Morgan Freeman has more than once been used to play the character of God in modern day Bible-based movies. I have alway thought this was interesting because of his race. Stereotypically, I believe when we try and picture God we see the built up image of Jesus; a white man with brown hair and brown beard, usually dressed in a robe and sandals. However, I've come to realize there is no way to know or paint an image of God because he has never been seen. His son lived on earth and was seen in the flesh, but we all know that Jesus is not based off of genetics as he was born from the Virgin Mary. So, this begs the question in my mind; could God have been of a different race? Many people have a problem with Freeman portraying the image of God, but I think it is a fantastic interpretation for today's society.
Olivia,
ReplyDeleteI don't have a problem w/ Morgan Freeman playing God, but there may be hidden racial reasons for such in our media. There's a term called the "magic negro" in which African Americans are portrayed as having magical or mystical powers. I think Morgan Freeman and Michael Clarke (Green Mile) certainly fit those categories.