Lupita Nyong'o is black and plays Helen. The original poster in the meme thinks this would be fixed by casting the above actress who, if you've wver been to Greece, looks way more caucasian/white than your average Greek.
Had to Google her but Helen's main thing is that she is one of the most beautiful women in the world, so once again absolutely defendable casting.
I don't know why I would join in in such stupid non-discussions anyhow, as if any maga idiot would be convinced by rational arguments, or as if I should care as a European.
This is a debate tactic tjat deflects and not an actual argument but I'll play along. Coriolanus 2011 changed the setting and era not the ethnic/cultural identity of the characters. The Romans were still played by people of mostly Roman-European appearance. The adaptation modernized the context while keeping the cultural identity intact. (Did I like it? Not really but even if I was okay with it, it wouldn't really mean anything in this occasion. Personally, I prefer things to stay true to their source.)
Helen of Troy is different because Helen is one of the most culturally specific figures in Greek mythology. She's the daughter of Zeus and Leda, quintessentially Hellenic and her appearance (famously fair) is part of the mythological and literary tradition itself. As for the "historically inaccurate = false premise" part , Homer's Iliad is not a historical document. It's a myth. But myth is culturally owned in a way that history isn't. Greeks have a legitimate relationship to how their mythological figures are represented, that's not the same as claiming historical accuracy.
Why is the ethnic/cultural identity of the characters more important than the cultural identity of the setting? Why is it acceptable to change one and not the other? This is the foundation of your point, but you haven't explained it.
Because setting is context. Identity is the character. You can move a story to a different time and place (and that with caution) and the characters remain who they are. Change the character's identity and you've changed the character. Those aren't the same operation.
It's not deflection, it's about realizing that it's okay to adapt stories or even real events and people without ticking accuracy boxes and trying to make a documentary. You can make a movie about MLK as a white person if there's artistic intent behind it and you want to achieve a one thing creatively by doing it, that's what Coriolanus was about and , without having seen it yet, I believe that's what Nolan wants to do with this movie.
Mlk's blackness and Helen's greekness aren't cosmetic details. It's the cultural and mythological context the entire story exists in. His blackness is inseparable from what he represents. You can't extract it without destroying or at least distorting the meaning of his story. Having a white mlk would cause tremendous backlash and rightly so. Artistic intent doesn't automatically justify erasing that and "Nolan probably has a good reason" is just an assumption. I do not know his motives. I know how how it affects the story. Also, his take of the story is based on a specific translation to Homer's poem which is a problem for its own reasons. You can look that up.
I disagree wholeheartedly. It depends on what you're trying to do. Showing MLK as a white perspn could serve the purpose of forcing white people to identify with him and thus making them more empathetic to what he said and did for instance.
It depends on what you're trying to do. You seem absolutely locked into thinking that every single adaptation of any material, person or event MUST be made with the one and only intent of making a carbon copy and the success of an adaption is judged solely on counting differences and finding as few as possible - I fundamentally disagree with this.
I do not believe changing a character would make him more identifiable or relevant. White people relate to black panther the same way they relate to superman and the same goes for black people, asians and so on. We know this is something that happens. If you need to change the race , premise or core traits of a character so you can identify with them, either that character is just not for you or the character wasn't appealing enough. Both are okay. The Odyssey holds a very special place in the culture and history of Greece. It is literally the first wide work of western literature. To change it like that, and based on a nonsensical translation at that, takes away from it, not the opposite.
It doesn't have to be that reason, it was an example. We just fundamentally disagree on what an adaptation is supposed to be, and that's fine. I get your point, and we'll agree to disagree.
As a greek im expecting to see at least a blonde European attributed female actor. By Homers writings Helen is described as Golden blonde haired woman from Sparta with pale skin, everything is wrong with the cast..
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u/Far_Ladder_2836 13d ago
Lupita Nyong'o is black and plays Helen. The original poster in the meme thinks this would be fixed by casting the above actress who, if you've wver been to Greece, looks way more caucasian/white than your average Greek.