Why can't they have a real Asian actor instead of Mr. Silva?
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llanwydd — 10 years ago(June 09, 2015 03:46 PM)
Good point about Lansbury and Harvey. I think Frankenheimer was counting on the audience's "suspension of disbelief" as they call it. There was little age difference between them but they managed to be very convincing. It never even occurred to me that they were nearly the same age until I heard it in the director's own words after I had been watching the film for years.
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SirWizard — 10 years ago(August 31, 2015 11:00 AM)
There are numerous instances of physically mismatched casting.
Ethnicity: Marlon Brando as Sakini in The Teahouse of the August Moon (American Caucasian as Japanese Asian), or Boris Karloff as Wu Yen Fang in West of Shanghai (British Caucasian as Chinese Asian).
Age: Jessie Royce Landis as Cary Grant's mother in North by Northwest (8 years age difference), Anne Bancroft as middle-aged cougar to Dustin Hoffman's college youth in The Graduate (6 years age difference).
Gender: Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan in The Year of Living Dangerously (female as male).
Still, it is the effectiveness of the portrayal that is crucial, as in my examples above. Unfortunately, I found Mr. Silva's portrayal of a Korean to be absurd and ineffective. -
launlori — 10 years ago(June 20, 2015 05:30 PM)
At that time in film they would often use white actors to play , Asian, Indian, etc. I find it horrifying myself but I have to remind myself that was common then.
One that stands out is Mickey Rooney playing the Japanese photographer in Breakfast at Tiffany.
I always notice this in older films . It was a bad practice and I'm glad they don't cast like that anymore. -
cowgoesmoo — 10 years ago(July 31, 2015 11:41 AM)
or Katharine Hepburn playing a Chinese woman in "Dragon Seed"
There were two documentaries on Netflix, one on Asian actors and the other on American Indian actors, and how they were portrayed in the past and how they shaped stereotypes even today. The one on Indians was called "Reel Injun" but the name of the one on Asian actors escapes me For example, in those old Westerns, you always see Indian braves with headbands. That's because they were portrayed by white actors wearing wigs - the headbands were necessary to keep the wigs in place when the actors were on horseback. They were interviewing some elderly Asian actors who got bit parts back in the 30s through 50s playing houseboys, gardeners, Japanese soldiers, whatever, but never a leading role.
I know this doesn't excuse it, but Hollywood then and now is about money. People back then would probably flock to see Warner Oland in a Charlie Chan movie. Would the box office sales have been as large with an actual Chinese actor? Maybe, maybe not But I don't think the studios back then would have taken the chance. Even this year, there was a movie (it was so bad, I've forgotten the name) with Emma Stone playing a character who also had Vietnamese ancestry. Emma Stone is bankable in a starring role in a way that dozens of actresses of Vietnamese descent probably are not. I'm sure it will change someday just very slowly. -
hodie1 — 10 years ago(October 25, 2015 06:01 PM)
Why was it a bad practice? It's ACTING. Jonathan Pryce was wonderful in Miss Saigon. And honestly, I feel lucky to have seen him in the production.
You do know that the female roles in Shakespeare's plays were played by men, right? -
CarFish-jcbnyc — 9 years ago(April 04, 2016 10:37 AM)
That's right. And look at all the straight characters who were played by actors that weren't.
Some people love being offended and "horrified". It makes them feel all saintly and holy.
"Facts are stubborn things"- Ronald Reagan
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Robbmonster — 10 years ago(March 03, 2016 07:22 AM)
I know what you mean. Each time I see and English actor playing an American I am just soooo offended.
Never defend crap with 'It's just a movie'
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