• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Original Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii defends ScarJo playing Major

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

duckroll

Member
http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/03...-oshii-has-no-problem-with-live-action-remake

"What issue could there possibly be with casting her?" Oshii told IGN by e-mail. "The Major is a cyborg and her physical form is an entirely assumed one. The name 'Motoko Kusanagi' and her current body are not her original name and body, so there is no basis for saying that an Asian actress must portray her. Even if her original body (presuming such a thing existed) were a Japanese one, that would still apply."
Click to expand...

Fair point.

The director went on to point out how a number of actors in the past have played characters of different ethnic groups without issue. "In the movies, John Wayne can play Genghis Khan, and Omar Sharif, an Arab, can play Doctor Zhivago, a Slav. It's all just cinematic conventions," he explained. "If that's not allowed, then Darth Vader probably shouldn't speak English, either. I believe having Scarlett play Motoko was the best possible casting for this movie. I can only sense a political motive from the people opposing it, and I believe artistic expression must be free from politics."
Click to expand...

Errrrrrrr.... maybe stop when you were ahead. :)

Sanders' live-action film recreates the iconic shelling sequence depicted in the 1995 anime film, and while Oshii "thought it was well done," he said it made him "think that hand-drawn animation is still superior to CG at emotional expression." That said, he went on to note how this "is due to a difference in the range of techniques that have built up over time for each method, so there is no telling what the future may hold." As such, Oshii believes "there may come a time when the CG staff will have a greater expressive ability than hand-drawn animators."
Click to expand...

I'm sure this will be relevant to some interests. :)
 
A

Azoor

Member
I am more concerned with the director and writers to be honest, their previous movies were shit. Scarlett is by far not the worst thing about the crew.
 
S

Sesha

Member
I get what he's saying and I agree (at least, the first quote). I also get what the people upset are saying (one less role for Asian actors in Hollywood, and in this case a starring role in a major blockbuster) and I also agree. Ultimately I wish they'd cast a Japanese or, failing that, Asian actress, full or half, in the role. Same with Alita in Battle Angel.
 
M

massoluk

Banned
The beef many people have also concerned the fact that this was THE opportunity to have an Asian lead. Not exactly that Major can't be Caucasian
 
D

duckroll

Member
anaron said:
I totally agree with him...until the John Wayne crap. :/
Click to expand...

Yes I think he articulates very well why it shouldn't be a primary issue, and is something that I brought up before when it comes to adaptation. The character not having a fixed singular "identity" is the point in the first place.

But then after that he just goes into a crazy old man rant that just gets more and more disconnected from the social climate and borders on "DAMN SJWS!!!!!!!!" or something. Roflmao.
 
KonradLaw

KonradLaw

Member
massoluk said:
The beef many people have also concerned the fact that this was THE opportunity to have an Asian lead. Not exactly that Major can't be Caucasian
Click to expand...

I don't see it. Too niche of IP. For it to be "THE opportunity" if would need to be some really big IP, too big to fail. Like maybe turning Doctor Strange into asian dude or some other Marvel/Star Wars flick with asian lead.
 
D

Dryk

Member
Asian actors don't land roles because they're not stars because they don't land roles because they're not stars because...
 
R

Rymuth

Member
If that's not allowed, then Darth Vader probably shouldn’t speak English, either.
Click to expand...

Jokernotsureifserious.gif

Although Darth Vader speaking in a different language than everybody else does sound like a recipe for comedy.
 
karasu

karasu

Member
I don't have a problem with it either. Scarlett Johannsen could play me in a movie and I wouldn't be offended. But I expect this kind of answer for him. He isn't going to go out of his way to burn any bridges.
 
K

Kuro

Member
I love his movies but damn what a shitty opinion especially about the no politics in art. Seriously wtf? Is he getting kickbacks from the movie studio for saying this crap?
 
A

Azoor

Member
Rymuth said:
Jokernotsureifserious.gif

Although Darth Vader speaking in a different language than everybody else does sound like a recipe for comedy.
Click to expand...

Darth Vader is also a character from a fictional fantasy universe that's not ours, so it doesn't apply.
 
A

anaron

Member
duckroll said:
Yes I think he articulates very well why it shouldn't be a primary issue, and is something that I brought up before when it comes to adaptation. The character not having a fixed singular "identity" is the point in the first place.

But then after that he just goes into a crazy old man rant that just gets more and more disconnected from the social climate and borders on "DAMN SJWS!!!!!!!!" or something. Roflmao.
Click to expand...

Which totally distracts and detracts from a very valid point about why Gits actually allows for Scarjo's casting.

Ugh
 
K

Kain-Nosgoth

Member
i honestly wasn't bothered by a white actress. Sure it's a shame, but motoko kusanagi can change her body how she wants, they have somewhat an "excuse"... i just think ScarJo REALLY doesn't fit the major at all!

Also, just to be fair, content creator aren't always right (here i'm don't really agree with his argument), even if their creation are amazing.... i'm look at frank miller, that's baaaaaad
 
W

Wood Man

Member
I remember Toriyama trying to defend Dragon Ball: Evolution at first.

As the original creator, I had a feeling of "Huh?" upon seeing the screenplay and the character designs, but the director, all the actors, the staff, and the rest are nothing but "ultra" high-caliber people. Maybe the right way for me and all the fans to appreciate it is as a New Dragonball of a different dimension. Perhaps, this might become a great masterpiece of power! Hey, I look forward to it!!
Click to expand...

I not saying this is going to be a terrible movie, but I'm sure these guys are pressured into not doing bad press before the movie comes out.
 
C

commedieu

Banned
There is a lack of Asians in hollywood. His comments are tone deaf to that issue. It would be a significant point if there weren't a lack of Asians in Hollywood. But there are.

It's technically "right." But, that's ignoring the criticism of the lack of Asians in Hollywood. Anything could be whittled down to why you don't need minorities in films.

Pretending this is some sort of possibility due to the plot and the universe of an idea/script is really selling the problem of the lack of Asians in Hollywood, short.

She could be anything, you betcha! But she's a white woman. Like Hollywood historically does.
 
C

CryptiK

Member
I mean the first part is what people have been saying since it she was announced to play the Major. But people didnt want to hear it.
 
A

anaron

Member
Kain-Nosgoth said:
i honestly wasn't bothered by a white actres, motoko kusanagi can change her body how she wants, they have an "excuse" for that at least... i just think ScarJo REALLY doesn't fit the major at all!
Click to expand...

She's deep voiced, extremely good at playing robotic roles and a nearly perfect physical mix of the film and TV series Major. Not sure how she doesn't fit.
duckroll said:
"Where are the nipples? This movie is boring."
Click to expand...
"Not enough horses."
 
D

Discotheque

Banned
i don't really mind ScarJo playing the Major. it's just how bad the movie looks and the team behind it that is the real issue tbh.

also tbh I'm of two minds on the ethnic appropriation casting. I think it is tacky, and there's not much room for it now tbh. but I'm not gonna lie and say I don't love Al Pacino hamming it up as a Latino in the DePalma gangster movies or Alec Guiness in Lawrence of Arabia lol.
 
M

massoluk

Banned
They can get an entire island of Japan to approve of Scarlett Johanson casting, it still wouldn't address the issue being the role was not presented to an Asian actress in Hollywood
 
D

duckroll

Member
anaron said:
She's deep voiced, extremely good at playing robotic roles and a nearly perfect physical mix of the film and TV series Major. Not sure how she doesn't fit.
Click to expand...

My problem is the opposite. It's not that she doesn't fit, it's that she's basically typecast into the Badass Independent Superwoman role. Especially when it comes to scifi thrillers. It's boring. It's predictable. It makes the film feel more like a ScarJo Scifi Thriller #5873945 than something more iconic of its own.
 
P

Poor GRIMES

Banned
massoluk said:
They can get an entire island of Japan to approve of Scarlett Johanson casting, it still wouldn't address the issue being the role was not presented to an Asian actress in Hollywood
Click to expand...
Exactly.

It doesn't matter what Japanese people think anyways, considering the people that actually feel the consequences of cssting decisions like this are Asian-Americans.
 
J

- J - D -

Member
The side who stoked the flames of this controversy probably chose the wrong property to do so with, but who am I to tell them that their frustrations are misguided when the reasons are just and right in terms of the larger perspective?
 
F

Fallout-NL

Member
duckroll said:
Yes I think he articulates very well why it shouldn't be a primary issue, and is something that I brought up before when it comes to adaptation. The character not having a fixed singular "identity" is the point in the first place.

But then after that he just goes into a crazy old man rant that just gets more and more disconnected from the social climate and borders on "DAMN SJWS!!!!!!!!" or something. Roflmao.
Click to expand...

Yeah, pretty bad look to be honest.

duckroll said:
My problem is the opposite. It's not that she doesn't fit, it's that she's basically typecast into the Badass Independent Superwoman role. Especially when it comes to scifi thrillers. It's boring. It's predictable. It makes the film feel more like a ScarJo Scifi Thriller #5873945 than something more iconic of its own.
Click to expand...

Couldn't quite put my finger on it before you put it like this, but this is indeed exactly what's wrong with this film.
 
K

Killer Queen

Banned
Poor GRIMES said:
No he's not right at all and his hopelessly false equivalence of John Wayne yellowface from a bygone era to ScarJo shows that he has no idea what hes talking about
Click to expand...
Major is a cyborg. She's in a robotic body with an assumed name, why should her race matter when she can be anyone of any race? Meaning she could also easily be ScarJo if she wanted to be. So please tell me, how is he wrong?
 
M

MasterOfPastures

Banned
Japanese man "surprisingly" fails to understand the identity issues and subtext that arise on the most self-conscious heterogeneous society on earth.
Late night anime block programming at 11.
 
S

sphagnum

Banned
It shouldn't really be surprising that a guy from a homogeneous society wouldn't really understand the problems that Asians and Asian Americans face in Hollywood. Being involved in the production of the original doesn't make his view sacred.
 
D

Discotheque

Banned
there definitely needs to be a push for more asian and brown lead actors in hollywood.

considering the studio exec issue its probably gonna have to happen through good performances in indie and smaller flicks. rather than getting shots in these big ones.

what do people here think of Roza Salazar, a latino actress, being cast in Battle Angel Alita?
 
P

Poor GRIMES

Banned
Killer Queen said:
Major is a cyborg. She's in a robotic body with an assumed name, why should her race matter when she can be anyone of any race? Meaning she could also easily be ScarJo if she wanted to be. So please tell me, how is he wrong?
Click to expand...
He's wrong because his subsequent examples are dated and shows a gross misunderstanding of Asian-American representation in Hollywood. Your same reasoning can also apply had they chosen an Asian actress over another White-lead in a sci-fi film. Further considering that the property is from Japan, it would have been very easy and still thematically appropriate per the source to cast an Asian woman.
 
A

anaron

Member
duckroll said:
My problem is the opposite. It's not that she doesn't fit, it's that she's basically typecast into the Badass Independent Superwoman role. Especially when it comes to scifi thrillers. It's boring. It's predictable. It makes the film feel more like a ScarJo Scifi Thriller #5873945 than something more iconic of its own.
Click to expand...
See, that I can understand.
 
C

Chumley

Banned
Poor GRIMES said:
No he's not right at all and his hopelessly false equivalence of John Wayne yellowface from a bygone era to ScarJo shows that he has no idea what hes talking about
Click to expand...

This is in the context of a character he knows very well. I'd say he actually does have an idea of what he's talking about. You're entitled to disagree, but that doesn't mean he's out of his depth.
 
W

wandering

Banned
Discotheque said:
there definitely needs to be a push for more asian and brown lead actors in hollywood.

considering the studio exec issue its probably gonna have to happen through good performances in indie and smaller flicks. rather than getting shots in these big ones.

what do people here think of Roza Salazar, a latino actress, being cast in Battle Angel Alita?
Click to expand...

I'm down with that, honestly. Latinx people need representation, too. And Alita was a story that took place in America, so it's not like it's using Asia as window dressing.

When it comes to GITS, I'd feel a lot less miffed about it if Hollywood weren't so aggressively dismissive of Asian actors. But it is, so here we are.
 
D

duckroll

Member
Discotheque said:
there definitely needs to be a push for more asian and brown lead actors in hollywood.

considering the studio exec issue its probably gonna have to happen through good performances in indie and smaller flicks. rather than getting shots in these big ones.

what do people here think of Roza Salazar, a latino actress, being cast in Battle Angel Alita?
Click to expand...

I'm excited to see how Rodriguez executes a James Cameron passion project.
 
S

sphagnum

Banned
The only way that I'm ok with the Major being whitewashed in this one is if they make a bunch of sequels and change her race each time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Ghost Of Tsushima director wants entire movie's cast and language to be Japanese
News 2 3
124
7K
mckmas8808 replied
SIE's New Business Pillars
2
58
6K
Mibu no ookami replied
  • Locked
Ghost in the Shell Featurette: Anime Director Mamoru Oshii Praises Film's Vision
31
3K
Ninjimbo replied
The Last of Us Part II CGI Promo was done by Moving Picture Company
News
21
2K
D.Final replied
  • Locked
Ghost in the Shell has Changed the Name of its Main Character
5 6 7 8 9
418
51K
ughkingdom replied
Top Bottom