Film/TV Mar 5, 2012 at 8:40 am

White American Plays a Black African

Charles Mudede
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Comments

1
Interesting. The movie looks good to me!
SpecialBrew on March 5, 2012 at 8:53 AM Report this
2
Elmina seems like it might bring attention to a subject that most people outside of Africa have no clue about. The history of Chinese investment in Africa is pretty interesting. That seems like an odd casting decision, but there must be a backstory.
biffp on March 5, 2012 at 9:15 AM Report this
3
Reminds me of "The Last King Of Scotland" in which the modern political history of an entire African nation and its leadership are seen from the prospective of whether it will enhance a young white man's career path.
Supreme Ruler Of The Universe on March 5, 2012 at 9:19 AM Report this
4
There is nothing subversive about casting a white man as a black African. It is insulting. Is there really such a lack of roles for white American Jewish males in the American film industry that we need to export our actors to other countries to play roles that should be taken by one of their actors? That trailer is absurd, unintentionally comic and makes a mockery of the very real struggle depicted in the film.
arrant on March 5, 2012 at 9:26 AM Report this
5
Wait a minute. Roger Ebert says this morning that Netflix is dropping all indie films from its catalog and this is the best thing you can find to post about?
Fifty-Two-Eighty on March 5, 2012 at 9:41 AM Report this
6
@4 Because you know better than the Africans who made that movie. Your misplaced political correctness is misplaced.
sirkowski on March 5, 2012 at 9:44 AM Report this
7
The logic of the cash register is always cold.

True, but the best art tends to happen with the logic of the cash register and the logic of the artist agree. Not sure if that's the case here.
seandr on March 5, 2012 at 9:47 AM Report this
9
Yes, there is definitly a reason and backstory here I'm sure.
SpecialBrew on March 5, 2012 at 10:14 AM Report this
10
@6: PC folk like me form the projected audience for this film and it's so ridiculous that I would never watch it. If that's the film makers' intention, then well-played.
arrant on March 5, 2012 at 10:29 AM Report this
11
It's like having a black man playing a Norse god or something...
catsnbanjos on March 5, 2012 at 10:29 AM Report this
12
@8 We all applaud a Jewish male actor finally cracking that glass ceiling and making it into films.
arrant on March 5, 2012 at 10:30 AM Report this
13
@11:
Har har. Good one.
Keekee on March 5, 2012 at 10:46 AM Report this
14
@10 Evidently the filmmakers don't know much about white American PC folks who bitch against imperialism but then impose their American political correctness culture on the rest of the world.
sirkowski on March 5, 2012 at 11:08 AM Report this
15
Some would consider this "stunt casting". Does it work? Maybe. Consider the recent casting of Oklahoma! here in Seattle that caused such a stir about race (I liked the conversation it started).

But also consider Macbeth with Carrie Brownstein in the title role and Fred Armisen as Lady Macbeth - probably not.
Jaymz on March 5, 2012 at 11:10 AM Report this
16
@15: Macbeth with Carrie Brownstein in the title role and Fred Armisen as Lady Macbeth

Please tell me this is a real project. The last production of MacBeth I saw was at the Rebar, produced or directed by Dan Savage, I believe, with cross-gender casting. It was hilarious.

To put a date things, I also remember someone at that performance making a joke about Kurt Cobain, who had just killed himself a couple of days prior. The audience booed and hissed.
seandr on March 5, 2012 at 11:59 AM Report this
17
"Epic indian role by a white man award" goes to Fisher Stevens in short circut.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6TLYwelO…

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001770/

Boom.
the POB on March 5, 2012 at 2:14 PM Report this
18
You see an Indian, but I see a hottie.
Knat on March 5, 2012 at 2:31 PM Report this
19
you know, I always wonder if there's any kind of parallel between this sort of thing and when they cast Anthony Hopkins as Richard Nixon.
LEE. on March 5, 2012 at 7:38 PM Report this
20
Light-skinned Indian folks playing Palestinians is now officially a Thing, I guess. Freida can compare notes with Danny Pudi.
Doctor Memory on March 5, 2012 at 7:50 PM Report this

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