Dragon Horse
SuperMentor
Joined: 07 Feb 2007
{Posts: 1770 }
Location: Lookin DC Metro, Feelin Geneva
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 Posted: Mon 10 Aug 2009 17:20 Post subject: G.I. Joe Movie - Interracial Relationship [spoiler] |
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I saw the movie Saturday out of respect for my childhood cartoon, I fully expected it to be horrible. To be honest though, it wasn't that bad, it was entertaining, far better than Transformers II.
Funny thing was they changed the characters a lot.
Marlon Wayans played Ripcord, who was not a main character in the cartoon, but in this carnation he was Duke (supposed to be the main characters) best friend.
RipCord was not just a "magic negro" black buddy tag along stereotype.
He actually saved Moscow and Washington at the end and he GOT THE WHITE GIRL.
In the cartoon, the redhead woman, Scarlett was involved with Duke or Snakeeyes (both white male characters).
In this version she is hit on and succumbs to RipCord's charms and kisses him in the movie.
Duke's love interest is the "evil white woman" Baroness.
I was somewhat shocked, because movies are actually fairly conservative, but for "art house" movies or movies that come out in the winter summer movies are about making as much money as possible and but for violence their is usually not controversial.
I think it is a good thing in that they made no issue (did not even mention) race at all. It was just a hotshot military guy coming on to a hot woman and and her responding to the alpha male, typical movie stuff.
In most movies where the "black man" is the main character and gets a "white woman" race is almost always brought up some how, even if it is dismissed.
I noticed though when a "black man" gets a non-black, non-white woman like another minority (Mestiza, Asian) there is also no "race" issue between the characters brought up, it is like a "mono-racial" thing. Which in my experience, actually there might be more racial issues between minorities and blacks than blacks and whites...
Below is someone else's take though.
http://movieblog.ugo.com/movies/does-g-i-joes-interracial-romance-wuss-out#comments
| Quote: | Much like Stephen Colbert, I pay no attention to race. I see right past a person's skin directly to their bones and arteries. However, we live in political times and, as a journalist, particularly after the brouhaha that was Transformers 2, I am obligated to remain alert to racial concerns in popular cinema.
When I saw G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra last night (and click here for my mostly-positive InstaReview) it took me a few hours until I realized that something about the movie seemed a little off.
One of the numerous subplots of G.I. Joe is the romance between Marlon Wayans' Ripcord and Rachel Nichols' Scarlett.
Wayans' Ripcord is played partially as comic relief. However he, like all the Joes, kicks major ass - indeed, Ripcord's heroism during the final battle is arguably the most triumphant of the film.
Like any sentient creature, Ripcord is enamored of the unbearably gorgeous Scarlett, as played by Rachel Nichols. With her flowing red hair, crooked smile and proclivity for wearing tank tops, sports bras or camouflage suits with the zipper hovering around half mast, Nichols and her God given talents make Scarlett the sexiest action heroine since Lara Croft.
The running gag is to watch Scarlett rebuff Ripcord's advances with Spock-like emotionless candor. After a tragic moment in the film, Ripcord helps her confront some ancient demons and we know it is only a matter of time before they get together.
During an action set piece, Ripcord winds up saving Scarlett's hide. He holds her in his arms, says something to the tune of "I've got ya" and they gaze into one another's eyes. It's the time in the movie when they kiss. But they are both wearing giant crazy helmets (hey, it's G.I. Joe) so they just kinda bonk heads instead. Okay, circumstances dictated that - I'll give it a pass.
Then it is the end of the film. The Joes are saving the world as only the Joes can. Scarlett and Ripcord have to split up. As Ripcord is about to zip off in another direction, Scarlett stops him then plants one on his lips.
Now, maybe it is just because I yearn to see as many nanoseconds of passionate Rachel Nichols as possible, but it struck me, hours later, that it was a very quick, chaste kiss. In fact, it might only qualify as a peck.
G.I. Joe is rated PG-13, so it isn't like they couldn't've held that kiss a little longer.
I feel like I need to see the scene again. It is entirely possible my memory is off. But I can't help but feel the producers of G.I. Joe felt only quasi-comfortable with an interracial romance and did everything they could to (ahem) whitewash it. I feel like the rules of cinema clearly call for a more drawn out and sensual kiss in that moment of the film.
Part of me wishes to applaud G.I. Joe for having the sack to include an interracial romance in the first place. It is a major release not just intended for arthouses and, as such (however embarrassing it may be to admit) including that storyline is a risk. It just seems a shame that the movie comes so close to really ignoring this barrier, only to come up short at the finish line.
See the movie this weekend (you should see it anyway) and tell me what you think.
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