All-white Moses row: £90m Ridley Scott epic slammed over lack of black actors playing Egyptians

MailOnline ^ | 27 November 2014 | Sam Creighton

[dennisw]

The hashtag #boycottexodusmovie has been trending on Twitter as posters express there anger over the film's casting of white actors as Egyptians Director Ridley Scott has been bullish about the issue of casting and said it was a business decision to hire white actors He claimed he wouldn't get financing if he hired 'Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such' The cast does includes a number of actors of color, although it is mainly in minors roles including as servants.

Sir Ridley Scott has found himself embroiled in a race row after his latest film was branded ‘too white’.

Twitter users are urging a boycott of Exodus: Gods and Kings, which tells the story of Moses, calling it ‘offensive’ and ‘unacceptable’ that white actors are playing the roles of Egyptians.

Sir Ridley, who made his name as a director with Alien and has been Oscar-nominated three times, defended his casting by claiming he would not have been able to finance its £90million budget if he had hired unknown Egyptian actors instead of established Hollywood stars.

While a number of ethnic minority actors have also been cast, including Sir Ben Kingsley, the majority of the non-white performers are in background roles, often even playing slaves or criminals.

But this has done little to placate the critics. One Twitter user said: ‘I’ll be boycotting Exodus and so should everyone else to tell Hollywood that whitewashing is sick and unacceptable’, while another called the casting of Oscar-winner Bale as ‘offensive’.

[Veggie Todd]

Why do I hear The Bangles right now?

[dennisw]

Are the loonies going to Ferguson this movie? All white cast? How about a cast of thousands like The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur those well known “racist” movies.

[MNDude]

How would he feel about them being the bad guys that gets whipped.

[dennisw]

like ol King Tut.... damn racist Steve Martin

[Hugin]

Never mind that ancient Egyptians were white. I suppose they could cast some blacks as Nubian slaves, but somehow I don’t think that would help.

[dennisw]

This movie did not turn out like Django Unchained so the “anti-racism” loonies are pissed

[dennisw]

+

Hollywood’s forthcoming Moses movie - Exodus: Gods and Kings - isn't in cinemas yet but that hasn't stopped it coming in for renewed criticism, this time over the decision to cast white actors as Egyptians

[dennisw]

+4

Holy Moses! Bale’s controversial comments weren't well received by Christian writers and bloggers who fear the film is tampering too much with the original Biblical text

[RegulatorCountry]

Egyptians are not and were not black. They arose from North African Caucasoids reputedly there for over 40,000 years, much the same as Libyans. Thus, it’s more historically accurate to use white actors to portray ancient Egyptians than black actors, all politically motivated African-American racial claims regarding ancient Egypt aside.

[JoeDetweiler]

“UPSET BY ‘SADAT,’ EGYPT BARS COLUMBIA FILMS”

“Objections to the film are complex. They range from resentment in some circles over the selection of a black to play Mr. Sadat....”

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/02/movies/upset-by-sadat-egypt-bars-columbia-films.html

Danged if you do...darned if you don’t.

[Dagnabitt]

That’s why I’m skipping “Exodus” and waiting for Tyler Perry’s “Madea Parts the Red Sea.”

[Auntie Dem]

Exactly. Weren't the Egyptians of Moses time (and before) called the Hyksos? They were reportedly Semitic. There likely were black Pharaohs long before 1,500 B.C. but I believe the Hyksos displaced them and held the reins for a few hundred years after Moses.

[windsorknot]

Holy Moses! Will the race-grievance mongers do the world a favor and STFU?

[Jim from C-Town]

Looks good to me. Jews are often white or olive skinned. Egyptians, modern Egyptians are often white or olive skinned also. They are not Sub-Saharan Africans or Western Africans and although darker than Europeans, they are not black. Who is to say what Egyptians looked like 5,000 years ago? Besides, it looks like a good movie and Charlton Heston wasn't black either and everyone knows he is Moses.

[wardaddy]

Ramses II who was sorta Moses quasi grandpappy had blondish reddish hair

And that just absolutely kills the Afrocentrists

They are still pissed at National Geographic for having the temerity to document this as fact

Lord that Bible miniseries was full of goofy racial miscasting and plenty here kissed Roma Downeys ring for it.

I don’t like it.

[BradyLS]

How would he feel about them being the bad guys that gets whipped.

It'd be Mo' Better Blues all over again.

[Cowboy Bob]

I’m still trying to figure out the black dude in the new Star Wars trailer...

[ozzymandus]

I see at least 3 bros in the picture. What’s the problem?

[sunrise_sunset]

There are blacks in Egypt but they are a small minority.