TemperaryUserName Wrote:VENOMOUS75 Wrote:
Only a white woman should play the character?
I'm going to disagree as respectfully as I can. Would it be accurate to cast a white actor as Shaft? And Indian actor as Legolas?
If you believe in fictional essence, the answer is no, no one could do that. It would simply be a different character who is qualitatively the same (even that's false to extent, since one quality is now gone). Physical appearance is just as much sewn into the character as say personality (maybe more so, since personalities are in a constant state of becoming).
If you deny such as thing as objective fictional essence, that means that you could make a version of superman that is
A) a midget
B) has no superpowers
C) has virtually no moral sense
... and that character would be just as much superman as the early DC version. I don't think you're willing to concede that. Again, no disrespect, but when someone imitates a past character with different essential attributes, that person has created an alternate essence; in other words, it is a different character. Not saying that's a good or bad thing, just a different character that is qualitatively similar. Berry didn't truly instantiate Cat woman's character.
Well, with a theme like, "Who's the black private dick who's a sex machine to all the chicks" I do believe it would be a bit ridiculous to put Colin Ferril in the role of Shaft...However, it's not so ridiculous to put Halle in the role of Catwoman. What I agree with you on is when the character's nature is changed. Catwoman, as I've always known her, was a villainess/antiheroine, whereas I believe Halle's was a hero of sorts?
See, for lack of a better example, I could actually buy Sam L. Jackson as Superman if he embodied the traits of the character. On the other hand, if he was jive talking and calling women B***es and guys MF's then no, I couldn't see SLJ playing the part.
Heck I've heard people swear by Michael Clark Duncan's Kingpin in the last few years.
