Post by sgev1977 on Mar 2, 2018 14:10:37 GMT
Stefani Robinson had wandered over to listen in. She brought up “Twelve Years a Slave,” the 2013 film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. “It’s all about Benedict Cumberbatch, but white people don’t see that,” she said.
Glover nodded. “If black people had made that movie,” he said, “they wouldn’t focus on the evil white dude, Michael Fassbender, but on Cumberbatch, who knows slavery is wrong, but who still takes advantage of it—which makes him the more painful, horrible monster. On our show, we sometimes have a problem with white actors playing what they think we want them to be: the villain. But it’s more painful if you think you’re not the villain.” Returning to the film, he said, “And there definitely wouldn’t be a Brad Pitt character who comes in and saves the black guy and makes white people feel good about themselves.” A low murmur came from the den.
Didn’t black people actually make “Twelve Years a Slave”? “Yeah,” Glover said. “But in the white system.”
Glover nodded. “If black people had made that movie,” he said, “they wouldn’t focus on the evil white dude, Michael Fassbender, but on Cumberbatch, who knows slavery is wrong, but who still takes advantage of it—which makes him the more painful, horrible monster. On our show, we sometimes have a problem with white actors playing what they think we want them to be: the villain. But it’s more painful if you think you’re not the villain.” Returning to the film, he said, “And there definitely wouldn’t be a Brad Pitt character who comes in and saves the black guy and makes white people feel good about themselves.” A low murmur came from the den.
Didn’t black people actually make “Twelve Years a Slave”? “Yeah,” Glover said. “But in the white system.”
www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/05/donald-glover-cant-save-you
Interesting! But beyond the tribalism, I think BC and company were conscious of it:
youtu.be/Orvte4N7Y-g
The Daily Mail actually attack them for this particular character:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2545950/Hollywood-villian-No-slave-owner-great-grandfather-model-morality-Astonishing-claim-family-outraged-Benedict-Cumberbatch-portrayal-hit-film-12-Years-A-Slave.html
Also I can't see a force of nature like Steve McQueen being controlled by "the white system". Agreed that Brad Pitt's character could be seen as a concession to the producer and that Fassbender's was almost cartoonish evil (even when they both came from the book). His wife was also completely evil but I was actually much more scared of her! Sarah Paulson is great!
