The Hollywood industry has always been accused of white-washing their films by usually not having any people of color be a massive part of a film. However, that was before, because things have definitely changed now for the better.
They are slowly producing films that are not just diverse but are also focusing on other ethnicity’s point of view. This is one of the main reasons why Marvel’s Black Panther have actually received such incredible reviews, because it is the first solo superhero film that has a male lead who is not white.
Another non-white film is causing a stir right now and that is the romantic-comedy film Crazy Rich Asians. Most people believe that it has been such a long time coming that a full Asian film will be produced in Hollywood. The last time a major Hollywood studio like Warner Bros. has produced a film with majority Asian leads was actually more than 20 years ago with the Joy Luck Club.
The film, which will be released this coming August 15 in the United States, was basically about a young Asian American woman who had no idea that the guy she was dating turned out to be one of Asia’s most eligible bachelor and that he came from such a big and rich family, that she would meet in Singapore.
Crazy Rich Asians Controversy
The film may be such a breath of fresh air for some but it is expected that a film that would be based on culture may face controversy. This is precisely what happened even before the film had their premiere a few days ago.
The film is actually an adaptation of the 2013 comedic novel of the same name that was written by Kevin Kwan. Obviously, it was all about the Asians but the film adaptation faced controversy when they cast the lead male as someone who is half-white. Lead actor, Henry Golding was born and raised in Asia, until they moved to the west when he was a teenager.
#CrazyRichAsians opens August 15th. Read below to understand why it means so much to so many people. All love. @CrazyRichMovie @FreshOffABC @WarnerBrosEnt pic.twitter.com/IISLRDMRjU
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) August 1, 2018
The controversy started when he was cast since apparently, other Asian actors such as Nick Young and Jamie Chung were rejected since they aren’t ethnically Chinese. Some critics said that Golding being biracial seemed as they can’t really find an Asian man that would be worthy enough for the role, so they had to pick someone who is half-white. The film is also set in Singapore, but many criticisms were thrown because of the fact that the Chinese or East Asian actors dominated the film since they are Asians with white skin.
This then cost major controversy because the film is making it seem as if only Asian who are light-skinned are the ones who are rich. Singapore is known for their Malay and Indian ethnicity, but the film didn’t cast anyone who has a darker skin despite the fact that it would be more accurate that way. South and Southeast Asians, were not part of the film. The language that was used was also criticized since everyone’s accent in the film was either American and British when they’re conversing in English.
Constance Wu’s Premiere Dress
Despite all the criticisms, the premiere night last Tuesday at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles was definitely a success. The film’s lead star Constance Will, definitely made an entrance and a long-lasting impression when she arrived with a dazzling dress from Ralph and Russo.
For the @CrazyRichMovie premiere I got to wear a beautiful @ralphandrusso couture gown, 490 Hours of Embroidery, 90 Carats of Diamonds and I arrived in a @rollsroycecars Ghost. Not bad for a little ol' theatre kid from RVA!! #CrazyRichAsians #RVA https://t.co/U7b9CvPpcK pic.twitter.com/YywUPYSHJ0
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) August 9, 2018
The dress was actually chosen by her stylist Micaela Erlanger, when she saw it in Paris at a fashion show. The dress that Wh wore at the premiere was an off-shouldered dress that is covered in Swarovski crystals that have a somewhat distinctive silk fringe to it. It turns out that the said dress was purely hand-embroidered and it took 490 hours to make. That is because of the 200,000 pieces of crystal that were manually stitched to it. The tassels on the dress were said to be what gave it elegance.
Details of Look 18 from the Spring Summer 2018 Couture Collection worn by @ConstanceWu at the premiere of Crazy Rich Asians #ralphandrusso #randrstars pic.twitter.com/ecmoB01O2z
— Ralph & Russo (@ralphandrusso) August 8, 2018
The film is all about class and prestige, no more and no less. Having its lead star look as if she is overpowering with elegance is something that her typist aimed to do. Erlanger even explained that the tassels have always represented power and prestige which made them look as if it is one of the most expensive dress ever made.