"The Forest" movie accused of whitewashing

[Morphine Prince 104,440]

**This Is So Much Worse Than Whitewashing**
*Why I'm Boycotting Hollywood's Newest Movie "The Forest"*

As an Asian-American, I am no stranger to seeing my people whitewashed on the silver screen. It happened in "The Conqueror" when John Wayne played Genghis Khan and it's scheduled to repeat in 2017 when Scarlett Johannson stars as as Major Motoko Kusanagi in "Ghost in the Shell."

But NONE of these films compares to the whitewashing in Hollywood's newest movie "The Forest." This is by far the most sickening, low-class piece of **** I have EVER seen. Before I talk about why this is possibly the worst whitewashed Asian movie in history, you NEED to understand the context of this story and what "Forest" this movie is referring to.

Here's the scoop.

West of Tokyo, Japan at the base of Mt. Fuji is a stretch of forest called Aokigahara. Aokigahara is known for its lush and green foliage that remains fertile all year long. Walk along the trails and you'll see petite trees that ebb and flow with the wind and a ground painted with a thick layer of furry moss. But underneath this excessive life, woven between the leaves and bushes, is the exact opposite of life: death.

For 30 years, residents of Japan have come to the Aokigahara forest to commit suicide. Most hang themselves, others overdose on medication, and a select few hide deep in the woods and force themselves into dehydration and starvation. Rotting corpses hang from the branches and skeletons with the clothes intact are scattered all around.

In Japan, suicide is a national crisis. While America ranks 50th in yearly suicide rates, Japan is at a chilling 17th place with an estimated 70 suicides per day. Some are pressured into suicide by the stress of Japan's overwhelming work culture while others do it because of unemployment. One major factor that isn't as highly recognized due to Japanese social stigma is depression and mental health.

Japan's rigorous culture of conformity heavily stigmatizes those with mental health issues. Many Japanese have grown content with suicide and see it as a "reasonable" solution. In reality, suicide is an epidemic and is the second leading cause of death in the country.

*Why "The Forest" Is Worse Than Regular Whitewashed Hollywood Films*

"The Forest," a HORROR movie which stars a BLONDE WHITE GIRL, takes place in Aokigahara. So not only did they whitewash a movie and sidestep the opportunity to cast an Asian actress, they COMPLETELY DISRESPECTED the fact that Suicide Forest IS A REAL ****ING PLACE where the Japanese go to end their life. And it's not like these suicides happened 400 years ago. This is happening RIGHT. NOW. Over one hundred bodies are found in Aokigahara every single year. 

To put this into perspective, imagine if a white-skinned Italian film director made a movie about police brutality and anti-Black violence in America, filmed the movie in America, but cast non-Black Italian actors.

The ABSOLUTE WORST thing about this film is the erasure of mental health issues among Asians worldwide. The model minority myth doesn't just assume that Asians are universally intelligent or rich, it also assumes that we're able-bodied and don't suffer from mental illness. 

NO ONE talks about mental health among Asians. NO ONE talks about disabled Asians. Why? Because everyone believes that we're rich and smart enough to access healthcare. 

Newflash: WE AREN'T

"The Forest" had an opportunity to address an issue that is LITERALLY killing Japanese citizens by the thousands. An issue that would have hit home with many Asian-Americans who also suffer from mental illness and depression. But instead of reaching out and confronting a problem that exists and is on-going, Hollywood turned it into a horror movie and whitewashed its cast, thus dehumanizing not only Asians around the globe affected by mental health, but those who have already committed suicide.

Words cannot describe my level of disgust. Hollywood can dehumanize me all it wants. It can cast me as the Asian side-kick in every movie, emasculate me with characters who never get the girl, and erase my history by whitewashing Bruce Lee or Sesue Hayakawa. But why this? Why erase mental health among Asians? Why stab an already invisible community that is suffering in silence?

**** this movie.
**** whoever this shitty actress is for taking on the role.
And **** **** **** Hollywood for SHITTING ON those affected by mental health.

 — with Non-existent Y.

 

[PaperIz 7,338]

I see what they mean, but it's a horror movie, not a documentary about mental health. It would have been nice to have a Japanese cast though.

[Seeka 12,372]

I have no problem with the Major Matoko thing, honestly. Who believes anime is based on actually Japanese people? And it probably will only be popular with the actors and fandom.

But PaperIz has a lovely point. It's a horror movie, not a documentary. They could've done a lot, by hiring a Japanese cast, but it's a horror movie. About ghosts and japanese spirits. It is bound to be whitewashed.

 

Are we sure this is an original movie, though? Many Asia based movies usually have some sort of original version of whatever American movie that is based in Asia.. Like the Grudge and Mirrors.

 

Will something should be done, never expect Hollywood to do anything about it.
 

 

[PdogtheDaibutsu 717]

Like there aren't white people in Japan too? Its just a horror movie. Not some sort of educational video. 

[Zsolti 2,688]

racisme

[Chic 20,830]

t-T-TRiGggerEDDD

[Sizzily 14,543]

Meh. 

I could actually pretend to care about "Gods of Egypt" or whatever the f**k that movie was but this is stupid. 

 

[Eros92 2,496]

Welcome to 2015, the year everyones offended!!!

Over reacting MUCH.

First off it's a horror movie.. I mean like stated about its not a documentary about the metal health system in Japan and the suicide rate. I mean come on, when they make a WW2 movie and they don't show anything about all the lives that were lost in concentration camps are we suppose to be mad that the movie for it not touching upon that? No of course not. Second, so it has a white protagonist. From what I gather from the trailer the main character is from american and goes looking for her sister or whatever that went missing in the woods.. she doesn't have to be asian. And they also DO NOT "COMPLETELY DISRESPECTED the fact that Suicide Forest IS A REAL ****ING PLACE where the Japanese go to end their life". The trailer highlights some points about what the forest is about and I'm sure there will be more in movie context about it. I mean to me it looks like a accurate representation of the actual Forest which IS SAID to be haunted. And I mean to be the film IS actually highlighting the fact that suicide IS a problem there. 

Honestly I'm rather excited about this movie. Japan has such a rich history of this kinda paranormal stuff and I love it. I think people these days are becoming WAY over sensitive about things. Its a movie made for entertainment purposes and guess what, when it's released people WILL google the crap outta that place and read more about it and learn! 

[Hellspont 1,468]

but margaery tyrell 

[Tokyo Rose 1,475]

It's an American film. I'm sure Japan has already covered this as well in their media

[Snorlax 6,061]

yasss taylor

[DrewStevens 5,249]

First of all this is not the first movie that is based on a real tragedy where real people suffered and died ends up being a fictional movie with fictional characters. Titanic, Remember Me, The Strangers, The Amityville Horror, The Hills Have Eyes, Open Water, The Silence Of The Lambs... Also this is not the first movie based on the legends of this forest. 

Yes it is a tragedy and it's happening right now but they are not selling this movie as if it was a true story.

The girl in the movie is supposed to be an American who goes to the forest looking for her disappeared sister. Native people tell her not to go but she does anyway, she is supposed to be an outsider that's how most horror movies work. It's not like if they were forcing a real non-white character to be white (for example Gods of Egypt). 

"erasure of mental health issues among Asians" that has to be the most ridiculous part of this rant. I have never heard a single person saying that Asian have no mental health issues because they are "intelligent and rich". 

 

[Future Lover 2,588]

"'The Forest,' a HORROR movie which stars a BLONDE WHITE GIRL, takes place in Aokigahara. So not only did they whitewash a movie and sidestep the opportunity to cast an Asian actress,"

The trailer literally shows her leaving America and landing in Japan to search for her sister. Idk why he's trying to reach and claim that it's whitewashed.

[pink sushi 4,351]

JEEZ....people need to ****ing CHILL.

As everyone has been saying, it's a fictional horror film, not a documentary. I think maybe they could have cast more Asian actors in the film since it takes place in Japan.....but I think the main character is supposed to be from America and travels to Japan looking for her sister. So there's no reason for her to be Asian if she's just visiting Japan. But I don't know about Taylor's character.... I think he plays some tour guide or something. In THAT case it should be someone Japanese. A white person being a Japanese tour guide is just so hard to believe.... 

[Tove Lo 2,481]

1 hour ago, PaperIz said:

I see what they mean, but it's a horror movie, not a documentary about mental health. It would have been nice to have a Japanese cast though.

Exactly this.

From what I'm gathering from what the movie is kind of about (I haven't watched the trailer and I've only read the small description they gave here) it seems like they're putting another dark horror element to the forest which seems cool. 

Like you said, it's not a documentary, it's a horror movie and it's about a creepy scary place.

But yes it would have been nice if they casted some asian actors as well but of course they should cast one who are actually good actors and not just random ones just because they're asian.