Ridley Scott’s Reason For Whitewashing

ridley-scott-exodus-gods-and-kings-df-02427r_rgbThe new Moses movie, Exodus: Gods and Kings has gotten a lot of criticism for casting white actors Aaron Paul, Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, and John Turturro in a movie set in Egypt. The biggest complaints regard the make-up applied to Edgarton, Turturro, and Weaver, claiming Ridley Scott was participating in a version of black face.

During press for the movie this week, Scott responded to criticism explaining to a writer for Variety:

“I can’t mount a film of this budget, where I have to rely on tax rebates in Spain, and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such. I’m just not going to get it financed. So the question doesn’t even come up.”

An interesting example of very public political incorrectness from Scott, who seems more like a racist old man down the street than A List Hollywood director. But you have to wonder, who told Scott, Joel Edgarton was a big money name?

Read more at variety.com

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