Magical Cat's Corner

Memoirs of a New World

I've seen two movies recently... Memoirs of a Geisha and The New World. I liked them both. Though they are very different movies, they both had gorgeous scenery, beautiful lead actresses, and a bit of controversy regarding their casting.

I have heard that people are upset because the two main actresses in Memoirs, Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeoh, are Chinese actresses playing Japanese Geishas. The main actress in The New World, Q'orianka Kilcher (had to look that one up on IMDB) is actually part Quechuan (South American Indian) and part Swiss (on a side note, she is also the singer Jewel's cousin), and she is playing a North American Indian.

Perhaps my opinion doesn't count on this matter, being that I am not Japanese but a mix of various European nationalities, Cherokee, and half of my heritage is a mystery, but I don't see what the big deal is. Actors are just that... ACTORS... playing a part. To me, a Chinese actress playing a Japanese person is no different than Renee Zellweger playing Bridget Jones or Jude Law playing an American. It is always arguable that someone else could have played a part better, whether they are of the same nationality as the character or not. People should just enjoy the story and the artistic interpretation of the people involved, in my opinion.