I’ve been idly following news of the movie adaptation of the Marvel comic Thor for the past year or so. Honestly, very little about this movie interests me except for the fact that Kenneth Branagh is sitting in the director’s chair. I’d be more interested in seeing a truer adaptation of the Scandinavian mythology, but c’est la vie. Hopefully Branagh will bring a more Shakespearean, theatrical sensibility to this rather than a smash-‘em-up, Michael Bay interpretation.
The Controversy
One of the more interesting bits of news about this production to come out in the last few weeks concerns the filmmakers’ decision to cast English actor Idris Elba (The Wire, The Office, and Legacy) in the role of the Norse God Heimdall. The casting decision was met with protests by the Council of Conservative Citizens, and ultimately resulted in a boycott by the group.
Why are they so upset?
Well, as it turns out, Elba is black. I know! Who’d a thunk it? The CCC is calling the move to cast a black actor in the role of the mythological Norse God a revisionist attempt by Marvel to make the story more multi-cultural, and thereby more appealing, to a broader audience. They are suggesting it’s reverse racism (recall the controversy that blew up around The Hobbit a few months back), and an indication of the larger problem that white people are no longer entitled to anything that appeals specifically to them.
So what have we got here, folks? Reverse racism by Hollywood and the comic industry? Greed? Or just a really cool bit of casting of an awesome actor, who just happens to have a really intimidating, captivating stage presence? Is the Council of Concerned Citizens pushing a racist agenda, or is it trying to preserve cultural heritage?
My Take
Look, I’m all for fairness when it comes to celebrating one’s cultural inheritance. Sometimes it seems like the see-saw of political correctness has swung a bit too far in the direction of extremity. Nowadays pride in one’s cultural identity can sometimes be mistaken for racism. And that’s sad. But in this case I don’t feel sorry for the CCC. I’m just not buying it.
Idris Elba is a solid actor whose presence commands attention. When I saw the trailer it never occurred to me to be upset at the fact that the role of “the White God”, Heimdall, had been filled by a black man. I was too busy thinking that he looked freaking awesome for any such notion to worm its way into my brain.
Besides, Thor (the comic) is not an exact account of the Scandinavian mythologies. It’s a comic. Furthermore, the Thor in question is even further removed from the original as it is a movie based on a comic book based on a mythology. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? The point is it doesn’t have to be 100% true and faithful to the mythology it’s based on because it is only based on it. It’s a fantastical, vague adoption of the myths and some of their related characters, and it’s okay if they look differently than they’re pictured in your Nerd’s Guide to Norse Gods and Mythology.
Now, this Council of Concerned Citizens is being described as a white supremacist group. I haven’t looked at their website or read their mission statement to make up my own mind (I know, I know--lazy journalism), but feel free to do that if you want. They have the choice to boycott the film, if they want. We all have the right to exercise that power when we disagree with a film’s premise, politics, or message. But I also defend the filmmakers’ right to interpret the source material however they see fit, and I’m genuinely okay with it. Similarly, I would be okay if all of the Aesir Gods in Branagh’s adaptation were white. I don’t think it’s a racist move in either case.
By the same token I am not offended that the producers of The Hobbit only sought to cast “light–skinned” people to fill the roles of Hobbits. Again, it’s the filmmakers’ choice how they decide to interpret the source material. Now, I’m not sure how much care went into the casting call for Hobbits, and I think it was incredibly stupid of the casting director (who was subsequently sacked) to tell one Pakistani woman that she was too dark to be considered. Nevertheless, it begs the question of what is appropriate in a casting call and what is not. I’m not sure how this works in Hollywood, let alone in New Zealand, but perhaps someone can fill me in on how this is handled when specific races/cultures are required.
Conclusion
Does any of this amount to racism on the part of these two film’s producers/directors?
I don’t think it does. I am inclined to think that a really good film trumps skin color. In some cases its relevant, but mostly it’s not. Draw interesting characters and pair them with an exciting, compelling plot, and I’ll probably enjoy your film regardless of what the actors look like. Besides, Idris Elba is just bad ass!
Marvel ambitiously plans to tie Thor into the wider story arc of The Avengers, which would crossover characters from Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger, all of which hold the promise of big box office returns. I’m pretty sure that the CCC’s petty complaints are falling on deaf ears over at Marvel.
Check out the trailer for Thor below and then share your thoughts in the comments section.
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, Thor, which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It's while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
What do you think? Do you support a multi-cultural film adaptation of a comic book that is based on the characters and events rooted in traditional mythology? Concerning Hobbits (see what I did there?): would it upset you if the role of Bilbo Baggins had been filled by someone of color, or (gasp) a woman? I’d like to hear your opinion, and you can share it below in the comments section.
Be forewarned: keep it respectful. I’ll delete racial epithets quicker than you can say cracker!
Thor is slated for a May 6th, 2011 US release date.
Kirk out.
Wow. I'm amazed. (Well, not really, but, for lack of a better word.) The whole idea of the CCC seems odd to me, and it seems to promote racism as opposed to preventing it.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the answer depends upon the material. If you're sticking to source material, then the casting choices should reflect the original characters. If, however, you're offering a "re-visioning," then by all means, do whatever you will. As for Thor, the movie will probably be very loosely based on the mythology of the Norse cultures, and likely loosely based on the comics, too. Going off that route, I could care less who they cast.
Now, if Bilbo was cast as a dark-skinned woman, I might throw up my hands and just quit. It's nothing like the Bilbo represented in the books, and any serious movie-maker would be a fool to try and get away with something else.
Likewise, it's like our society picturing Jesus (or Santa Claus) as a white, angelic man. Color me brown (see what I did there? :), but I think our racist, "traditional" folks of America would have a heart attack and riot.
Concerning hobbits was nice, by the way. I liked it...
Kris,
ReplyDeleteYour words are well written, and I'll address those in a moment...
For the trailer, I'm literally giddy with anticipation about Thor. I don't see this being a techy action thriller that Iron Man or Batman are, but a chance for some really good character development (think Batman Begins perhaps?). Simply put, oh my.
In regards to the CCC, I would say check this link: http://cofcc.org/introduction/statement-of-principles/
Why? It specifically dictates that the CCC principals include believing "...oppos[ing] the massive immigration of non-European and non-Western peoples into the United States that threatens to transform our nation into a non-European majority in our lifetime...oppos[ing] all efforts by the state and other powers to weaken the structure of the American family through toleration of sexual licentiousness, homosexuality and other perversions, mixture of the races, pornography in all forms, and subversion of the authority of parents...oppos[ing] all “sex education” as well as so-called “multiculturalist” and “Afrocentric” curricula, “Outcome-Based Education,” and similar radical indoctrination in the schools..."
These are obvious choice quotes, but you can decide for yourself. CCC values seem to be narrow in their scope and are Euro-centric in views. For half-Asian boy like me, the CCC would not seemingly tolerate me or the fact that I hold the positions I do within society.
Cast a black guy? For for it. No one gave a crap with Nick Fury being black in the movies (and subsequent comics), but the original was a white guy. Did it matter? No, because Sam Jackson kicks ass, period. But again, what do I do? I'm simply a mixed breed not native to America nor from Europe.
Again, nice write up Kris!
This is The USA.And it's a damn comic book, it's not a history lesson.We need to send the fanatics back to their own planet.C
ReplyDeleteYour reaction is similar to every one i've seen by writers, "elba was casted because he's an amazing actor", but it's not just that, in other movies hollywood has casted non-white actors for roles which were supposed to be white, for example, the satyr grover in Percy jackson and the lightning thief, was supposed to be a redhead. also, it's not just heimdall, in the movie there's other black folks in asgard, and one god is asian, it's a noble intention of the producers to make racial integration with this movie, but it is offensive, this is a religion and must be respected, and the gods are taken as ancestors by the asatru and germanic pagans in general, Heimdall is said to be the whiter of the gods, with his extreme pale skin, white hair, bright golden teeth and such, even in the comics the character is white not black (as is nick fury who was also played by a black actor), this is cultural heritage of whites, it was taken as an insult and i can't blame them, if they wanted to promote multiculturalism they should have choose another subject, i bet they wouldn't like if someone casted a white guy to play martin luther king in a movie
ReplyDeleteRiemmelth,
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King was a real, historical figure who lived and worked in a past that still is not so distant from our present. Your analogy doesn't hold any water.
In any case, Thor (the movie) is a comic book movie. It's not about the ancient Norse religion. For a more apt comparison, I refer you to Beowulf and Grendel or the CGI film directed by Robert Zemeckis, Beowulf, in which all of the characters are white. These films are based on real historical texts, and were (in so much as the casting of ethnic groups for the roles) true to the texts. Thor does not compare because it is based on the comic book character. Were you upset that Morgan Freeman had a role in the 1991 film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, because there were no black folks in traditional Robin Hood tales?
Maybe you shouldn't take your comic book films so seriously.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.