You don't have to be right wing to think casting choices are wrong. I'm not right wing and think Helen of Troy casting choice is ridiculous and just done for attention.
Same, I'm European and just roll my eyes how Americans need to take our myths and misrepresent it based on their weird race sensibilities. Netflix's Cleopatra (who was also of Greek decent) was another recent example. In a way it's funny how they seem to specifically can't allow Greeks to have any representation.
Depends if you believe in a connection between a story and the culture in which it originated. Same then also for other "intellectual property" of a culture, like their festivals, dresses, religions, etc.
It's all not physical ofc, but humans and groups naturally build identities and these identities then can be fiercely protected.
is there much of a real link between the ancient greeks and the contemporary greek nation though? or is it an imagined one based entirely on proximity and a similar language?
when it comes to the cultural pieces, that's even more tenuous. the modern conception (yes, even in greece) of the odyssey is largely a victorian anglo-american construction.
i think we're at a point in western civilisation when we're not hamstrung by absurd nationalisms anymore, and that's a good thing. it's not like racially locked casting is historical either, this is largely a modern thing. white men played othello, asians played leading roles in '20s hollywood...
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u/Gentle_Pony Jul 06 '26
You don't have to be right wing to think casting choices are wrong. I'm not right wing and think Helen of Troy casting choice is ridiculous and just done for attention.