I\'ve not seen it, so I don\'t know if there is a genuinely ridiculous number of black actors, but I don\'t think it is out of place to have black characters in rural 18th Century France, what with it having a North African and Caribbean Empire and a booming slave trade.
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Re: Black people in France and across Europe in the early modern centuries.
- Chevalior de Saint-Georges
, Marie Antoinette's music and fencing tutor, and leader of the first all black regiment in Europe.
- Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, General-in-chief in Revolutionary France, and father of Alexandre Dumas.
- Abram Petrovich Gannibal, military engineer, general, godson of Peter the Great, and great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin.
- John Blanke, court musician of Henry VII.
Also this is a movie with a talking buffalo man and people turning into magical furniture.
You hate this film and you\'re trying to convince everyone who hasn\'t seen the film yet to not bother watching it? Are you insane?
Historical accuracy can clash with modern sensibilities. People would call the film racist if there were no black actors, history be damned, and they wouldn't be incorrect in saying so, If Disney tried to have an all-white cast purely for period-accurate demographics, it would not only show a lack of priorities in telling the story, but it would give them a bad image.
The dress isn't supposed to be a big deal- in fact, I think Emma Watson had a point in thinking that Belle wouldn't go for something really fancy. So it being "just a dress" may not be the spectacular Disney design one would expect, but it's not unfounded.
@8BrickMario, Also, there is the point that there is no obligation to hold it in a specific setting that didn\'t have black people, being that it is a fairy story about a monster who owns talking furniture. You could decide to set it in a period and location where there are no black people (such places/periods are actually few and far between), but any defence via claims of \"realism\" would raise eyebrows, as well as miss the point of anyone asking why you chose to set it there in the first place.
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Agreed on most points. The whole movie just seemed unnecessary. Like they did an average job copy-pasting the original and a subpar job adding on to it. I hate that I spent money on this... even at a discount...
I\'ll be the combobreaker and agree that the inclusion of so many black actors/actresses seemed a bit odd. It\'s amusing to wonder if Mulan will get the same treatment.
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Pathetic
From the minute this film was announced I knew it would be a disappointment, but because I love the original film I was determined to like the remake in spite of itself. Turns out, this film is so terrible I can't like it in spite of itself.
Problem 1: the cast. Not one actor suits their character. Belle's acting is wooden, Lumière is ridiculous, and Gaston isn't Gaston, he's just a guy in a costume. And what is the idea of having so many black characters? If this was set in Paris it would be slightly less jarring, but Disney expects us to believe there could be black people everywhere in 18th century rural France? This is political correctness at the cost of suspension of disbelief.
Problem 2: the songs. When you make a musical, you want actors who can sing, right? Not if you're Bill Condon. Belle's voice... to quote My Fair Lady, "I'd rather hear a choir singing flat". Gaston and the Beast are passable, but not deep enough. This rendition of "Be Our Guest" is dreadful. "Beauty and the Beast" is ruined by Emma Thompson's accent. "Tale as old as toime, song as old as roime..." Of the new songs, "Days in the Sun" and "Evermore" would be fine if sung by better singers, but there's no need for them. If Mr. Condon wanted songs not in the original, he should have turned to the stage play.
Problem 3: the character designs. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, DISNEY? The Beast looks like an overgrown goat and the servants look nothing like their real appearances. The Magic Mirror is hilarious. It's tiny, the glass is cloudy, the edges are covered with scratches, the viewer can hardly see what it shows... yet somehow a mob can see the Beast through it.
Problem 4: the plot changes. There is no need for new characters, new subplots, or bringing back the fairy. Gaston's death is underwhelming to say the least. Instead of stabbing the Beast and getting his Laser-Guided Karma, he's nowhere near the Beast when he falls. Way to lessen the emotional impact of the Beast's "death", Disney.
Problem 5: everything else. Belle's ballgown is just a dress. What is the point of that trip to Paris? And Belle walks on top of someone's laundry. No wonder the people in town hate her. I'd be ticked off too if someone came and put their dirty shoes on my laundry. Belle is supposed to be odd, not a jerk!
Overall, a disgusting travesty. Don't bother watching this film. The original is better in every way.