How Did Spike Lee Use The Magical Minority In French Cinema?

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Recommended: European Union about immigration

Davontae Glenn
March 14, 2015
French 250
Final Essay

Using the “Magical Minority” in French Cinema

Filmmaker and director Spike Lee, known for his exuberant personality and fearless attitude, has never shied away from shedding light on issues of controversy. Many of Spike’s films including Do the Right Thing, She’s Gotta Have It, and Jungle Fever present the audience with matters of race relation. It came as no surprise when in 2001 Spike Lee introduced the theory of the “magical negro”. Lee claims the “magical negro” is a supporting character in films that is portrayed as coming to the relief of a film's white, usually male, protagonist. This film character functions as a ploy to help the protagonist get out of trouble, usually by assisting …show more content…

Director Philippe Lioret creates a storyline that the audience can sympathize with emotionally to garner exposure in the unfair immigration laws that encourage exclusion of certain groups of people. Welcome sheds light on the controversial immigration policies of European countries and the determination of refugees to cross borders at any means possible to be granted access into the metaphorical “Fortress of Europe”. The film depicts the dangerous and sometimes deadly attempts of migration for many refugees. The movie tells the story of Simon Calmat and Bilal Kayani. Simon Calmat, a French swimming coach at the local pool in Calais, is in the process of divorcing his wife Marion at her request. Bilal Kayani, an Iraqi-Kurdish immigrant, has settled in France with hopes to migrate to the United Kingdom to be reconciled with his girlfriend Mina. After a failed attempt at crossing the English Channel on a truck bound for a ferry, Bilal derives an idea to swim the 30 miles across the English Channel. Signing up for swimming lessons in preparation for this nearly impossible mission, Bilal meets Simon who agrees to give him lessons. Bilal shows relentless determination for crossing into the United Kingdom, when Simon realizes the reason for Bilal’s swimming lessons, he becomes just as invested in Bilal’s preparations for the treacherous waters of the English Channel. The relationship between the two characters becomes a major aspect of the film. Slowly but surely, a change in Simon’s character is presented as he goes from careless towards the policies of immigration to sympathetic and willing to harbor refugees such as Bilal and his friend. As in most of the movies that a “magical minority” character exists, the film’s protagonist starts off faulty is someway. In the case of Welcome, Simon goes about his life with an unsympathetic attitude towards Calais’ ever-increasing population

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