The Los Angeles Times today has a story about MENA SUVARI pulling an ‘08 style blackface [Website - TheLostGirl’s Blog].
SUVARI who is starring, in new film ‘Stuck’, by STUART GORDAN, is playing a part that logic and common sense dictate should be played by a black woman. The reason being, her character, BRANDI, is based on CHANTE MALLARD, a very real and very…um… black woman.
But in true Hollywood style, the casting directs, the producers, directors and who ever else gets in on this circus, all thought better of hiring someone black and hired SUVARI and braided her hair.
The braids are supposed to suggest her life circumstance, as we all know, all poor black women are legally obliged to have their hair braided or weaved at all times, so they are easily identifiable.
It was in conjunction with [director] Stuart. I think we just wanted to kind of establish BraNdi as a particular kind of girl from a particular place. I think that we felt that it would be, like, Providence, Rhode Island, with a mix of cultures. That’s kind of what we were going for.”
Riiight….
Story courtesy of LA Times
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June 1, 2008 at 4:45 am
While it is true that there could and should be more roles for African-American actresses, I have to disagree with this — this is a fiction film based on a true story and the director has the right to cast roles however he chooses. It is conceivable that, with a character as vile as this one (the real woman who committed the terrible crime the film fictionalizes), Stuart Gordon might have been timid about making the character black — and that may have changed what statement he chose to make with the film. Now, I haven’t seen the film yet, so I am only speculating, but with the decision being attacked as racially insensitive, maybe casting Mena in that role was the wise choice. From the trailers and photos there certainly appear to be quite a few African-American actors and actresses in the film.
June 1, 2008 at 12:04 pm
bennet- Thank you for leaving a comment.
I hear your point and respect your opinion. That is a very good argument.
Then back to my original point. Why not have the guts to have a black lead AND supporting cast?
TheLostGirl
July 15, 2008 at 1:07 am
I assume it’s a box office question. Suvari is a minor star. I somehow doubt Gabrielle Union or any other bankable black actress would have cared for the part. The character has no redeeming qualities.
Suvari is also listed as a producer so she probably waved her fees in exchange for a percentage of the gross.
That being said, it twists the reality in strange ways. The original case is loaded with racial overtones. A working class black woman got high at a party, kills a white homeless man and lets him die over a two-hour period in her garage. Yes, it’s appalling, but she got charged an amazing 50 years for murder and tampering with evidence. Somehow, I suspect if she had been a white heiress who killed a black homeless man she might have got a lighter sentence.
In the movie, Suvari’s character is more black wannabe; she wears corn rows and her boyfriend is a black drug dealer with whom she has hot sex.
It’s not terribly hard to see her comeuppance as partly connected to crossing racial lines sexually. (I think it’s a signal that she’s a “bad” person. There’s a bizarre scene in which she discovers her boyfriend wtih a light-skinned black girl and beats the rival up.) There’s some suggestion that her heartlessness was connected to a sense of privilege — at one point she comes into the garage and says, “Why are you doing this to me?” — but it’s inconsistent. She also seems to be quite kind to the old people in her nursing home.
I think the problems come down to erratic writing and characterization.
July 15, 2008 at 10:25 pm
linakano – Many thanks for leaving such a thoughtful comment. Good points about Suvari’s involvment in the production etc. I was not aware of that before reading the information you provided.
I agree, said it in a nutshell.
TheLostGirl
October 31, 2008 at 8:26 am
Brandi, part time actress/RB singer would have been a perfect fit for this role. Considering Brandi’s history with automotive encounters I don’t think she would have had any problem identifying with the ‘lack of redeeming qualities’ the character’s role had to offer.
March 6, 2009 at 8:50 pm
There is no reason to cast either a white or black person in this role, it could easily be played by either. If it was claiming to be an accurate historical piece then fair enough, but all it is taking is the very basics of the reality so colour makes no difference.
Sometimes people just try too hard to see racism when it just is not there.
April 7, 2009 at 1:28 am
The real question is why would Hollywood choose to produce a movie about an obviously depraved character like Brandi? The negative stereotypes that black women are doomed to live through despite their status or accomplishment has now been compounded with that of murderess. The fact that Hollywood would choose this character above all the real life black women that have made a good and significant impact on American society just proves that there is a very real effort to keep these negative stereotypes alive.