Straight up racist.
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paulg-67221 — 9 years ago(January 26, 2017 03:39 PM)
Night of the Living Dead was not intended to address racism in America. George A. Romero stated that the actor was cast because he was the best for the role and it was not specifically written for a black actor. It became a statement about racism due to the timing of it's release. He even said when he finished the film and was driving to find a cinema to show it, he found out that Martin Luther King was assassinated over the radio.
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libra113 — 9 years ago(February 01, 2017 11:36 AM)
Yes, paulg-67221, when the script was written the character wasn't intended or written to be anything.
He was picked because he was the only professional actor in the cast and the part was so central to the story that Romero thought it wise to cast the only professional actor.
Also, the only reason Ben was such a central character was because Russo forced Romero to hire Judith O'Dea as Barbara (who was originally going to be the lead) and Romero didn't feel as if she was a strong enough actress so he hastily re-wrote her part where she spends the bulk of the movie a basket case.
That is also why, in the 1990 remake (done by Savini and blessed and involving Romero) they made her the hero again.
It's funny how people read way more into it than Romero intended. I recall him even saying that if he had planned for Ben to black he would've written him differently. -
paulg-67221 — 9 years ago(February 02, 2017 01:49 PM)
I didn't realise he wasn't supposed to be the main character, you learn something new everyday.
I haven't seen the remake so I didn't know she was the hero in that but then again it makes sense she was supposed to be the main character in the original because she is one of the first characters to be introduced. -
libra113 — 9 years ago(February 02, 2017 04:09 PM)
That's the way I heard it (I think it was a special feature with the movie or maybe commentary). Of course there are lots of stories about the movie floating around and they don't all agree with each other.
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chainsawaccident — 9 years ago(January 10, 2017 03:52 PM)
Actually, it looks like another "ignorant white southern people" black delusion than anything. Sure Peele will fall back on the "it's just satire" beep excuse like the Daily Show does, but in reality many black people I talk to in California actually think beep like this regularly goes on in rural white areas. Whether intended or not, it perpetuates the white-illuminati delusion that white people collectively get together and try to find new and exciting ways to oppress black people (and yes, people actually believe this). On the other hand, the film could end up having some twist at the end where the white parents turn out not to be the villains. I will say the trailer looks trippy and intenseand as we saw with Ghostbusters and Trumpthe more controversy something can generate, the more likely it will receive favoritism regardless of its merit.
you're not important,
being unique is a concept -
Mossap — 9 years ago(January 31, 2017 05:00 AM)
I don't see what's racist about it can you explain? The only thing in the trailer than could possibly be described as racist was when the guy says he gets uncomfortable when too many white people are around, which is nothing to freak out about.
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Sean_Haze — 9 years ago(February 01, 2017 10:19 AM)
I don't have any particular issue with the movie, as it's a movieand not one that looks particularly interesting to me, honestlyand should be taken as such.
But to say there's nothing in it that could even possibly be considered racist is perhaps a bit myopic.
The premise of the movieas depicted in the trailer at leastis that affluent white people, who seem to have some inherent issue with black people, are doing something awful to them simply because they're black. The trailer is vague, but that base idea is inherently racist in its depictions of the white characters. Given the current societal climate in N. America where this kind of depiction of white people is seen as "accurate", rather than a stereotype, only adds a secondary reason why people may be calling this movie out.
Ask yourself. If someone made a movie with a predominantly black castplayed up as caricatures based on a stereotype of that raceacting as the antagonists behaving maliciously against a white protagonist solely for the reason that they were white. Would you not at all question the depiction of that race? Surely you would at least entertain the thought that it was racist.
I don't believe this movie is racist, as Jordan Peele has never shown any indication that he isn't all too happy to take the piss out of ANY group but to say that the line you mentioned was the only thing that "could POSSIBLY be described as racist" seems a little far fetched when being honest about it. -
Mossap — 9 years ago(February 01, 2017 10:30 AM)
"base idea is inherently racist in its depictions of the white characters"
I think that's too early to tell since you haven't seen the movie yet. Secondly, these are characters in a movie. Just because certain white characters in a movie act a certain way doesn't mean that the writer or director believe that all white people in real life are the same. I take this in the context of a movie, not a statement about how people are in real life based on a few people of a certain race in a movie trailer.
"acting as the antagonists behaving maliciously against a white protagonist solely for the reason that they were white. Would you not at all question the depiction of that race? Surely you would at least entertain the thought that it was racist. "
No because again it's a movie. If I knew the director was a bigot or a racist based on certain things they had said then my opinion might change. -
Sean_Haze — 9 years ago(February 01, 2017 10:45 AM)
You stated that your opinion was based on the trailer.
I showed you just how the trailer's depiction of the movie could be construed as racist. To then tell me "Well you can't judge it by the trailer", is to ignore that you were openly speaking about the trailer.
When the majorityin this case it seems to be all but one of the white charactersact in a certain way, however, it becomes indicative of a movie's handling of that particular race; in this case, that handling seems to be to pander to stereotypes of affluent white people.
That's how this movie is being perceived as racist, which, based on the trailer, is hardly a huge leap. -
Mossap — 9 years ago(February 01, 2017 10:57 AM)
I don't understand why people can't take this in the context of these are characters in a movie. People whine and complain about stupid beep all the time, especially online that doesn't mean they're right.
Anyway I don't have a problem with it, especially knowing the director and that he doesn't seem to be a racist person. So I'm looking forward to seeing it. -
Sean_Haze — 9 years ago(February 01, 2017 03:48 PM)
I clearly stated I didn't have an issue with it because they're characters in a movie.
However, that context doesn't preclude the trailer from making the movie seem racist. You asked for clarification, I provided it, and now you're basically just yelling "NOPE", and acting as though that at all counters any of the points I brought up.
Something being fictional doesn't mean it can't be racist.