter. But obviously MLK's message still falls on deaf ears.


Sure, point, but I bet most people could tell you more about Hermione than MLK. Which is sad, but... Probably true.

Still a fictional character but let's consider Bond. I LOVE Craig as Bond. And I *really* want Idris to be the next Bond, because i think he's the best actor for the job. I don't care if he's black or white or green, he's got a damn good voice and his demeanour is perfect for the role. I'd prefer Idris to Hiddlestone any day. But, for me, it's not because of the colour of Idris' skin - that's an insult to his acting abilities. He's a fantastic actor and that's why I believe he should have had the role. (I think he's said he's too old for the role now, so the point is a little out of date, but it's the closest to my heart anyway).

In the same way that I'd have voted for Obama, not because he's black, but because he's the best man for the job imho. That's also why I wouldn't want to vote for Hilary - it might make her the first woman president, but if she'd be a terrible president, what does it matter?

And as others have pointed out, the irony burns with this one.
Original post by Virgil.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jul/29/the-great-wall-china-film-matt-damon-whitewashed

This is outrageous! The movie is about China 1,000 years ago and Chinese history, and yet instead of a Chinese actor yet again Hollywood has cast a white person in a role that clearly should have been portrayed by someone of relevant ethnicity.

Moreover, as the actress Constance Wu comments in the article above, Hollywood repeatedly perpetuates this myth people of colour would be nothing without the white man to come and save us!

This is just like the time recently when Ohio University decided to run a play on the civil rights movement and they picked a white actor to play Martin Luther King. Are you f*****ng kidding me?

It's disgusting, and I for one am sick and tired of the constant whitewashing that goes on in the media. We need to take a stand and show Hollywood and the media its not ok to write people of colour out of their own history, and the easiest way to do this is to boycott the movie.


you bloody racist.
Original post by Mathemagicien
Edit: A better example than Hermione would be Thor, or Queen Margaret of Anjou


Thor is fictional, it's as much white as it's black or green or cyan.
historical, factual people are a different story (i have no problems with other ethnicities playing them- as long as their actorship skills are up to the task).
Cant say im bothered. One of the studios is Chinese and they are employing plenty of other Chinese actors. Its their attempt at making an English language movie. Without Mat Damon it would be hard to find a big Chinese name that could give them the box office abroad.

Bit like Keanu in 47 Samurai. Once chinese films and actors get accpeted more then they can increase their importance in international films. the alternative is a chinese version of the film that will not travel well internationally. Still dont know how they are going to explain mat Damon being in the film.
Is he actually playing an Asian character though? The trailer clearly shows this is a fantasy story, the great wall didn't take 1700 years to build as the trailer says and it wasn't built to keep out monsters.

Also one of the studios making it is chinese, given how insular chinese cinema is this may well be an attempt by the chinese film industry to make a film for the rest of the world.
Original post by JohnGreek
The same could be said about getting a black actor to play Thor in a film last year, but I didn't see many complaints from the PC leftists back then.


Oh definitely not, only white people can be racist according to them, soon people are going to rise up against this and then they wish they never have rubbed "white people" the wrong way.

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