New LONE RANGER Trailer

[filkertom]

Houston, we might have a problem:

I'm actually... intrigued. Depp does a frighteningly good vocal Silverheels. Arnie Hammer actually seems right for the role. And, hey -- Helena Bonham Carter in a corset.

Thoughts?

Comments

[xenologer]

I will probably not go see this. I am less than grateful to see Johnny Depp chew up racial stereotypes and spit them out as something allegedly new and shiny. His intent may have been good, but it wouldn't be hard to do more research and be more careful than he has obviously been.

Johnny Depp As Tonto: I’m Still Not Feeling ‘Honored’

What we have here is a case of an extreme mismatch between intent and impact. Johnny Depp might have entered this project with the nobelest of intentions, hoping to “honor” his heritage, “re-invent” the role of Natives in Hollywood, give Tonto more agency, and move him from his sidekick status–but he went about it in exactly the wrong way.

I don’t know what the right way would have been, perhaps going to talk to some Comanche community members (turns out Tonto is “full blooded Comanche” in this version, not Apache as I had reported earlier) to ask how they would feel comfortable being portrayed on the big screen–or if they even felt comfortable at all. I know the right way would have been doing a little more research into Hollywood portrayals of Native peoples, and realizing that picking your costume from a non-Native painter who openly admits he has no regard for historical accuracy would probably be a bad idea. Many people have given Johnny a free pass because of his Native heritage, but I think that means we should hold him to a higher standard. If he is serious about honoring his ancestors and his past, he needs to realize that costuming Tonto like a fantasy Indian stereotype is not helping Native people, and his “intent” in the portrayal doesn’t save him.

[sepdet]

This.

The outfit pains me. It is very, very difficult not to play Tonto as the Native American analog of the Magical Negro, and what I've seen so far does not inspire me with confidence.

Carter does look like she's having fun in this, though.