Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to see the Jordan Peele film, "Get Out" - a dark horror comedy which provides rarities for any film in horror genre: Good acting, an intriguing plot, and a social message. I may need to see this movie again to garner a clearer understanding of what Peele's true intentions were with it, but just based on my first viewing, here are a few of my thoughts.
While I'll likely need to see the film again to decide whether or not all the different themes Peele tackled tie in with one another, two of the biggest themes were slavery and racism, without question. Peele attempts to provide us the vantage point of a young and realistic black man whose world collides with that of a liberal white family which is ignorant of African-Americans' history and lives in the present, The family has workers around the home who are all black, claim they'd vote Obama for a third term if they had the chance, and even insinuate that blacks are innately "cooler" than whites. Through this, Peele brings to light two incredibly important points: 1) Many whites of today don't understand how crippling slavery was, and 2) Most racism isn't blatant.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard a white person say, with regard to slavery, "That happened how many years ago? We had nothing to do with it anyway! Get over it and move on!" Some will even go on to defend slave-owners, saying, "They treated their slaves like family! The slaves probably had better lives with their owners than if they didn't have them! So, when you think about it, the slaves were lucky!" Such mentalities were displayed throughout the film, as the white family continually tried defending the fact they had black "house servants," and the house workers themselves appeared to, out of either brainwashing or fear of punishment, agree that their lives were good. Going back to the real world for a moment, what many of my white brethren seem to fail to understand is that slavery has many different forms, the worst of which can't be entirely overcome without some radical changes made by everyone. When blacks were freed of being owned by slave-owners, they still lacked many of the basic freedoms white men had already possessed. In fighting for these freedoms, many were jailed, or troubled by going down another path due to the severe limitations imposed upon them, making them more prone to selling their bodies, drugs, and consuming of these potentially life-ending substances. After attaining such freedoms, many who were imprisoned had an uphill battle to climb, for they were unable to find stable jobs and therefore became more likely to engage in "shady" business dealings which could land them back in jail. So while there may not technically be slaves anymore, slavery still makes its presence felt in this day and age.
When it comes to racism, as Jordan Peele depicts throughout the course of Get Out, I think most of it seems to fly under the radar. While it's painfully obvious the use of derogatory terms such as the N-word to describe a person or group of people is racist, it's also racist to assume a black man is well endowed, that he's a good basketball player, or that he runs faster than most white people. These may be viewed as compliments, could potentially be accurate, and I have a hunch the recipient(s) of such assumptions wouldn't mind them as much as the more negative stereotypes, however, they're still beliefs about another person based on their skin color, which constitutes as racism. Not only that, but as Peele also regularly showcases, whether it be due to feelings of guilt, discomfort, or something else, it can be more awkward than comforting if a person ardently attempts to prove they're not racist. The white family in the film may not have been racist, but even assuming they weren't, there was really no point in introducing themselves to their daughter's boyfriend (who happened to be black) by saying something along the lines of, "We would've voted Obama for a third term if we could." This scene reminded me of occasions when I've overheard a person telling a racist joke and receiving offended stares in return, before adding, "I'm not racist. I have a black friend." When a person feels the need to continually vocally express that they're not racist, chances are they're either racist to a certain extent or simply have a knack for the awkward.
I'd be the first to admit I am not a big fan of horror films. The scares are typically of the cheap variety. The acting is often atrocious. The plots are thinner than Kate Moss barbie dolls. In saying that, though, I'd highly recommend everyone check out Get Out! While the scares are present, they don't feel forced and aren't the focal point of the film. The laughs are more frequent than in other horror films. Not only that, but the acting is solid, the plot is intriguing, and the writing is so clever, I'm on the verge of calling it pure genius. While it may appear to be an oxymoron at first glance, there's no other way for me to put it - Get Out is the most thought-provoking horror film I've ever seen, look forward to seeing it again, and again, highly recommend that my readers see it as well!
While I'll likely need to see the film again to decide whether or not all the different themes Peele tackled tie in with one another, two of the biggest themes were slavery and racism, without question. Peele attempts to provide us the vantage point of a young and realistic black man whose world collides with that of a liberal white family which is ignorant of African-Americans' history and lives in the present, The family has workers around the home who are all black, claim they'd vote Obama for a third term if they had the chance, and even insinuate that blacks are innately "cooler" than whites. Through this, Peele brings to light two incredibly important points: 1) Many whites of today don't understand how crippling slavery was, and 2) Most racism isn't blatant.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard a white person say, with regard to slavery, "That happened how many years ago? We had nothing to do with it anyway! Get over it and move on!" Some will even go on to defend slave-owners, saying, "They treated their slaves like family! The slaves probably had better lives with their owners than if they didn't have them! So, when you think about it, the slaves were lucky!" Such mentalities were displayed throughout the film, as the white family continually tried defending the fact they had black "house servants," and the house workers themselves appeared to, out of either brainwashing or fear of punishment, agree that their lives were good. Going back to the real world for a moment, what many of my white brethren seem to fail to understand is that slavery has many different forms, the worst of which can't be entirely overcome without some radical changes made by everyone. When blacks were freed of being owned by slave-owners, they still lacked many of the basic freedoms white men had already possessed. In fighting for these freedoms, many were jailed, or troubled by going down another path due to the severe limitations imposed upon them, making them more prone to selling their bodies, drugs, and consuming of these potentially life-ending substances. After attaining such freedoms, many who were imprisoned had an uphill battle to climb, for they were unable to find stable jobs and therefore became more likely to engage in "shady" business dealings which could land them back in jail. So while there may not technically be slaves anymore, slavery still makes its presence felt in this day and age.
When it comes to racism, as Jordan Peele depicts throughout the course of Get Out, I think most of it seems to fly under the radar. While it's painfully obvious the use of derogatory terms such as the N-word to describe a person or group of people is racist, it's also racist to assume a black man is well endowed, that he's a good basketball player, or that he runs faster than most white people. These may be viewed as compliments, could potentially be accurate, and I have a hunch the recipient(s) of such assumptions wouldn't mind them as much as the more negative stereotypes, however, they're still beliefs about another person based on their skin color, which constitutes as racism. Not only that, but as Peele also regularly showcases, whether it be due to feelings of guilt, discomfort, or something else, it can be more awkward than comforting if a person ardently attempts to prove they're not racist. The white family in the film may not have been racist, but even assuming they weren't, there was really no point in introducing themselves to their daughter's boyfriend (who happened to be black) by saying something along the lines of, "We would've voted Obama for a third term if we could." This scene reminded me of occasions when I've overheard a person telling a racist joke and receiving offended stares in return, before adding, "I'm not racist. I have a black friend." When a person feels the need to continually vocally express that they're not racist, chances are they're either racist to a certain extent or simply have a knack for the awkward.
I'd be the first to admit I am not a big fan of horror films. The scares are typically of the cheap variety. The acting is often atrocious. The plots are thinner than Kate Moss barbie dolls. In saying that, though, I'd highly recommend everyone check out Get Out! While the scares are present, they don't feel forced and aren't the focal point of the film. The laughs are more frequent than in other horror films. Not only that, but the acting is solid, the plot is intriguing, and the writing is so clever, I'm on the verge of calling it pure genius. While it may appear to be an oxymoron at first glance, there's no other way for me to put it - Get Out is the most thought-provoking horror film I've ever seen, look forward to seeing it again, and again, highly recommend that my readers see it as well!
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