[videowaywire video_id=”Y1XW1938W5KSP839″]
*Will Smith’s new Netflix film “Bright” has been torn to pieces by critics, and now Chance the Rapper
has joined the fray with what he sees as the film’s “shallow” attempt to mirror America’s race problem.
Directed by David Ayer, “Bright” is set in an alternate reality where humans and mythical creatures live side by side, with orcs as the minority. Smith’s character, a cop, gets paired with the LAPD’s first orc officer, played by Joel Edgerton.
“Wondering how you guys are feeling about the lynched [orc] in #BrightMovie,” Chance began a five-tweet thread. “I found the way they tried to illustrate [America’s] racism through the mythical creatures to be a little shallow.”
He continued, “I always feel a lil cheated when I see allegorical racism in movies ’cause that racism usually stems from human emotion or tolerance, but not by law or systems, the way it is in real life. The characters in ‘Bright’ live in a timeline where racism is gone… cause we hate [orc] now.”
Another user suggested the creators weren’t “trying to make a metaphor.” Chance pointed to a controversial scene where Smith’s character says, “Fairy lives don’t matter,” in reference to the Black Lives Matter movement. In response to that particular criticism, the film’s writer, Max Landis, tweeted, “I believe the ‘Fairy Lives Don’t Matter’ line was an adlib by Will Smith, but I don’t know for sure.”
View the thread below:
Wondering how you guys are feeling about the lynched ork in #Brightmovie
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 27, 2017
I found the way they tried to illustrate americas racism through the mythical creatures to be a little shallow. #Brightmovie
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 27, 2017
I always feel a lil cheated when I see allegorical racism in movies cause that racism usually stems from human emotion or tolerance but not by law or systems the way it is in real life. The characters in #Bright live in a timeline where racism is gone… cause we hate ork now ?
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 27, 2017
I think the idea is that they’re a step below bottom of the spectrum blackness. Which is why Will’s character, the Mexican cop and the ork have that dialogue in the street. https://t.co/LaFMysw2WG
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 27, 2017
Is there any chance that they weren’t trying to make a metaphor and just try to make an interesting story?
— LaVern Ball (@Curlsngurls) December 27, 2017
I tried to look at it that way but a few minutes into the movie they make wills character say “Fairy Lives don’t Matter” https://t.co/j721N38cdR
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 27, 2017
I believe the “Fairy Lives Don’t Matter” line was an adlib by Will Smith, but I don’t know for sure.
— WATCH DIRK GENTLY ON NETFLIX JANUARY 5th (@Uptomyknees) December 21, 2017
Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg loved the film, calling it “hard AF” and highly recommending it.
