2 years ago

@brilpoetsdoekje oh you troll, you either didn't actually watch the movie or you completely missed the plot.<br /> <br /> 1. In the movie, the "evil whites" you're referring to weren't French, they were Portuguese. Portugal had ended their slave trade at the time in the movie but the Portuguese colonies in Africa were still trading in slaves well into the 1800's when this movie takes place. Also, the white folk in the movie have all of about 20 minutes of screen time, so not exactly the main focus.<br /> <br /> 2. The Portuguese weren't even portrayed as "evil". Slave traders yes, and slave trader = bad, but honestly they're portrayed more like bumbling buffoons rather than "evil". The ones who were truly vilified in the film were the Oyo, an oppressive and larger neighboring African kingdom that also captured slaves to sell to the Europeans which lines up with history.<br /> <br /> 3. The film doesn't shy away from the fact that the Dahomeans (spelled with an 'e' not an 'i') were major players in the capture and trading of slaves. The whole movie kicks off with a voice over saying that the Dahomey and Oyo kingdoms were locked in a cycle of capturing each-other and trading the prisoners as slaves. The main undercurrent of the story, aside from getting out from under the thumb of the Oyo (loosely referencing the Dahomey Revolt which actually happened), was the leader of the Agojie trying to convince king Ghezo of Dahomey to stop the practice of capturing and trading slaves. The real king Ghezo actually did abolish slavery for 5 years, and the movie is loosely portraying the beginning of this time period. Granted, the film is misleading in the fact that he did eventually revert that decision when palm oil trade wasn't lucrative enough to support the kingdom.<br /> <br /> 4. What you're thinking of is the first and second Franco-Dahomean wars which wasn't even during the reign of king Ghezo who is the king depicted in the movie, it was under king Behanzin (two kings after Ghezo). The French weren't there to end slavery either, in fact they were brought in to defend Porto-Novo after it was attacked by **British anti-slaving ships**, so in actuality they were **PROTECTING** slavery practices by protecting _against_ the anti-slaving efforts of the British. The _real_ reason the Franco-Dahomean wars kicked off is because the French then tried to lay claim for control over Porto-Novo and Cotonou in what was essentially a land-grab, a claim which Behanzin contested and fought back against.<br /> <br /> Seriously, people need to stop clutching their pearls when a movie portrays white people in a less-than-pleasant light. Which, news-flash: _white people have done bad things in history_, so come to terms with it and work towards being a better example rather than complaining about how "white people from 150 years ago are being portrayed in a bad light." Especially if you get the details wrong anyway.<br /> <br /> Also, I know you didn't mention this but general PSA for anyone else reading: stop pearl-clutching when a movie depicts strong black women kicking ass. Seriously, it's bad-ass, so stfu.<br /> <br /> I'm a white person and I approve this message because my identity isn't so fragile that I feel threatened by a movie that depicts the historically accurate fact that white people indeed participated in the slave trade.

2 years ago

@one_up let me summarise your ramblings real quick: wypipo bad cuz wypipo actually did bad things! Now let us glorify black people in peace despite the fact that black people did and are still doing bad things<br /> <br /> Sound about right? <br /> <br /> Fragility he says, lol, lmao. No, you are being outbred and replaced while your culture is actively being subverted, but you’re too indoctrinated/stupid to see the writing on the wall. Celebrating white culture? Le bad racism! Celebrating fake black history while erasing history? Wow so brave! Unlike you though, I’m not an american mutt, I don’t have to go along with your mental illness, and I’ll speak up and will continue to do so whenever I see fit.

2 years ago

@one_up I wonder why these people didn’t get upset when we got a movie glorifying an artist who’s a confirmed pedophile earlier this year. Oh wait that’s right, I do know why. It’s funny to see these extremists attempt morality for once, only for it to fail as per usual.

2 years ago

@fuckyoutoo23 wow, that post just told me _a lot_ about you. You honestly think "American mutt" is an insult? lmao, as you seem to be fond of saying. In referencing dogs, pure-breeds tend to be more prone to genetic defects and health problems that shorten their life-spans, while mutts are much hardier and long-lived because of genetic diversity... food for thought, personally I'd rather be a mutt.<br /> <br /> While I'd fight for your right to free speech, I too will continue to speak up whenever I see fit because of my right to the same, which in this case is in the face of thinly veiled racism put forth under the guise of 'fighting woke-ism' and completely missing the mark.<br /> <br /> No, your summary didn't quite pin the tail on the broad side of the barn if you get what I mean. Since you seem to prefer shorter, easier-to-comprehend sentences, here you go:<br /> <br /> - Movie shows black-on-black slavery, _including the Dahomey_, and portrays it as bad not glorified.<br /> - You claimed whites are portrayed as "evil", but they're barely in the movie and only because they're the buyers.<br /> - Movie shows the Dahomeans stopped participating in slavery during Ghoze's reign, which is historically true.<br /> - Movie conveniently leaves out that in reality they returned to practicing slavery 5 years later, agreed the movie is certainly dishonest there.<br /> - You claimed the white people were the French and that historically they were there to end slavery, which is wrong on both accounts.<br /> <br /> _That's_ the summary, you numpty.<br /> <br /> Also, on the 'fragility' backlash, you do realize the claim that white people are being "outbred and replaced" just translates to _"non-white people having babies is scaring me!"_ ...Not exactly well-tanned cajones of steel there, Tucker. But seriously, I wouldn't be associating myself with white replacement theory if I were you, do you _really_ wanna align yourself with the same thinking as the mass shooter in Buffalo so soon?<br /> <br /> By the way, "my culture" as an American is not subverted by the mixing of people and cultures from around the world, it's _strengthened_ by it. We are supposed to be the 'melting pot' of the world after all. Trying to combine the skills and positive traits of all peoples who wish to live here into one nation, _that's_ our true strength and too many people have lost sight of that goal. Only a culture that's so weak it thinks it can only survive by keeping others down with 'us vs. them' fear mongering could come up with something so ridiculous as white replacement theory.

2 years ago

@jordyep Right?! I bet they watched it and thought "what an American icon, no wonder he's revered as _The King_... Oh, all that 14 yr old girl stuff? Well, nobody's perfect..." while simultaneously and furiously posting about pizzagate on "Troth Senchal".

2 years ago

@one_up Yeah, in my opinion a storyteller shouldn’t feel obligated to include every aspect of a culture, or a person’s life. Stories need a point of view, and if the darker sides (regardless of whether it’s convenient to leave them out or not) aren’t needed, then that’s fine by me. Otherwise we’d need to touch on a lot of the same stuff every time we make a movie about any powerful figure from the 17th century or any famous rockstar, and that would get redundant very fast. Movies are a subjective experience anyway. As long as the storytelling feels authentic and doesn’t have immoral messaging, which is the case here, I don’t really see the issue.

2 years ago

@jordyep here here! very well said!