Movie industry bombarding us with historic epics

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
Vin Diesal is black?!

Half and half, IIRC.

[DanS]

i doubt any percentage of their army was dark-skinned african.

Actually, I think that many of his mercenaries were indeed dark-skinned african, or at least half-and-half.

Where did the numidians live at this time? I could never figure that out.

[Al B. Sure!]

i never thought of him as anything but white but i guess i could see him being mixed... kind of? i dont know... maybe his black parent was light-skinned

but anyway, he looks like a fairly swarthy caucasion, so the Hannibal role is good for him in that regard though i don't think he'd be that good of an actor for that movie...

at least they didn't do an Othello though...

[Al B. Sure!]

DanS:

Numidia was roughly Algeria...

[Al B. Sure!]

the thing is that it would have been difficult for Carthage to recruit negroes... if you look on a historical map, carthage's african empire only existed along the coasts of the maghreb... there was a little trade past gibralter with north-west africa but there was no real contact with sub-saharan africa. the sahara was extremely hazardous to the maritime carthaginians, especially as it was filled with some hostile berbers. hell, if it wasn't for upper egypt and nubia, i'd be doubting the carthaginians even knew black people existed.

[DanS]

there was a little trade past gibralter with north-west africa but there was no real contact with sub-saharan africa. the sahara was extremely hazardous to the maritime carthaginians, especially as it was filled with some hostile berbers. hell, if it wasn't for upper egypt and nubia, i'd be doubting the carthaginians even knew black people existed.

Actually, I think Livy mentioned the black Africans specifically, but not often enough to slake our curiosity nowadays (maybe we're all just racist).

As for contact with sub-saharan Africa, I think it was limited, but more than you make it out to be.

Thanks for the Numidian info.

[Ned]

AFAIK, there were no Arabs in Carthage or in the surrounding area. They moved in during the late 700's.

Also, considering that Hannibal came from Spain, I suspect his army also had a large Spanish contingent.

[Az]

Hanibaal was 'arab' in that sense that he was from the middle east. Let us not forget that Carthage was a phoenician city state, despite being in Africa, much like the greek city states around the Med and in the black sea. He was probably dark skinned due to the weather, but had mediterrenean facial features.

Oh, and I wonder how similar was phoenician to hebrew. It should've been pretty close.

[Japher]

The Movie: "Microsoft: The Bill Gates Story"
Starring: Vin Disel (Bill)
Release: 2006

Watch as Bill takes on the corporate rule and becomes Supreme Overlord of the world!!!



Now that would be a classic...

[GePap]

Gibson's movie is unlikely to get a wide release, speically since it is subtitled, as it is in Aramaic and Latin. That and the allegations of anti-semitism.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hannibal was pretty pale whitey, like Caesar, and the higher up Romans. He didn't slave in the fields or anything, he was high aristocracy, being spared the sun, most likely. Of course, he did have a bushy beard . But I still think that Vin Deisel is a bit too dark to portray Hannibal as he actually was, so it seems like a PC move to me.

[Az]

Yeah, I forgot he was nobility. Anyway, I still think that in terms of skin colour, Vin Deisel is the right choice. In terms of acting, well.... n/m.

[GePap]

No, casting Vin Diesel is about getting teenagers into the theaters. This is a commercial production, no? They want to make money, and Diesel attracts a teengae audience (including the girls), while not being too expensive.

BUt leave it to a rep. to view the evil specter of "PC" everywhere.. (It is a sound capitalist decision Imran..you should be all for it)

[Az]

No, but casting Arnie or Chew Yun Fat would be rediculous, no?

[GePap]

Originally posted by Azazel
No, but casting Arnie or Chew Yun Fat would be rediculous, no?

Yeah, cuase they can't draw a teengae audience

Now, Samuel N. Jackson....