MovieChat Forums > Poseidon (2006) Discussion > The Hispanics in the film ...

The Hispanics in the film ...


... all die, as well as the black captain. Does anybody else find this tendency to kill off the ethnic minority characters disturbing? It'd be a coincidence if it happened in one film (or TV programme - much as I love later Star Trek and Babylon 5, half their expendable redshirt pilots seemed to be Latino). However, it happens so often by now that you'd think scriptwriters would be more aware.

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They could have kept the "Valentine" character...great eye candy!

"Greater good??? I am your wife! I am the greatest good you are ever gonna get!"

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He sure was. I just watched this movie again, and I'm upset that I didn't realize how hot he was. I never really felt that bad when he dies until now. This time around, I wanted to cry.

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Anaconda - Jennifer Lopez

It's not the ethnicity but the wage level of the actors.

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I must say you took the words right our of my mounth.

I have notice such thing especially with the black characters, pay attention and will notice black characters always die in horrible ways or are the first ones to die.
Its a reality.

Films also attacks a lot Catholicism, a lot. Black characters and Catholicism.
Remember that all these films are made by US americans, or british, and non-Catholics, they usually against catholicism, and portrays their culture and points of views in films, so, thats why such things.

I agree with the hispanics in this film, it´s too obvious.
The CATHOLIC hispanic stowaway girl, it attacks the hispanics and the Catholic faith...

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"I have notice such thing especially with the black characters, pay attention and will notice black characters always die in horrible ways or are the first ones to die.
Its a reality. "

Apparently you didn't watch...
Friday the 13th Part 5
Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5
Nightmare on Elm Street Part 6
Halloween H20
Halloween Resurrection
Alien vs Predator
Earthquake
Jaws - The Revenge
Child's Play 3

just off the top of my head.

I DID pay attention. You apparently paid attention to what you wanted to see and ignored what didn't back up your racist theory.

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Also:

Predator
Predator 2
Depp Blue Sea
The Thing (debateble though at ending)
Anything with Will Smith

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Not really trying to fan the flames, but I think both sides need to look at the facts. Even with the movies you and Pez79 have sited, there are still a multitude of movies that either kill off minorities quickly or at some point in the film. If you count all movies (Hollywood. Let's not get into the rest of the world), a small percentage has minorities in the leads. I remember, as a kid, that minorities tended to die quite quickly in films. If not quickly, then they usually didn't last to the end.

On the other hand, things have gotten better in the last 15 years or so. There are more minorities in the leads and participating in the production of a film. It has taken a while. And we tend to stop focusing on certain minorities, eg Native Americans, when other groups move forward. The struggle does exist, but that doesn't mean that the picture is as bad as some would like to paint it.

It's not a racist theory to feel that minorities often die. That's just a statement based on observation.

But I have questions: Why is everyone so focused on whether a minority lives or dies? Shouldn't we be more focused on the character and acting skills? And, why is it when a minority character dies, people assume they must not be important, but when a white character dies, the death is a sign of integrity and strength as an actor. In Poseiden, white and minority characters died. I thought all the deaths were tragic regardless of whether the character was a lead or supporter. Why are people so intent on seeing everything in black and white? Just a thought.

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I'm not one to bring up race when it comes to fictional movies, but I agree with OP. In fact it's a pretty known fact that black characters especially are ALWAYS killed off in movies. Exceptions might be if there are more than one black character (or other minority in the movie), (like Anaconda) but even then it often happens. If the white characters outnumber the minorities you can count on all or most of the minority characters to die.

It doesn't bother me all that much, but it is kinda disturbing.

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Catholicism just as any other religion should be attacked and ridiculed. They are all equally stupid, poisonous and dangerous!

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As ValkyrieOakenshield74 points out:

Remember that all these films are made by US americans, or british, and non-Catholics, they usually against catholicism, and portrays their culture and points of views in films, so, thats why such things.


These films are American, I for one wouldn't expect a film made by Catholics to be pro Christian so why should a Christian film be pro Catholic? for that matter why should a British and or American film be pro any other nation?

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Catholics are Christians. If your brand of superstition is the bible then you are a Christian no matter what sub-cult of it you profess yourself to.

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Ghost Ship - First to die, the Hispanic, Next the African American

My thoughts are with you!

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[deleted]

Oh what and it is ok that the white people died? OH NO A MINORITY JUST DIED!!! Oh hey look that white dude just died. That is such a common reaction.

MAI ROFLCOPTER IT GOAS SOI SOI SOI SOI SOI SOI SOI

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What I found 'interesting' was that a transatlantic voyage on a British ship (I'm assuming that because the port of registry on the back was Southampton) between Southampton and New York (again assumed) - only seemed to have Americans passengers and was crewed, likewise almost exclusively by North Americans...

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The kind of people who bring up this issue are making waves just to make waves. No pun intended, of course, in reference to the movie.

I'll tell you what MY pro-active mind gauged: that a black man was the captain of that magnificent ship. Not that he died, along with several thousand others of various ethnicity, I might add.

And not to ignore the differences that make us all oh-so-very-special, but. . .it shouldn't matter that he was a black man or a Hispanic man or woman. They were people. And they died. And that's horrifying in and of itself and should speak to our humanity rather than our need to fuel some sort of non-existent racist-crazy fire.

If this is a real issue that is being raised because one is considering the true matter of racism, then so be it. It would be interesting to take a real look at the cross-section of film over time and plot out where people of ethnicity other than Caucasian are "sacrificed".

But, in this case, I'm detecting the faint odor of troll in the air.

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I was SURE that the suicidal gay architect played by Richard Dreyfuss would bite the dust early and extremely shocked to see him make it to the end.

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The kind of people who bring up this issue are making waves just to make waves. No pun intended, of course, in reference to the movie.

of course you intended that pun, you twat...that's why you typed it in....


My vote history:

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=27933371

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Hahaha. Wow, I just now found this reply. 5 years later.

Nice contribution, d i c k.

************
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Team AXL Pendergast

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I most certainly am not trolling with my post on this topic. It would indeed be interesting to conduct a cross-section of film as you say, and if I had the time for such an epic task I would.

What I find most baffling is this notion that any hint of racism must be "non-existent" (not to mention that we should be so horrified at the fictional death of these fictional characters that pausing to consider the construct of their reality in this fictional film is somehow disrespectful). Racism exists: it still does. To think otherwise is wilful delusion. And I believe that the throwaway details in throwaway films are often more indicative of people's attitudes than those in films made specifically about the characters involved. I haven't conducted the scientific census you propose, but from my experience of watching films, I seem to recall an awful lot of Hispanics being popped off in this sort of film. In fact, it takes until the 4th (count 'em, 4. that was some marathon) Tremors film for any to definitively survive.

As for the "thousands of extras died" argument, again i refer you to the fictional construct of a film. They do not exist as characters, merely background to emphasise the tragedy. The characters we follow in this sort of story are the ragtag group of survivors organised in order of expendability - see any monster B-movie for reference. A step up from the nameless redshirts, but not quite the heroes yet. The way these characters are treated IS indicative: one need only look at 2012 and how "immoral" characters are treated there, not to mention the husband who dies the instant he outlives his usefulness.

This is a perfectly valid topic for discussion and I am not the first person who have ever made note of how ethnic minorities (or indeed, other groups: the "immoral" characters, see horror movies and loss of virginity. or for that matter, disproportionately high amount of nubile young women in horror films) are treated in films. I find the ethnic minority thing particularly disturbing, however, precisely because it has nothing to do with the characters that have been created for the actors but rather their appearance.

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Wow your a moron. Just shut up and enjoy the film. Don't be a whiny lil b*tch.

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Heh. Well, you've certainly convinced me.

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I also noticed that the triditional "black guy" was replaced by a hispanic girl. Had to log into IMDB to see if anybody else caught it too ..... :[

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hmm....was offended there was no Asian on that love boat! Thanks for giving me a chance to contribute my allowance for racial stereo typing.

My life isn't any better than yours.

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