The newest rendition of “Wuthering Heights” has everyone’s socks in a twist, for various reasons. Emerald Fennell’s version of the film adaptation has sparked outrage from both viewers who have read the original material and those who have not; Heathcliff was not written as a white man in Emily Brontë’s book, as he was depicted by Jacob Elordi.
Whitewashing Heathcliff isn’t a one-off. Solely taking a look at the 14 distinct “Wuthering Heights” adaptations, every literary re-work has a white actor playing the character, except the 2011 film, directed by Andrea Arnold.
This cannot be a coincidence. And it has become a common occurrence in Hollywood.
Far too often, characters that are meant to be of color, written as such, from families or communities that are of color, characters that are known for their ethnicity or race, when they are brought to the big screen, they become White.
Not by mistake. Not by some loophole or wiggle room. Not by a vague description of the character at hand, so they technically could be white. No. These characters have literary evidence of being of color. There is no room to speculate whether this character is of color- they are- they are simply being whitewashed.
In the case of “Wuthering Heights,” the correct casting of Heathcliff is imperative to the true nature of the story. Whitewashing the character isn’t just a fluke of the casting decision; it alters the entire plot.
What is Whitewashing
Whitewashing is the practice of casting a white individual to play a role that is intended for a character of color. It is the idea of taking an identity and altering it to fit not what it was meant to be at its creation, but to create a different narrative. It’s discriminatory and, at times, can be a racist practice, changing these characters to make them white, to make them “fit in” better. It’s not always an obvious change.
Such an event does not just change the appearance of the story or film; it has more than a superficial impact. It silences stories that belong to people and characters of color. It takes something that should have been at the forefront and places it at the very back, to be ignored and disregarded. It minimizes the significance of characters and stories of color, giving the impression that their voices have no room to be heard. It caters to the idea that only white people are safe to be seen on screen. Actors and characters of color are too risky to portray, and it’s simply not worth it.
Whitewashing Heathcliff was not just a matter of finding a popular actor and sticking him in a new movie, regardless of how good Elordi is at his job.
It was a result of long-lasting erasure and dismissing characters that aren’t white. Of instilling this wrong and twisted idea that for a movie to do well, for a film to matter, for people to want to listen, a White person has to be at the center of it all. We all claim to want diversity, to want to see characters of different backgrounds on the big screens. But we have unfortunately grown accustomed to such a practice.
‘Star Power’
One of the main reasons studios cite when it comes to casting white actors in place of characters of color is “star power.” This school of thought basically means that executives and studio heads believe that white celebrities and actors are needed as the leads in movies to ensure their success. They give white actors roles designed and curated for characters of color as they think the audience will receive the story better that way; they do not trust an actor of color to be well received.
It’s basically just a cop-out. The money-based mindset isn’t true, either, as multiple movies with the largest names in Hollywood have flopped. To say that for a project to be successful, it must not bring any actors or characters of color to the front is a wildly outrageous thing to say.
Whitewashing characters in Hollywood takes away valuable opportunities for actors of color to work and share their experiences. They are swept off to the side, reduced to just a supporting actor or actress, although often, these films are based on cultures belonging to or similar to their own.
They are being kicked out of their own stories. Washed away-literally- and the audeince are left to sit in the absence of authentic experience. Stereotypes are left to grow. Questions are unanswered, or answered incorrectly by the wrong person. Eurocentric standards- beauty and otherwise- are left unchecked and remain the norm.
For Example…
“Wuthering Heights” is but one instance of many in Hollywood where whitewashing is apparent.
In the 2015 movie “Aloha,” Emma Stone’s character, Alison Ng, is of Chinese and Hawaiian descent. Stone, a white actress, was cast in the role of a native Hawaiian, taking away an opportunity from someone who fits that description.
The Marvel comic “Dr. Strange” portrays The Ancient One as an elderly Tibetan man. And yet, despite the literary evidence of this character not being white, the film brought in actress Tilda Swinton to play the role. The character went from being of color and providing representation to a community to being whitewashed and straying from the authenticity of the original works.
Another opportunity taken. A voice quieted. An actor of color disregarded once again.
The 2017 live-action of “Ghost in the Shell” had Scarlett Johansson step into the role of Major Motoko Kusanagi, a Japanese anime character originally. The movie faced a great deal of controversy over this decision.
A white actress taking over a role that was a character of color. Again.
Whitewashing Heathcliff
While it is not always the actor’s fault, we need to be more mindful and intentional about what we tolerate and what we will not. In almost every instance, the character being whitewashed has been clearly and obviously of color. Stories are left unhighlighted. Actors perfect for the role, who have a voice that needs to be uplifted, are pushed past.
Whitewashing Heathcliff was a continuation of a long and sad tradition in Hollywood. One born out of racism and the determination to keep representation to a limit, only touching on specific communities. And while this practice has been brought to light, and a slight change has begun, we must hold studio heads accountable and make sure that the appropriate actors are stepping into the roles they take.
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