Netflix’s Cleopatra docudrama is controversial since it stars a Black woman.
Due to its casting decisions, particularly the use of a Black woman to play Cleopatra, Netflix’s docudrama on the life of ancient Egypt’s most well-known queen, Cleopatra, has sparked criticism.
People from Egypt are especially incensed and are protesting about how their history has been changed and their culture appropriated. In a lengthy statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities criticized Netflix for choosing Adele James, who it claims has “African features and dark skin,” as Queen Cleopatra “had light skin and Hellenistic (Greek) features.”
The three-part docudrama, which Jada Pinkett Smith produced and featured as Queen Cleopatra the multiracial British actor Adele James, was made available earlier today (May 10). It should be noted that there has previously been debate about Cleopatra’s skin tone.
Who was Cleopatra, the queen?
The Ptolemaic dynasty, which had Macedonian and Greek ancestry, controlled Egypt from the time Alexander the Great died in 323 BC until it was conquered and occupied by Octavian (later Emperor Augustus) in 30 BC. Cleopatra VII was its last empress.
Cleopatra is credited for preserving Egypt’s independence throughout her 21-year rule (51–30 BC) by using shrewd diplomacy and personal charisma in the face of the rapidly expanding Roman Empire. Thus, her suicide death signaled the end of Egyptian civilization as a dynamic, evolving society.
Cleopatra has captivated both historians and the general public over the years. Cleopatra has frequently been portrayed as a beguiling temptress in popular literature and movies that have told and rewritten her narrative.
What criticism has the Netflix docudrama received?
Critics assert that since the movie is deliberately presented as a documentary, it must be factually accurate.
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, “those making the film have to be accurate and it should be based on historical and scientific facts, to ensure that history and civilizations are not falsified.”
The movie is the subject of a formal complaint by an Egyptian attorney. “The fabrication of these facts is our main criticism. Being Black, White, or even Yellow is not important. We would also oppose if they intended to portray Cleopatra as a guy, as Mahmoud El-Semiry, the attorney who brought the complaint, told CBS News.
Netflix has been criticized for “blackwashing,” which refers to the forced inclusion of a Black character at the expense of truth for “political” motives.
What race was Cleopatra, though?
There is no concrete proof to support the assertions made by many scholars that Cleopatra was truly Black.
Author of Cleopatra: A Biography Duana W. Roller claims that Cleopatra was born in 69 BC into a dynasty that dated back 250 years. She descended from Ptolemy I, a Macedonian-Greek and close ally of Alexander the Great who established the dynasty. Ptolemy was eight generations older than Cleopatra.
Lack of information about the ladies in Cleopatra’s ancestors has led to concerns regarding her ethnicity. The origins of Cleopatra’s mother and grandmother are unknown, although the origins of the preceding six generations of the governing Ptolemies’ wives are quite certain to be Macedonian-Greek.
While the grandfather of Cleopatra had two Macedonian-Greek wives, he also had a concubine who may have been of Egyptian descent. The same is true of Cleopatra’s dad. Although the identities of Cleopatra’s mother and grandmother are unknown from modern historical sources, according to Roller, “while it is quite possible that Cleopatra was pure Macedonian Greek… it is probable that she had some Egyptian blood, although the amount is uncertain.”
Cleopatra most certainly did not have any Black African origin, according to Roller. Historical depictions of Cleopatra, including descriptions by Roman authors and relief art, also indicate that she had Greek features.
Should the actor’s race have any bearing on how Cleopatra is portrayed politically?
But labels like “Black” and “White” are comparatively new inventions, the result of European colonialism. The question, “Was Cleopatra Black (or White)?” arises from this. is less about Cleopatra and her realm and more about current racial and ethnic concerns and worries.
For example, Afrocentrists have long asserted that Egypt was the first Black nation from whom the ancient Greeks appropriated their innovative ideas. Cleopatra was a Black queen in their minds.This school of thought promotes a political agenda in a society where racism is still pervasive by standing in stark contrast to the traditional Eurocentric perspective of the world.
Even Cleopatra’s depictions as White, such as those in Liz Taylor’s 1963 film of the same name, Cleopatra, are, however, the product of politics. According to Kenan Malik, a well-known author on the history of race, “if the projection of Cleopatra as black is rooted in myth and wish fulfillment, that of her as “white” taps into racial fables,” The Guardian. Adele James’ casting is therefore just as “authentic” as Liz Taylor’s.
Politics also play a role in the complaint Egyptians have made about “falsifying facts.” The resistance to Afrocentrism as a “racist” movement and concerns about creating a distinct “national identity” are the causes of the critique.
“I don’t like the movie because it has an Afrocentric agenda,”Like the Eurocentrists and the far-right in Europe, they are imposing 21st-century identity politics and appropriateing ancient Egyptian history, according to Egyptian archaeologist Dr. Monica Hanna, who spoke to CBS News.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that no portrayal of Cleopatra in current times will be free of the political baggage of the time, regardless of the actor’s skin tone.
Find more interesting news on https://entspice.com/
Did you read: Chris Pratt thinks Timothée Chalamet is ‘America’s tastiest snack’| Interesting ENTSPICE News 2023
Also, Visit India’s Best Casting & Talent Platform https://castingvibe.com