Taking a Closer Look at Race Films Essay - 1241 Words

In early African American Cinema, filmmakers had a mission to move away from white perspectives on what it meant to be black (Stewart 225). Oftentimes, we would see black actors being portrayed in scenes as the antagonist committing crimes, as in the case of D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation. Soon after Griffith released the film, filmmaker Oscar Micheaux forever changed American Independent Cinema with his â€Å"response† film Within Our Gates, which helped start the advent of race films (NAACP 1). Some of the most notable race films were: The Homesteader, Body and Soul, and The Blood of Jesus. Such films were produced for all-black audiences that featured black casts. But that did not necessarily mean that they were directed and written by†¦show more content†¦Soon after, Duff is working at a local mill when racial challenges arise because the mill’s manager discovers that Duff is allegedly trying to unionize the others. Afterwards, Duff quits the job, as he was essentially forced to leave. Looking for work everywhere in town and unable to live with a daily wage under $3.00, Duff gets a job at a garage through his father-in-law’s connection. Later we find him livid at a customer’s bigotry towards him and Josie, which ends with Duff being let go. Unemployed from nearly all jobs in town, Duff can no longer support his family. Mentally, he is unable to accept this and as a result he physically abuses Josie and leaves. Now that we have a basic understanding of the two films, we can move forward with the analysis and the role that religion plays in their stories. In The Blood of Jesus, what does Martha’s â€Å"unchurched† husband symbolize? On the other hand, the entire town appears to have blind faith, without any doubt. And in the case of Nothing But a Man, religion appears in the film by virtue of Josie’s Preacher Father. Despite the holy devotion to his God, he is unaccepting of Duff, which seems to be the opposite of what is documented in the Christian Bible. Therefore, we can call the Preacher a hypocrite. How else do these two films represent or portray religion, or in other words what are they trying to say with their holy representations? How has it also been used toShow MoreRelatedMickey Mouse Monopoly668 Words   |  3 PagesMickey Mouse Monopoly The Mickey Mouse Monopoly documentary reveals the obscure social messages behind the animated films created by the Disney Company. Although we are conditioned to believe that these movies are pure forms of entertainment, further examination has proved that there are hidden messages concerning gender, race and class that Disney is instilling in the minds of children. 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