The story is developing well until now. The set is astonishing, the dialogue and acting top-notch. Except Cem Sultan who is a major stumbling block (two more strikes like this and I'm out). His depiction is shocking especially considering this episode was released in 2011 not 1911 and especially so when contrasted with the other acting and research which is exquisite.
First, Cem Sultan's accent: no one talks like that. This is a stereotypical Hollywood "Arabian" accent. Why have an accent in the first place? Did the citizens of Rome at that time have British accents. Somehow we're okay with that. But if you must, why not get a decent Turkish actor and have his English accent come out naturally?
The black slave is heard yelling in Arabic that he is innocent at one point. Why Arabic? The Ottomans were Turkish. Cem Sultan himself is portrayed as a dark-skinned man. Depictions of him in art show him as fair-skinned. This should not be an issue except that it seems like a deliberate effort to orientalize. Not only that, but he refers to his slave as "The blacker Moor"-a very unlikely descriptor for him to have used.
The actor must have been desperate to accept a role. Script aside, his acting was atrocious.
I know much of this story is bent into shape to fit a narrative and I'm okay with that. But please stop it with the caricatures.
First, Cem Sultan's accent: no one talks like that. This is a stereotypical Hollywood "Arabian" accent. Why have an accent in the first place? Did the citizens of Rome at that time have British accents. Somehow we're okay with that. But if you must, why not get a decent Turkish actor and have his English accent come out naturally?
The black slave is heard yelling in Arabic that he is innocent at one point. Why Arabic? The Ottomans were Turkish. Cem Sultan himself is portrayed as a dark-skinned man. Depictions of him in art show him as fair-skinned. This should not be an issue except that it seems like a deliberate effort to orientalize. Not only that, but he refers to his slave as "The blacker Moor"-a very unlikely descriptor for him to have used.
The actor must have been desperate to accept a role. Script aside, his acting was atrocious.
I know much of this story is bent into shape to fit a narrative and I'm okay with that. But please stop it with the caricatures.
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