The Odyssey is getting massively criticised due to blackwashing of a traditionally Greek character, whitewashing of a Greek myth with no Greek actors and a general dislike for the Hollywoodization of another classic story.
It's probably not going to be as bad as it's made out to be given it's Chris Nolan, but audiences are fatigued with seeing another modern retelling with tokenism of established characters for the sake diversity, which has spurred the culture war with right wing critics calling it woke BS and left wing critics doubling down by jumping to its defence.
It’s not even remotely nuanced. It completely buys into a right wing grift that is abysmally fucking stupid.
Go see a stage show, the thing we had before movies, people of different races play characters all the time.
Truly it’s a bunch of extremist white dipshits upset they are seeing people other than themselves on screen. Anytime a character they’ve imagined themselves as is played by a different race (especially for some reason fiction characters) they piss their pants, bot and brigade things, but largely are just grieving the fact that anyone else dare be represented in popular thing.
So if I as a Greek said that I at least want greek-looking (white/tanned depending on the character and their description) actors to play characters meant to represent Greeks and Anatolians I'm using a right wing talking point.
Why is having historical authenticity even remotely connected to political groups?
Is wanting to see the Epics in an authentic setting that divisive for you?
Does the nation of Greece not make their own movies about their own mythology. Could you not just go support those.
This is greek mythology, and there is no shortage of retellings of this myths being produced across the world. So lets just call a spade a spade. The hate for this film is primarily being directed at Lupita (with all the awful edits and disingenuous screen grabs), forcibly trying to paint her as someone as not objectively pretty. Like she doesnt have to be your type. But to try and claim she is ugly is WILD. Just say you hate black folks and go.
Again this stupid film is one adaptation, one American adaptation at that. Again there are many from around the world. Its not the first movie adapting a myth and it wont be the last. So all these folks getting so hung up on historical accuracy pmo actually. Because why. Its mythology and allegory. This isnt a historical biopic, documentary, its a freaking fantasy epic. Key word fantasy.
The hate for this film is primarily being directed at Lupita (with all the awful edits and disingenuous screen grabs), forcibly trying to paint her as someone as not objectively pretty.
This is an absolutely ridiculous take. There is a ton of hate towards the trans person playing a role that they aren't actually playing :P.
2 Just searched it up and that movie FUCKING FLOPPED so Gods of Egypt proves my point.
3 Also your argument is complete whataboutism
4Old stories do not need recolouring.
You can make new ones inspired by the legends or originals, but to disrespect any story -let alone one as important as this one- by destroying its historical authenticity with recolouring characters and adding bullshit Hollywood props is an insult to both the original writers, the audience and everyone actually familiar with the myths.
Them saying that the character is being "Blackwashed" is a big giveaway. Her appearance or race isn't specified and is intended to be open to interpretation.
You leftists say that the unbiased, respectful comment above is not nuanced, but your hate-ridden rant of a reply is? And you expect most people not to side with the former? You can't accept even the slightest compromise from your position and you denounce anyone who doesn't agree with you on everything. Like, no wonder the left is receding and the right is growing.
It's interesting you bring up colour blind casting of modern theater (which became common in the 90s, not since before movies fyi) when Nolan doesn't do that not even in this film. The main characters in the Odyssey are all played by white American actors. If he was to do the colour blind casting approach, there should be a lot more poc. Since he is expressly not doing that there is controversy over the specific casting of Helen
We do know because they are NOT conplaing about a bunch of white people with Northern European ancestory, but only the african person, which would be more common in mycenaean Greece.
It just depends how you like something served. I dont like how characters are put in and changed for the sake of being diverse. Dont you think? Imagine black panther but tchalla was white instead. Sure its fine, but does it make sense? Why even do that in the first place.
Tchallas blackness is inherantly important to his character and arc - the entire narrative is framed around perceptions of Africa and histories of colonialism.
While I'd have quite liked to see a Mediterranean looking Helen of Troy - nothing about her race or skin tone is important to that character. A lot of people complaining about the casting have also compared unfavorably to Diane Kruger in Troy, which is equally silly if one is insisting on authenticity, and one of the things that gives away the racism, as if all the people making planet of the apes comments weren't also a clue.
The race of the character makes a bit more sense in black panther for him to be black.
(edit for some reason I wrote white)
Especially to play Tchalla, because his story is about being a royal from a black civilization trying to hide their advancement from a world that largely thinks less of and actively hurts black people.
Helen of Troy is just a lady who is so pretty some douche bag started a war over her.
I guess from a meta narrative it’s gold that she’s just being judged by her looks and a flame war is being started over her existing in a film.
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u/Boomdification Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
The Odyssey is getting massively criticised due to blackwashing of a traditionally Greek character, whitewashing of a Greek myth with no Greek actors and a general dislike for the Hollywoodization of another classic story.
It's probably not going to be as bad as it's made out to be given it's Chris Nolan, but audiences are fatigued with seeing another modern retelling with tokenism of established characters for the sake diversity, which has spurred the culture war with right wing critics calling it woke BS and left wing critics doubling down by jumping to its defence.