Adapting Race from Literature to the Big Screen: The Diverse History of David Copperfield
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2021-07-19
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en
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Colour-blind casting is becoming more popular in the film industry, but its effect on the representation of people of colour (POC) is still relatively unknown. It is evident that ethnic minorities are heavily under-represented or misrepresented in media, but colour-blind casting may be a way to bring change to this. This thesis analyses Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019) in which colour-blind casting was employed and aims to bring attention to the effect of race-bending on POC representation. The historical context of Dickens’ David Copperfield becomes clear by analysing the novel in relation to class. A comparison between Iannucci’s film adaptation and Dickens’ novel, shows the differences between the works in relation to representation, discrimination, and historical context. Additionally, research and reports on representation and the importance of role models are applied to analyse the effect of colour-blind casting on David Copperfield and POC representation. The analysis shows that colour-blind casting is both a beneficial and a flawed way of creating diversity and inclusion in the film industry. While colour-blind casting creates acting opportunities for POC actors and more (healthy) role models for young POC, the race and ethnic history of the race-bended characters and the actors is often overlooked. If not done carefully, colour-blind casting could result in white-washing POC characters.
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Faculteit der Letteren