Exodus: Gods and Kings , the biblical mega-production of Ridley Scott, to the taste of the big Hollywood studios, will no longer pass the cinemas of Egypt and Morocco. The authorities of these two countries have banned the screening of the film that recreates the life of Moses and the deliverance of the Jewish people in ancient Egypt even the day before the premiere. Reason? Rab at did not elaborate, but merely to inform the owners of the rooms that they should cancel all sessions through the State that controls the film industry, the Moroccan Cinema Center. In Cairo, the censorship committee of the Ministry of Culture based much of their decision on the fact that the new production that Moses as the central figure. According to Islamic tradition, any representation of the prophet is considered offensive, recalled on Thursday the newspaper online The Cairo Post .
In a statement released by the Egyptian press, the committee responsible for this censorship, Abdel Sattar Fathi, notes, however, that the prohibition is not only a religious reasons: “The film contains historical fallacies. That’s why we had to ban it without even consulting any other body. “
Who reads the document Ministry of Egyptian Culture realizes effortlessly that there is a mix of reasons behind the decision: the authorities criticize Ridley Scott and his team for turning the prophet – this version Moses is played by Christian Bale – in general; in attributing the separation of the waters in the Red Sea – “a miracle mentioned in the Koran and that is not negotiable” – an earthquake; and for presenting the Jewish slaves as the builders of the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza Plateau, where is accepted by most that historically, these monuments have been erected around 2540 BC, about 500 years before the biblical tradition to account the existence of Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch.
Abdel Sattar Fathi still denies that Scott’s spend a “distorted” image of the Egyptians, presenting them as “demagogues” intent on pursuing and torture Jews.
This decision was expected in Egypt, observers say, after earlier this year, the same committee have prevented Noah , film directed by Darren Aronofsky with Russell Crowe as the protagonist, came to the rooms.
It would not be surprising that the same representation of Moses, also important figure for Muslims, was at the base of the ban decreed by Rabat. In some cases, the ban was communicated to exhibitors few hours before the premiere and accompanied by threats of closure of rooms case insisted on passing the new epic, reports the Spanish newspaper ABC .
dispute Movie
This is not the first time that Exodus: Gods and Kings opens the debate. In the days before the premiere in the United States, Rupert Murdoch, the boss of the distributor of the film, the 21st Century Fox and Ridley Scott himself had to come forward to defend their choices to the list.
It is a strong movement in social networks called for the boycott of the epic in that all relevant papers – the main concern figures of the Middle East and North Africa – have been given to white actors. The black and Asian performers, defended, can be found only among the extras, the servants and slaves.
“Moses film was attacked on Twitter because of its white cast,” Murdoch wrote in November in your account this social network. “Since when did the Egyptians are not white? All I know are. “
At the same time, the director went on to say that if he had made other choices, would hardly have convinced studios to invest in new production. “I can not mount a film with this budget (…) and say that my main actor is the Mohamed-don’t-know-the-many of what’s-of-where. Simply could not finance, “said the magazine Variety .
But the popular movement insisted and reminded Scott and the American film industry that would not take up their minds black actors which usually ensure blockbusters such as Denzel Washington and Will Smith to play as Presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Why do it then with biblical figures of the Middle East and North Africa?
No comments:
Post a Comment