Rhiteek Chatterjee
6. Idris Elba – Heimdall (Thor)
The world has evolved over time. Technology represents humanity, famine is being cured, women are conserved as equal, and education has progressed. Can a “black” actor play a “white”? – NO. Another case of skin colour, Idris Elba revived scathing tumult when he was cast as Asgardian sentry Heimdall. People were unhappy with a black actor donning a Nordic god, even boycotting the Council of Conservative Citizens. Despite Idris Elba’s wide array of estimable works, and a perfect portrayal of capturing the grandiloquence; his choice is still a topic of ridiculous debate.
5. Matt Damon – William Garin (The Great Wall )
Creating an unnecessary controversy, many harshly commented upon choice of a white protagonist in an Asian locale. The Communist Party’s ‘People’s Daily’ accused Damon’s for attempting disruption of Chinese culture, and many branded director Zhang Yimou as “guilty” for damaging the culture of China.
However, as Yimou righty said, “Matt Damon was not playing a role that was intended for a Chinese actor”. On the contrary, the film holds the distinction of having “one of the largest Chinese cast”. The film wasn’t the wonder it was intended to be. Nonetheless, it cannot be blamed for “whitewashing characters of Asian descent”.
4. The whole caste (The Last Airbender)
It requires some serious level of artistic clutch to completely ruin every aspect of a film, and ‘The Last Airbender’ (2010) is its archetype.
A classic case of “Racebending”, the decision of casting white actors in the East Asian and Inuit-influenced Avatar universe, and the portrayal of heroes and villains seemed to be backward in racial contexts, the film elicited contemptuous negative reactions from some fans marked by accusations of hurdling racism. While many academicians perceived M. Night Shyamalan’s work as an artistic interpretation and freedom, most disagreed and demolished the film at the box office. The film could certainly redeem itself with the technicalities and art, but failed so miserably that it scrutinized the “racebending” to unsettling levels.
3. Robert Downey Jr. – Kirk Lazarus (Tropic Thunder)
“Blackface” caused a huge uproar in the film industry for the theatrical racism and derogatory characteristics, and was eliminated to an extent in the art form. And what did Downey do? – He moulded his character after “Blackface”.
Created by Israeli-American screenwriter Etan Cohen, Robert Downey Jr.’s Kirk Lazarus was a means to satirize and comment upon the concept of “method acting”. Comically presenting the great lengths actors go to achieve their character goals, this African American character seems perfect for the role. However, with the film’s already controversial depictions of “mental retards”, many objected to Downey’s Lazarus. With character’s African American Vernacular English and “pigmentation alteration” procedure to achieve his method acting ideology. The ironic thing here is that when director Ben Stiller screened the film before the “National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People”, black journalists themselves reacted positively to the character, even going a step further by praising Downey’s adroit grasp of the character.
2. Heath Ledger – Joker (The Dark Knight)
Considered as the greatest villain incarnations of all time, things were not merry at the beginning. When enigmatic director Christopher Nolan announced his team, there was huge uproar against the relatively unknown casting of Heath Ledger as the Joker. Like many other characters on this list, the Joker is an iconic and endeared character which deserves a pertinent actor to don the role. While Jack Nicholson’s choice of essaying the purple suited sadist in ‘Batman’ (1989) was a hit from the start; given his smile, looks and chilling personality, Ledger was seen as the factor which would kill the franchise. Matters went to greater extents, when people started comparing Ledger to the blundering caste of ‘Batman and Robin’
(1997).
However, Heath Ledger blew viewers away. Perfecting every nuance of the Joker, the actor brought out a raw yet stylised mercenary like character. With the laughter, the walk and the talk; he was just too perfect. Ledger isn’t celebrated because he passed away after the movie; he is celebrated because he reinvented the art of filmmaking.
1. The whole cast (The Birth of a Nation)
Considered as one of the greats in the classic era of filmmaking, ‘The Birth of Nation’ is still a subject of major debate for its indulgence in casting white actors as black characters. Another case of “Blackface”, the film portrayed the “blacks” as unintelligent and sexually aggressive men. The film resulted in widespread African-American protests against film, with the NAACP fronting a campaign to ban the film, which was a failure. However, the controversy did no harm, as it went on to become a commercial success.
