But it has been noted in the press and by many commentators on Twitter, that only in her case is her original skin tone concealed, by digital whitewashing. The central character, Victoria – the white cat, ballerina and ingenue – is played by a dancer of dual heritage, Francesca Hayward. Oversexed: Rum Tum Tugger played by Jason Derulo. Jason Derulo recreates the oversexed Rum Tum Tugger bedecked in hip-hop apparel. This is doubly unfortunate given the history of the character on stage – played by several black actors including Ken Page on Broadway and Quentin Earl Darrington in the 2016 revival. Grizabella’s saviour, Old Deuteronomy, comes in the distinctly white form of Judi Dench. Grizabella the outcast is also a character of colour, played, as we have heard, by Jennifer Hudson. Macavity, the criminal – originally a ginger cat – is now Idris Elba, clad in rich brown digital fur. In the Cats movie, black actors portray marginalised characters. For example, American academic and theatre-maker Jessica Brater and her co-authors have noted (in Theatre Journal – not available online) how the character of Donkey in Shrek The Musical – an adaptation from Eddie Murphy’s voicing of the character from the animated film – embodies the lineage of minstrelsy in operation on the Broadway stage. It could be argued that anthropomorphised animal characters have the potential to express racial bias at its most troubling. Since black-face minstrelsy, musical theatre has had a fraught history with race. This confuses our expectations of the screen versus the stage even further.īut none of these issues prepare us for the central problem with the 2019 Cats – the racial bias evident in characterisation. Hushed vocals, made for film, contrast with large-scale, theatrical choreography (much borrowed from the stage show). In fact, most of her big number, Memory, is almost spoken. Tragic diva: Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella. An exception is made for Jennifer Hudson’s powerful voice (as Grizabella), which we are primed for by her fame as a singer and a preview of her big moment in the trailer. The director, Tom Hooper, chose quiet, up-close delivery, similar to the effect he chose for his 2012 musical film version of Les Misérables, prioritising intimate vocals over the projection needed in a stage show. There’s also a big difference between the way music works on stage and on screen – and if you saw the musical, your expectations for the film might leave you disappointed. Uncanny valley: why we find human-like robots and dolls so creepy Are these human-like cats, or cat-like humans? Is the feline characterisation erotic or innocent? Is this a movie for adults or children? In digital film, an effect recently described as “ uncanny valley” – the slightly creepy effect created by use of technology to alter images – means that we find hybrid bodies disconcerting, as our expectations are confused. In a moment that may be an in-joke, the character Jennyanydots wonders if Rum Tum Tugger has been neutered. Cats as a stage show, with its 1980s unitards, was heavy on sex appeal – particularly Rum Tum Tugger, whose hip-thrusting choreography conjured up animalistic hedonism.Ĭriticism of the movie has fixated on CGI choices, the grafting of moving ears, tails and “digital fur”, and removal of human parts in pursuit of the “U” rating. Much of the controversy over the Cats adaptation has focused on how bodies are represented and viewed. The audience for this film is made up of musical theatre fans as well as other moviegoers who may not have the same expectations – and the film must make sense for both groups. Nearly four decades later, Universal Pictures adapted the show for the big screen and the resulting film was released in December 2019.
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