MovieChat Forums > Ghost in the Shell (2017) Discussion > the entire cast is white. how is it not ...

the entire cast is white. how is it not racist?

posted 8 years ago by god_of_war (77)
37 replies | jump to latest

i just came back from the movie. leaving aside the fact that its a terrible boardom. not only scarlet jewhanson is white but the entire cast of the movie execpt takashi kitano. all of them white. meaning all the actual charecters witH dialouge. in a movie that takes place in japan. who are asians in this movie? only the hanchmans who serve the rule of dying like pupets by scar jo. what else is asian in this movie? the food. the locations. the city. the names even still asians. a vilian named kuze played by a white guy??? a character named ishikawa played by an australian guy?? this movie is a complete disgrace. granted you can turn one charecter into white but how the hell can you take an obvious japanese anime set in japan and have the entire frikin cast. more then 30 charecters and make them all white. even dragon ball evolution dident do that. what the hell is this shit. haramaki speak in japanese when everyone speak in english? this movie is fucked from the bottom to the top. smart sceintists played by white people and goons 'ith guns by asian actors? fuck outta here with this shit.

[–] AtomicReturns (1252) 8 years ago

Didn't know it was that bad. I actually didn't get involved with the uproar over ScarJo's casting because, as bluntly callous as this sounds, business is business (and Motoko's cyborg body with bright blue eyes, according to some, was not Japanese anyways...more of an "aracial model" from a factory).

But to have all other Asian characters played by non-Asians is going too far. Still, I don't think the studio is necessarily racist. If they hated Asians they would not make this film at all, and cast zero Asians, and refuse to collaborate with the Japanese production company. Stupid and clumsily handled, maybe, but not really racist imo.

And as unfair as it sounds, in the end they want a money-maker in these bigger speaking roles. They want someone like Jackie Chan who is a top name. Sadly, there is a dearth of Asian actors right now when there shouldn't be. When you have John Cho and Ken Watanabe but not much else in these big films, it does mean Hollywood needs to open up more. I was not expecting Ghost in the Shell 2017 to be the one leading the charge and changing the landscape, but they could've done much better for sure.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 8 years ago

John Cho is not even of Japanese descent. You don't want a character named Kuze or Ishikawa played by a Korean, do you? That would be racis.. i mean, countriist!

[–] [deleted] 8 years ago

Bollywood does remakes of American movies and they use Indian actors/actresses - Is that racist ????

[–] Stratego (30490) 8 years ago

But they don't play Americans, most of the time they will completely localize the story. That's what's so dumb about this movie.

I'm not so much bothered by the "whitewashing" as by the complete hypocrisy of Hollywood and SJW's like Scarlett Johansson. How about giving minority actors a chance with this movie, huh?

[–] NotASpeckOfCereal (302) 8 years ago

Some incredible BS. The entire cast is not anywhere near "all white".

[–] god_of_war (77) 8 years ago

no asians in a movie set in japan. heaving latinos and black people are the same. besides for lunatic sjws like yourself who consider all white man as evil

[–] sONOMArEturns (1253) 8 years ago

Did you honestly think a massive-scale blockbuster with a huge budget would have an all-Japanese cast, mostly unknown to world audiences? Nobody in the Western hemisphere and most of the Eastern hemisphere would give a flying fuck about the film had it not recognizable actors, white or not. As shitty as it is, there simply aren't many Japanese actors with worldwide billing power like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, or in this case Scarlett Johanson. It's our faults, really.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

^^^ this. read it again. then read it again. then again. and try to comprehend this truth about reality.

Japan is more than welcome to remake this film with all Japanese actors. Good luck.
Germany is more than welcome to remake this film with all German actors. Good luck.
India is more than welcome to remake this film with all Indian actors. Good luck.
Mexico is more than welcome to remake this film with all Mexican actors. Good luck.
China is more than welcome to remake this film with all Chinese actors. Good luck.
People of Color is more than welcome to remake this film with all People Of Color actors. Good luck.
Homosexuals are more than welcome to remake this film with all homosexual actors. Good luck.
Transgenders are more than welcome to remake this film with all trans actors. Good luck.

and I'm sure there are 97 other groups that need to step up and complain some more about it.

Whatever. Jeez, when did everyone's panties get too tight???

If you want even a half assed chance at success, then look at what is successful out there, and do that.
Else, find your own damn budget, and make the film your way, and no one will waste their time seeing it.

[–] Razor187 (55) 2 months ago

You try to lecture us on "reality" yet apparenly don't even know what copyright is.

Here's the "truth about reality": this film was MASSIVE BOMB. It was so bad it made Green Lantern and Fant4stic look good.

[–] Razor187 (55) 2 months ago

Wrong. Crazy Rich Asians came out just the following year and was huge, then Squid Game not too long after, and now Shogun. Try again, genius.

[–] 666 (112) 8 years ago

Scar Jo is jewish

[–] god_of_war (77) 8 years ago

Judism is a religion you fuckin retard

[–] 666 (112) 8 years ago

lol whatever makes you happy you fucking moron

[–] nolerhett (78) 8 years ago

Judaism is typically the way the religion that many Jews practice is described. Jews can also be a race or nationality.

[–] joegerardi (383) 8 years ago

Really?

Where are they from? Jewtopia?

Jewish is a religion, period. Israeli is a race. There are Christian Israelis, and people of every other race can also be Jewish.

But there's NO "Jewish race."

..Joe

[–] nolerhett (78) 8 years ago

Israeli is not a race it's a nationality.

[–] joegerardi (383) 7 years ago

Wrong. They are descended from the Ashkenazy. Do your research.

..Joe

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 8 years ago

Quote: "the entire cast is white. how is it not racist?"

Major ..... White
Motoko ... Asian
Batou ..... White
Aramaki .... Asian
Juliette Binoche .... White
Kuze..... White
Han ..... Asian
Ladriya .... Middle Eastern
Ishikawa .... Black
Saito .... Asian
Borma .... Black
Cutter .... White
Dr. Dahlin .... White

Ghost In a Shell (2017)
46% White
31% Asian
15% Black
8% Middle Eastern

Ghost In a Shell (1995)
100% Asian

None of them are racist, imo. The 2017 one is made for and by the western world, the 1995 one was made for and by the Japanese ...Stories confirm around those who tell them It is natural and it has always been like that. And besides, the spirit of the story is to transcend such shells as human bodies ;)

If it had been remade my a Japanese movie maker, I am sure it would be dominated by Asian actors again, unless this movie maker wanted to dominate the Western World also, and if so who knows who would be the lead... point is, you are seeing ghosts where none are.

[–] god_of_war (77) 8 years ago

ok let me ''correct'' myself. they arnt all white. but they arnt asian either. i just so used to whitewashing that i use this word alot. the right word is ''race-wash''. just because its a black guy instead of a white guy dosent mean its ok you sjw lunatics has really wierd mind. the point remain. its a movie that takes place in japan with charecters who still has japanese names and yet they are all played by non-asian actors. good enough for you? cuz i dont give a fuck thats a black guy or a latino. its still a race wash. i had similiar disscution with another fuckhead about the role of davos in the iron fist show. davos is a clear asian. tibetian/chinese in the comics. this idiot fuckhead claimed that because the actor who played him has parents from india that means its ok that he was casted instead of a real asian guy. fuck you stupid sjw morons. thats yet another insult to the least of asian charecters in the marvel universe

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 8 years ago

Quote; “they are all played by non-asian actors”

31% are Asian.

But they are not all Asian in the source material either. The two main characters e.g. are not. Batau is a Caucasian in the original "Ghost in a Shell" and Major is a blue-eyed cyborg, so not really any race - though her likeliness I dare say is more in kin with a Caucasian than an Asian. So the movie maker would have to pick someone who would stand out in the streets of Tokyo. The author has even said he envisioned her like a sort of arch type none classifiable shell,.... so you gotta be damn nitpicking if those two leads are what boils your piss. As for the rest of the cast, besides the CEO and the two doctors we have Asians all over.

But indeed it is "only" 31% Asian in it and not say... 80% (not including henchmen, if so we would be nearer 90%). The fact is though that this is a product targeted the western world first and the eastern world second. Made by Americans and I suspect primarily for Americans. And so "race wash" is foolish not to do on some level. Bollywood does so for the same reasons; to fit their main targets. There are many examples that better fit your rant than Ghost in a Shell.

[–] god_of_war (77) 8 years ago

BULLSHIT. holywood movies are intented to the entire world and not only to american citizens.

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 8 years ago

Hmmmm. So a Hollywood movie should then try and mix in more races then, perhaps like this:

46% White
31% Asian
15% Black
8% Middle Eastern

[–] god_of_war (77) 8 years ago

no. they should give the chance to asian-american actors just like they cast all the italian actors to mafia movies and tv shows. i direct you to the sopranos imdb page. check it out. 99% of the actors are italian americans. so why not asian- americans here? right. you wont like it. cuz your a racist prick

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 8 years ago

How can you such awful things about me? I am stating facts, not my opinions.

And fact of the matter is that the original source material does NOT have an all Asian character cast. In fact the two leads are not.

So really, had this movie been even more faithful than what it already is, then it is basically just the bad guy and some of the doctors that is causing your uproar. THAT IS IT...

... and yet you insistently cry "all white" (false), "race washed" (false), "no asians" (also false)... if there is a racist here, it seems I'm not the one.

My friendly advise is to give it a rest man, and use your inequality fighting superpowers where it matters. There are many and better examples worthy of such debates out there...

Though one thing we may agree on? : movie makers should tell their stories the best way they can, and be blind to races. Cast the right ones for the job, and for the story they wish to tell... find Asians where Asians fit, and whites where whites fit etc. If this is the case with this movie, I am not sure. But that is another discussion... Cheers

[–] Razor187 (55) 2 months ago

No, you indeed are saying opinions and untruths and generally being, as the other poster said, a racist prick.

[–] joegerardi (383) 7 years ago

Because a bunch of Asians with names like Vinny Bagadonuts and and Guido Boombots in The Sopranos would just look stupid.

..Joe

[–] 00 (74) 8 years ago

The original characters in (1995)'s anime movie were white -- at least two of them

[–] nolerhett (78) 8 years ago

I don't recall there being condemnation of the dub version (save for the morons who think all dubbed anime suck) of any of the GITS anime, and those casts were all western.

[–] Popcorn Kernel (2368) 8 years ago

[deleted]