Cannes has just wrapped up another premiere season on the Cote d'Azur and everyone knows by now that Angelina Jolie portrays Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart, a movie based on the book by the same name written by Mariane Pearl about her life with her husband, slain journalist Daniel Pearl.
I watched Ann Curry's recent interview with Jolie on Today. Most of the interview was about Jolie's role in A Mighty Heart. That's not news, because Brad and Angelina were two trains on the same track destined to collide in Hollywood heaven. Thus the fact that she is white probably never entered into the equation for Mariane (who wanted Jolie to play the part based on their friendship), Jolie (who seems to love black people), or Brad (who already owned the movie rights).
But after the fact, there now appears to be some uproar among some black women and actresses, especially, asking themselves and asking out loud: "Why has the part of a bi-racial woman gone to a white woman in this day and age?" Just browse a little history — blackface is a Hollywood hallmark.
How did this come to my attention in the first place? Originally, I was planning to do an article about Angelina's American and global appeal. In the process of doing a Google-god consult about her, I happened to come across multiple blogs by black women discussing the Jolie role as Mariane came up in my search. Hmmm, I thought, here's some flack about black. Thus I changed the focus of my article to this controversy instead.
I actually liked the idea when first presented. I thought that it was a good thing to have a really white woman play a black woman. It seemed like a good segue into blind casting. I have always believed, stupidly, in “blind casting”, obviously a pipe dream. At the same time that Jolie is playing Mariane, Halle Berry is playing a white teacher in a new movie. Halle is biracial as everyone knows. However, Angelina is not biracial. So for this role she got herself tanned, donned a wig (bad/nappy, according to the blogs) and faked a French accent and voila, instant Mariane Pearl.
I do think Angelina is beautiful, but black? Give me a break. She does not look black even on her worst day. Then I thought about Jasmine Guy. If she were younger she would be perfect. She's biracial and she speaks French fluently. Traci Ross would also have fit the bill. She is the right age and is also biracial. The list is really endless.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Al Barger
Miss Heloise - This stuff is called "acting" because people are pretending to be what they're not. Should us heteros be offended when a homosexual actor plays a straight man? When a gentile plays as a Jew?
Being black seems to be of only marginal relevance to Mariane Pearl. We're not talking about a story of a victim of Jim Crow struggling against George Wallace. She's French and married a Jew. And I'd bet money that Ms Jolie will not be playing the part in blackface, or playing comic stereotypes like Amos and Andy.
More than looking for more "black" roles, it would probably behoove to emphasize more the idea of characters for whom race is not so central. You're making your real progress when you see black folk in roles where they're not pretending to be white, but where the race of the character just isn't that important. Denzel Washington in Training Day comes to mind.
2 - sean Paul Mahoney
Heloise, this was a great article!
My niece and nephew are biracial and I often worry if they ever see themselves when they go to the movies.
Sure, we finally have Latinos, African-Americans, and Asians on television but when it comes to the movies, it's still pretty white. Unless it's a black comedian in a dress, people of color rarely show up on the silver screen. It's pretty sad.
As for Jolie goes, I'm pretty sure this movie will be another bellyflop. I'm hard pressed to remember the last decent film she did. A Mighty Heart is compelling source material but I skeptical when it comes to Angelina.
3 - Heloise
Al you need to reread my article. I do not agree with the controversy really. First of all no one else was going to get the role but Angelina.
Second she is in blackface. Jewish producers perfected it. Actually when gays play straight it does bother me, hate to say it. But I do believe in blind casting nonetheless.
Finally, race is always central. Why? Because whiteness sells and blackness does not. You can take that to the bank Al.
Thanks for your comment
Heloise
4 - Amrita
Hey Heloise - great post. The issue of race didn't really cross my mind either because I'd read that Marianne Pearl really wanted her to play it so that kind of ended the discussion before it began.
However, I'd disagree on the "whiteness sells and blackness doesnt" argument. There are number of black actors with an international following and black culture forms a significant part of what nonAmericans see as "American culture".
You might have an argument if you're talking about Tyler Perry-esque cinema but not generally speaking, not anymore. Do the powers that be in Hollywood know this? An article in Newsweek on Will Smith seemed to suggest that they might be waking up to it. of course Smith has been working on his brand outside the States pretty religiously on his own so that's one factor.
5 - High Heels
This is a very interesting article, highlighting an important debate.
I, too, totally missed the racial aspect of the role having read the publicity about the part being set aside for Jolie - this was not so much an opportunity missed as an opportunity that never existed; plus, the publicity shots I saw showed that, in costume, she really looks like the subject. I'm in several minds about the whole thing... this could be progress OR a backward step; but you've highlighted an interesting cultural angle which will be interesting to follow.
6 - buhbling
First and foremost, this is the story of the brave life and death of the reporter Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped and brutally murdered by a militant Islamic fundamentalist group. It was written by his widow Mariane Pearl to honor him and their love, and to set forth a deeper message. The fact that Mariane happens to be of Afro-Cuban and Dutch ancestry, and was raised in France is not the central theme of the story.
Secondly, rather than playing the racial or religious hatred card, Mariane Pearl was determined not to be broken and wrote her book to show the terrorists that, "That strength is to keep on living, to keep on valuing life. So now it’s up to me to create something of my life."
Thirdly, the fact that Mariane herself wanted Angelina Jolie to play her shows that Angelina's race or color was irrelevant compared to the bigger message Mariane wanted to convey, "Dialogue is the ultimate act of courage, far more courageous than killing someone."
Finally, you should try reading her memoirs, or just do some basic research for background, and wait to see the movie first, to better judge whether the movie casting did her story justice (which Mariane herself seems to happily support), then perhaps you would refrain from such derisive rant about blackface and race being the central issue. I am neither black nor white and prefer to focus on the more relevant and profound message at hand.
7 - Heloise
Dear B,
Big stars, big bucks, big exposure...I don't need to read anything (I DO read a lot) to know what sells.
Now, where's the largess of Mariane? My article is about what blacks are saying, not whether or not the movie works with Angelina in it. I have been to the French Rivera and Cannes and the Cap, where the stars stay, IT is the richest place on earth. Lots of social(izing)conscious-raising going on there you say?...oh boy.
Heloise
8 - Ian Woolstencroft
"Finally, race is always central. Why? Because whiteness sells and blackness does not. You can take that to the bank Al."
Chris Tucker took $25 million to the bank instead Heloise (for Rush Hour 3) so someone clearly thinks "blackness" sells.
"I thought that it was a good thing to have a really white woman play a black woman."
Define a "really white woman" please. Jolie's mother was part Native American (Iroquois). She was also part French-Canadian, something that probably helped with the accent.
9 - Heloise
Please don't bring up Chris Tucker. WHen I was dating a white guy his brother put a Chris Tucker video on. I had never even heard of him. My tastes are too high brow for that. But I was like horrified and thought he was trying to ridicule me because I was black. I did not know that whites really like this guy or it was okay.
My saying "really white woman" is poetic license. One my best white female friends was one-fourth American Indian, and had long snow white hair and very fair. She wanted to be black! People don't see the Indian most of the time in whites. But yes it is there. Do they put that on their apps? I DON"T THINK SO>>>>
Chris plays the fool. I don't call that blackness at its best. Don't confuse Borat-style with blackness or culture. It is not the same thing. Malcolm X, now that was a movie about blackness. Was it successful, not really.
Heloise
10 - Chris Redwood
I do think Angelina is beautiful, but black? Give me a break. She does not look black even on her worst day.
What the hell does that mean?
11 - Heloise
PS: Chris Tucker ended that relationship because they told their mother I was black, and called me the N-word behind my back. Even though I look white in some pics, and people sometimes take a double take when they would see us together making sure I was whatever...black is still black even if you are racially mixed. Don't matter, take it from the expert...me.
Heloise
12 - Heloise
Chris,
What's up? Where's your sense of humor? Geez you guys take everything soooo seriously. DOn't scrutinize my style and my substance.
Heloise
13 - gette
I never really thought much about this issue, probably because (a) i'm white and (b) i avoid pop culture as much as possible. but i did find the following comment you made problematic:
"She does not look black even on her worst day."
I will say this: as a part-Greek woman, I found it nice to see my culture depicted in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. But never did I see it as an accurate reflection of my people! It is just one family.
And yes, it is nice to see someone who looks like you on the screen (nappy Greek hair and wide hips and bleaching that mustache, sister!) but still... I don't expect or desire to see "myself" in popular culture depictions. Why the hell would anyone want that?
14 - Heloise
Here's a short quote from Racialicious:
Halle Berry to star in movie based on white woman’s life
by Carmen Van Kerckhove
“Color-blind” casting somehow always seems to benefit white actors. Think of the new CBS sitcom The Class, for example. Although it’s set in the rather diverse city of Philadelphia, the show features an all-white cast. Just like Friends did. The producer David Crane responded to critics by saying this: “When we wrote the script, we wrote it color-blind…and then we auditioned. For six months we saw just a huge range and diversity of actors and at the end of the day these were absolutely the eight actors who were absolutely right for the parts.”
Heloise says: Notice she says it always seems to benefit "WHITE actors". I guess it is called "color-blind casting" but you get my meaning. I was in a hurry. It should be color-blind casting.
Don't forget about when TV or movies are set in places that abound with black people or brown people and you can count on one finger how many appear in it!!!
Anyway, someone white agrees with me: blacks DO not usually benefit from this type of casting.
Heloise
15 - Heloise
Here's her site. She is white and Chinese. But that makes her white, since she is not half black.
16 - Ian Woolstencroft
Tucker was just an example and trust me not all whites think he's funny. Even the ones that do probably don't think he's $25m worth of funny.
What about Denzel? Jamie Foxx? Will Smith? Black sells.
It may be different for black actresses but there are few good female parts for black or white women.
17 - Sarah
She does not look black even on her worst day.
I think I know what you're trying to say, but this came out horribly wrong.
18 - ally scott
I could not finish reading the article. Your comment "(Jolie) is beautiful...but does not look black...even on her worst day" hit me in the stomach. I am an African American woman without any knowledge of my ancestrial background past my grandparents. Although it is obvious looking at me that I am the American melting pot....it has never entered my brain that I am beautiful second to my white sisters. Black women come in all shades, hair texture, lip size, etc. My mother used to tell me that a Black woman never knows what her child is going to look like. Do we need a history lesson?
19 - Heloise
ALLY, PLEASE WATCH TODAY's OPRAH show! It is most timely to this topic.
Black people DO not see themselves as beautiful...period. I was actually saying what I said to underscore what I already know. That blacks have racist views against other blacks. And blackness is NOT the standard of beauty in this country.
You may be the exception, especially if you are light skinned. Dark skinned black kids hate themselves. If you think not then you are living in a dream world.
Watch or record today's Oprah.
Heloise
20 - Nanc;y
This part was handed to Angelina by her "partner" Brad Pitt who had the rights to the movie. She is a good actress, so that is how that goes. She was probably the best one for the role, so why look further? The commercials for the move looked like Angelina did a good job. I do not think it should be about race, the best man wins. The American Idol shows that all races can win, but if we had already known that Jordan was the best, it would not have been a contest to find the best, we would have already known. Brad knew she was the best, Angelina got the part hands down. That is show bz.
21 - Heloise
Here's the trailer (new)
And Here's the truth: She does not wear black face or tanner, just checked that out in the trailer and online.
There are like a million hits when you google this thing. It's burning up the airwaves. I was not aware that it was THAT HOT.
Sorry if I offended anyone with my frankness. I too am part French, and we are frank.
Heloise
22 - elcee
I agree with what you mostly said, Heloise. But I must agree with Ally Scott, when she felt uncomfortable with the quote "but does not look black...even on her worst day." You did make it sound as though black women are less attractive than white women, and your clarification only makes it sound as though Ally is ignorant about what black women think of themselves.
I am a dark skinned Southeast Asian and understand the problem of the whiteness of the media. I know that many black and Asian women feel that they're not attractive when they're the only minorities in a mostly white environment and are bombarded by images of skinny, white girls. You are right--people must realize the problem first because most are blind to it and think that everything is colorblind. But we need to educate people in a constructive way and be inclusive, even if others are not inclusive. How else are things going to change when we're so angry all of the time?
23 - Heloise
PS: I was right it is also called "blind" casting. So no problem there. I don't see why people don't like my worst day comment. I thought it was funny.
Heloise
24 - Heloise
elcee, according to the dominant culture in America, black is NOT beautiful. End of story. She sounded unaware of this. She is probably also light-skinned, and thin-skinned.
Heloise
25 - buhbling
Dear H,
You responded:
"Big stars, big bucks, big exposure..."
"Now, where's the largess of Mariane? My article is about what blacks are saying, not whether or not the movie works with Angelina in it. I have been to the French Rivera and Cannes and the Cap, where the stars stay, IT is the richest place on earth. Lots of social(izing)conscious-raising going on there you say?...oh boy."
If you are implying that somehow you are more privied to Mariane Pearl's true agenda (or any those involved in making the film), then I find it rather arrogant and presumptuous. I too have been to all the places you cited and several other places which are actually statistically much wealthier, but I certainly would not generalize that all stars or journalists/writers like Mariane are philistines. I don't pretend to know her or those involved in the movie at all to defend their rightousness, yet I wouldn't rush to pass judgment on them.
I may be naïve in thinking that there are still a few out there with some humanity left, with some dignigty and genuine intentions. But, just because some could also gain fame and fortune from a venture that advances their cause or just merely what intrigues them, it doesn't necessary mean that they are all tantamount to avaricious-egocentric-pigs. Such banal allegations and cynicism seem to be ubiquitous these days.
Regarding the point about "what the blacks are saying," I don't have the means to decipher whether it is the view of the few, or of the popular mass. Either way, "to each his own"...
p.s. By the way, the French Rivera including Cannes and the Cap are actually not the richest places on earth, but that's besides the point...