... however last night I was watching the Graham Norton chat show. Olivia Colman was on promoting her latest film (or movie if you prefer) called Wicked Little Letters. It's based on a true story that happened in 1920s England and I think they've pretty much set the film in the same era. Note the film isn't a fantasy type affair where anything could be going on.
Cue clip of the film. Woman opens door and there's a female policewoman standing. This is historically ok as the first UK female policewoman was in 1915 with them becoming more prevalent in the 1920s. However the actor (or actress if you prefer) playing the part very obviously has dark skin. I'm not sure what ethnicity she's supposed to be in the film, in real life she's Singaporean. However when it comes to Asian/Black policewomen, the first one I can find started to serve with the Met in 1968 ... a fair bit after the 1920s.
I obviously understand dramas can be (and often are these days) flexible/fluid with history, timeframes and social constructs. However given this film is set in 1920s England, I think it's almost farcical to cast a dark-skinned actor in the role of female policewoman when this simply wouldn't have been possible at that time. I actually find this sort of thing quite insulting to the viewer. In a way, yes I understand not an important way, you could assert it's rewriting history.
Why not go the whole hog and have her drive away in a Vauxhall Viva?
I'm hoping this thread doesn't become a racist rant fest, that's not my intention in creating it. It's more the fact of dramas insulting our intelligence with things that, historically, simply couldn't have happened.
I have just watched said film and enjoyed it. However, as an historian I agree whole heartedly in your comments.
Given the context of the film, Patriarchy and social gender roles appear to have been portrayed as what can be said as typical of the era. I cannot therefore understand why then, that such inaccuracies appear in terms of ethnicity?
The first black Magistrate was in 1962 and the first black high court judge was in 2004.
Gladys Moss was the first female WPC and was a White female. Annan Vasan portrayed the character well, showing the frustrations many WPCs must have fealt at that time, given the meniality of duties given. Gladys was taught to ride a motorbike.
It can be argued that there were more Liberal households both before and at the time set of the film, in terms of female enfranchisement, Millicent Garrett Fawcett for example, but why give good detail to one area of society and not another. Today's values of inclusivity should not be imposed upon history as it portrays the wrong image of society in the 1920s. Female prejudice shown bh men in the two spheres was clearly portrayed by the treatment of the female police officer.
The fear of offending should not hold substance, to do so re-writes history. As television is a major source from which many gain so say facts of history, I cannot argue enough how important accurate portrayals are made.
I question how many might feel were Nelson Mandela played by a white person in the spirit of inclusivity or a White Othello...almost as bad as Anne Boleyn being portrayed by a black person.
My comments are purely about historical context. My objective is not to offend or to be racially prejudice which I am not in any form, but to protect real history.