Nowadays, there can sometimes be a lot of oversight of certain casting choices in movies and TV shows. It’s something we’ve seen recently amid some criticism from other actors of Brendan Fraser’s casting as a gay obese man in The whale. Now, in a new interview with The New York Times, Armageddon time director James Gray has commented on its decision to cast non-Jewish actors in Jewish roles, despite the potential controversy that may accompany it.
During the interview, Gray is asked about some of the criticisms leveled against the film in various reviews. After refuting some claims, it is put forward that in the film, actors like Anthony Hopkins, who are not Jewish, play Jewish characters. Gray strongly supports his casting and condemns the statement that only Jewish actors should be sought for these roles, because that would only lead to stereotyping. As Gray, a Jewish filmmaker who developed the film based on his real-life upbringing, puts it:
“I am also very annoyed by that. Because that means that what people want is [puts on a Yiddish accent] “Hello, I’m the Jewish grandfather!” But my grandfather was not like that. And I’m Jewish – I reserve the right to cast someone like Anthony Hopkins. Does that person watch The Godfather and complain that Marlon Brando from Omaha, Neb. coming and not an Italian New Yorker? At some point we have to recognize that our whole function as artists is to try to step into someone else’s consciousness and find compassion and find some emotional strength in doing that. The criticism would, I may say, be justified if I tried to tell the story from Johnny’s perspective. That would be stupid. But it’s my story. And you don’t have to say that my story is valuable, but that’s another criticism.”
Johnny refers to a friend of the film’s protagonist, sixth-grader Paul Graff (Banks Repata), who is heavily based on Gray. Johnny, played by Jaylin Webb, is a black classmate who also faces racism and discrimination in 1980’s Queens. The film also explores Johnny’s relationship with his parents (Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong) and grandfather (Anthony Hopkins).
Armageddon Time takes us back to 1980
As for the film’s title, Gray recently made that clear in an interview with MovieWeb. Gray told us how the title Armageddon time has many meanings and felt like the perfect name for the movie when you consider all it encompasses.
“I didn’t want the title to be just about one specific thing. With the title, it’s a personal Armageddon for the kids. It’s society, the beginning of a kind of potential Armageddon for the idea of democracy itself. I think we’ll see that now. This is not a given, our democracy. The politicians were constantly talking about Armageddon because of the Cold War with the Soviet Union in 1980. Then of course I was a huge Clash fan and I listened to the song Armagideon time again and again.”
The director further explained:
“So I saw it as having multiple meanings, and not really about one thing, but about that sense of threat. The pressure you feel in a subconscious and semi-conscious way as a youth growing up, when politicians talk about Armageddon, but when there’s bad things happen to you, if it feels like the end of the world for you, and then of course all the dangers we now face.”
Armageddon time is now in cinemas. You can watch the official trailer below.