The film has won applause but at the same time has been called “inhumane” and “shamefully exploitative.”
The film “The Whale” has received all kinds of criticism, especially after receiving three nominations at the 95th Academy Awards in three categories: Best Actor with Brendan Fraser; Best Supporting Actress with Hong Chau; and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
The story revolves around Charlie, a severely obese gay teacher who seeks to reestablish his relationship with his daughter while dealing with health problems and the social stigma attached to his condition.
The director of the film, Darren Aronofsky, has had to defend his adaptation to the work of Samuel D. Hunter, as some comments say that it reinforces the stereotypes of people with obesity by showing the main character moving slowly or making noises when eating .
Additionally, the comments have been directed at the elements used to make Fraser appear to weigh more than 200 kilos, since the actor had to wear an undergarment that simulated a serious obesity problem.
In this regard, Aronofsky explained to Yahoo Entertainment that he did not intend to use this resource to make it seem like a joke, the main objective was for the character’s condition to be realistic, for which he says that criticism of fatphobia does not make sense.