Like a lot of people, I was vaguely disturbed to find that Nagini, the snake from Harry Potter was, in fact, an Asian woman cursed to turn into a snake. However, I had hope that the character would not be as offensive as the concept indicated. That she would be...you know. Badass.
I was wrong.
Nagini was worse.
We first see the character in a circus freak show, which she does not appear to be part of of her own free will. She breaks out, with the help of Credence...
...and then spends the entire rest of the movie following him around. Whilst every other character in the movie dresses practically, Nagini is never allowed to change out of her circus outfit. Literally silent, she serves only one narrative purpose: A vessel through which the audience can feel bad when Credence, an unlikeable metamorphmagus, goes with Grindelwald.
She doesn't even have a name. A "nagini" is what she is, not who she is (A nagini is a female naga, a serpent race from Hindu and Indonesian mythology. The movie would not change at all if she was not in it. She is pointless.
To sum up: Nagini is a Sexy Lamp, a clear example of the trope, and not being played to subvert it. Her dress is pure fan service, her lack of lines and utter lack of agency (She didn't break out until a man told her she should)...
The character would be bad enough if she was white, but making her Asian (and not even the right kind of Asian if we're going to say her family explains the legend - Kim, the actor, is Korean), only doubles down on the problems.
Her silent submission is a stereotype. The way in which she is put on display comes dangerously close to an allegory for prostitution.
And couldn't they have found her some better clothes?
Don't get me wrong, The Crimes of Grindelwald is not two hours of my life I won't get back. I was glad to finally see a heroic Slytherin (Sure, I'm Ravenclaw to the end, but...). To nobody's surprise, Scamander is confirmed to be a Hufflepuff.
And while Depp was mediocre, Redmayne does weird well enough that if he wasn't so famous I wouldn't mind seeing him take a turn as the Doctor (although I'd still prefer Richard Ayoade). Everyone else acted well.
Oh, btw, Rowling? That's an Each-uisge, not a kelpie. Or did you just change it because nobody could pronounce Each-uisge? If that's the case, I will totally forgive.
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