... however last night I was watching the Graham Norton chat show. Olivia Colman was on promoting her latest film (or movie if you prefer) called Wicked Little Letters. It's based on a true story that happened in 1920s England and I think they've pretty much set the film in the same era. Note the film isn't a fantasy type affair where anything could be going on.
Cue clip of the film. Woman opens door and there's a female policewoman standing. This is historically ok as the first UK female policewoman was in 1915 with them becoming more prevalent in the 1920s. However the actor (or actress if you prefer) playing the part very obviously has dark skin. I'm not sure what ethnicity she's supposed to be in the film, in real life she's Singaporean. However when it comes to Asian/Black policewomen, the first one I can find started to serve with the Met in 1968 ... a fair bit after the 1920s.
I obviously understand dramas can be (and often are these days) flexible/fluid with history, timeframes and social constructs. However given this film is set in 1920s England, I think it's almost farcical to cast a dark-skinned actor in the role of female policewoman when this simply wouldn't have been possible at that time. I actually find this sort of thing quite insulting to the viewer. In a way, yes I understand not an important way, you could assert it's rewriting history.
Why not go the whole hog and have her drive away in a Vauxhall Viva?
I'm hoping this thread doesn't become a racist rant fest, that's not my intention in creating it. It's more the fact of dramas insulting our intelligence with things that, historically, simply couldn't have happened.
Cue clip of the film. Woman opens door and there's a female policewoman standing. This is historically ok as the first UK female policewoman was in 1915 with them becoming more prevalent in the 1920s. However the actor (or actress if you prefer) playing the part very obviously has dark skin. I'm not sure what ethnicity she's supposed to be in the film, in real life she's Singaporean. However when it comes to Asian/Black policewomen, the first one I can find started to serve with the Met in 1968 ... a fair bit after the 1920s.
I obviously understand dramas can be (and often are these days) flexible/fluid with history, timeframes and social constructs. However given this film is set in 1920s England, I think it's almost farcical to cast a dark-skinned actor in the role of female policewoman when this simply wouldn't have been possible at that time. I actually find this sort of thing quite insulting to the viewer. In a way, yes I understand not an important way, you could assert it's rewriting history.
Why not go the whole hog and have her drive away in a Vauxhall Viva?
I'm hoping this thread doesn't become a racist rant fest, that's not my intention in creating it. It's more the fact of dramas insulting our intelligence with things that, historically, simply couldn't have happened.
