Writer says ‘12 Years a Slave‘ used up the white guilt Mandela needed in order to be a successful movie.
According to the screenwriter of ‘Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom’, the movie did not do well because 12 Years a Slave “sucked up all the guilt about black people”.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom was not a box office success and was not well-liked by critics and William Nicholson, the screenwriter of ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom‘, Â explained why he thought the movie did not do well.
Nicholson pointed out in a recent interview at the Hay Festival in Wales, that the movie did not get the attention that he wanted.
“(America) were so exhausted feeling guilty about slavery that I don’t think there was much left over to be nice about our film.”
The screenwriter also pointed out that Mandela’s story was essentially boring.
“I know it sounds outrageous to say a thing like that, but when he came out of prison he made a speech and, God, you fell asleep,” he said.
There is a lot to be said about America’s history between African Americans and Caucasians. Sometimes it is negative but at times it is extremely positive. But, when a white guy who wrote a Nelson Mandela biopic, despite finding the man boring, it is very surprising he was the one called for the job.
At the end of the day, he cannot blame race relations, prior movies, or other factors as to why a movie did poorly. Perhaps it could have been solved if he was a better writer. What do you think? Do you think guilt makes movies profitable? Share with us your thoughts on the subject in the comments below!
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