The Portrayal of Racism and White Privilege in American Films
analytical Essay
1829 words
White privilege is incredibly in evident in Rush Hour through the roles of the FBI agent in charge of the case. When the Chinese consular calls Lee for backup. The FBI agents feel threatened and annoyed and use the excuse that Lee will simply become a distraction and liability on the case. To the agents, Lee is a foreigner whose crime fighting tactics are subpar when it comes to the almighty FBI of the United States of America. They believe their department is the number one enforcer and that Lee will simply be a pest. As a result, they assign Carter, who is African American, to babysit him. As a result, the entire film is about their desire to find the consul’s daughter despite the commands of the FBI. Pham makes the comment that “Because Lee and Carter are the racial underdogs who successfully challenge two white FBI agents, they represent globally sympathetic figures” (Pham 126). As audience members, we often root for the underdogs and celebrate their victories. At the end of the film, Lee and Carter save the day, while the FBI agents experience embarrassment for not having trusted them. But is that all they get? Embarrassment? In today’s day and age, a public announcement of this racial discrimination would have gotten those FBI agents fired. Hollywood’s omission of the repercussions of exhibiting racism just goes to show that white privilege is incredibly prevalent. The FBI agents belong to the dominant class. Desmond and Emirbayer point out that
Social scientists have amassed a significant amount of evidence that demonstrates how white people, strictly because of their whiteness, reap considerable advantages when buying and selling a house, choosing a neighborhood in which to live, getting a job and moving up the corp...
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...ther by our common human experiences. 12 Years a Slave depicts our country’s history and its roots slavery and how that gave way to the racial disparities that are present today. Although minorities today do not experience the legalized physical abuse slavery once allow, they experience the mental abuse, for they are constantly be stereotyped and profiled where ever they go. This is shown in Frozen River, which depicts the race relations in a poor town and Indian reservation near the US-Canadian border. However, through Frozen River, audiences learn that despite the various cultural backgrounds, members of all race face common experiences that can bond us as a united people. Hollywood’s influence on the American culture is incredibly powerful, and through film, it has the ability to change how generations perceive race and the course of race relations altogether.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hollywood's omission of the repercussions of exhibiting racism shows that the fbi agents belong to the dominant class.
- Analyzes how 12 years a slave exposes audiences to the roots of racial discrimination.
- Analyzes how frozen river emphasizes racial disparities between poor whites and mohawk indians in new york on the us-canadian border.
- Analyzes how the film portrays race relations between whites and other minorities, mostly asians.
- Analyzes how frozen river portrays the racial stereotypes that exist in our country and how it affects law and order.
- Analyzes how hollywood's influence on the american culture is incredibly powerful, and through film, it can change how generations perceive race and the course of race relations.
- Analyzes how social scientists have amassed evidence that demonstrates how white people reap considerable advantages when buying and selling a house. the fbi agents were aware of their position in society and were reaping all the benefits, never worrying about the repercussions.
- Analyzes how hollywood's portrayal of our country’s slave history through 12 years a slave educates its audience on the roots of racial discrimination.
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- Analyzes how henry stewart attacks 12 years a slave by saying it had an unspoken motto that the main character in another movie said. stewart also attacks the fact that this movie did not include every slave’s story.
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- Analyzes how stewart attacked the ending of the movie saying that soloman northup being saved from slavery by brad pitt was a fake situation.
- Analyzes how henry stewart's next problem with 12 years a slave was the lack of stories from other people who were slaves.
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In this essay, the author
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- Analyzes how spike lee created miracle at st. anna to show the war from the buffalo soldiers' point of view.
- Analyzes how the fugitive slave clause of the u.s. constitution guaranteed the right of a slaveholder to recover an escaped slave and created the legal mechanism by which that could be accomplished.
- Analyzes how the characters of the movie all have so many different personalities, these differences helped this movie win an academy award.
- Analyzes how solomon is whipped multiple times by epps, raped, and abused, but she dreams of freedom and believes that there is no slavery in the north and no master.
- Compares master ford and master epps, who were both plantation owners that owned many slaves as their property. the in-between part of the film as a viewer wants to see what he went through
- Concludes that director spike lee and steve mcqueen did a fantastic job creating "miracle at st. anna" and "12 years a slave".
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1512 wordsRead More - Brutality In 12 Years A Slaveanalytical essay12 Years a Slave shows the brutality that the slaves went through and how much determination they really had. Throughout
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how 12 years a slave illustrates the cruelty of slavery and the triumph of the human spirit.
- Analyzes how 12 years a slave shows the brutality that the slaves went through and how much determination they really had.
- Analyzes how northup's journey as a slave began with master ford, the first slave owner.
- Analyzes how northup's brave and determined behavior was lost when he arrived at master epps' plantation. he was introduced to patsey, played by lupita nyong'o, who befriends him.
- Analyzes how solomon northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, was able to witness american slavery in all its appalling horror for the first time.
844 wordsRead More - 12 Years A Slave Analysisanalytical essaySaying 12 Years a Slave is a realistic film is an understatement. According to the British film director Steve McQueen, some people did not want the film made. He stated, “Some people want to close their eyes on some subjects. They don’t want to look behind them.” (Aspden 5). Others feel there have been too many films been made about slavery already, such as Roots, Django Unchained, and Amistad. 12 Years a Slave is a true story that needs to be told. In this writer’s opinion, it depicts the abuse of slavery in the United States with more intensity than any other film previously made.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that 12 years a slave depicts the abuse of slavery in the united states with more intensity than any other film.
- Analyzes how 12 years a slave earned $181 million worldwide and won an academy award for best motion picture of the year. it accurately depicts the physical, psychological, and sexual abuse of slaves.
- Narrates the true story of solomon northup, a free african american man who lived freely in saratoga springs, new york with his wife and two children.
- Narrates how solomon was kidnapped and sold as slaves on a paddle boat. one man tried to prevent eliza from being raped on the boat, and he was stabbed to death. solomon's name was changed to platt.
- Describes how platt and eliza were sold to a baptist preacher, mr. ford, and an unkind, white slave master named tibeats.
- Explains that edwin epps was a mean slave owner who liked to drink. he weighed each slave's cotton and announced the weight to everyone at the end of every day.
- Describes how a white canadian, named bass, came to work on epps farm and was against slavery. bass sympathetically listened to platt's story and sent it to new york state.
- Analyzes how anderson's film depicts the psychological, physical and sexual abuse of slaves. the film is hard to watch because it is such a vivid depiction of abuse.
- Analyzes how patsey and epps' relationship is similar in both the movie and the book.
- Analyzes how the music played an important role in the movie. the slaves would sing soulful, sad songs about their work, which contributed to the melancholy mood.
- Analyzes how chiwetel ejiofor portrays solomon/pratt in a realistic way. the audience feels happy for him when he initially gets an inviting job offer, and then feels horrified when
- Analyzes how elza (adepero oduye) had a child with her master, and was told she and two children would be free, but were sold into slavery instead. her acting was so genuine the audience felt her despair.
- Analyzes how the viewers emotionally bond with nyong'o's portrayal of patsey. when epps sexually and physically abuses her, the audience feels horror to sympathy.
- Analyzes how michael fassbender portrays epps as a mean, heartless, selfish drunk who prefers the company of patsey over his wife.
- Analyzes how the movie deviated from the book with minor details, such as solomon having three children instead of two, and a second fight between platt and tibeats.
- Opines that this film is not appropriate for high school level due to the nudity scenes and the scene where patsey is raped by master epps.
- Opines that the movie would be a great teaching tool for college level american history classes. the film follows the book so closely, it is almost like they are watching from the primary source.
- Opines that steve mcqueen has directed a poignant, memorable film that will touch the hearts and souls of audiences for years to come. the film is recommended for 18 year olds and above as an accurate depiction of sexual, psychological and physical abuse of slavery in the mid 1800’s.
1684 wordsRead More