Writer/director Guy Ritchie has built a career ripping-off fellow auteur Quentin Tarantino in nearly every way. The hallmarks of a number of his films include: criminal protagonists; characters who seem unrelated but eventually cross paths; brutal violence...and casual racism.
Ritchie's first two feature-length films, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch contain a Black gangster and a trio of Black criminals, respectively, who are little more than objects of ridicule who function as virtual jesters. Even Ritchie's Disney movie, the live-action remake of Aladdin, was plagued by accusations of the widespread use of brownface. According to several crew members, dozens of white background performers were hired and made-up to appear as though they were native to the fictional Middle-Eastern kingdom of Agrabah. The official excuse was that there weren't enough actors with naturally brown skin who possessed the specialized skills needed for the movie. Nevermind that Bollywood is full of such performers.
Ritchie's latest effort, The Gentlemen, is no different.
A Black woman and a Black guy are ordered around like serfs at the white gangster-owned auto shop at which they work. Later, a Black henchmen, Bunny (short for Jungle Bunny?), is the only one of his fellow goons to not apprehend his target -- and, as a consequence, he's the only one to be ridiculed. And a Black guy is yelled at in the gym by the same white guy who explains to him that it's not racist to call him a "black cunt".
The racial insults aren't limited to the Black characters, though. And no, this doesn't mean that they respond in kind to their white assailants. Chinese characters are humiliated both in a fantasy sequence and in actuality. And nearly all of them are murdered. Of course, there are lots of Asian racial slurs just for good measure. In case you were wondering, none of the white gangsters die -- despite being career criminals who've dedicated themselves to a life of violence.
Originally Posted 1/5/21
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