Sample Research Paper On Film Representation Of The Effect Of Racism On The Black Community

The film industry has played a crucial role in America’s perception of African-Americans since Lincoln Perry portrayed a shiftless bumbler in the 1927 silent movie, “In Old Kentucky” (Hurst). Recognized as the first black actor, the character of Stepin Fetchit began the racial stereotype of a race of people inferior to white characters that has perpetuated into current theatres. Black actors and directors have fought for years to overcome the images of drugs use, low income, poorly educated, and gang violence attached to the race for decades (Balkaran). The politics of the image using the stereotype of black men and women in films has created a distorted perception of them in the minds of the public (Taylor).
Oppression of the black community has been supported by the media representing its members as lower-class citizens. In truth, Americans are Caucasian and African-American and all the other races that represent the culture of the United States. As troubling as that may be to some members of the white community, the black community contributes to this country’s value system and achievements as it fights back against the representation in films of less than what they are (Ellison).

Racist Representation in American Film

Movies did not create racism, although it can be debated that they perpetuate it. American movies have used the image of the black people as disruptive to society, second-class citizens exploited and persecuted because their character allowed it. Regardless of appearance, the representation is not how common society experiences the African-American component. Racism combines all black people from all ways of life into one idea that defines them. Of course, there is no more a single representation of black people than there is of white ones.
It is crucial for viewers of films look past the statement presented on the movie screen and interrogate the image displayed. It’s important to look past the superficial characterizations of John Shaft (Shaft), Daryl Jenks (Coming to America) and Huggy Bear (Starsky and Hutch) and explore the complex personalities of Virgil Tibbs (They Call Me Mr. Tibbs) and Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding (The Shawshank Redemption). The concept of racism is promoted by placing a label on a character, categorizing him with associations to other characters or famous personalities. Unfortunately for blacks, this means overcoming undesirable historical classifications.
Django Unchained is a breakthrough movie that embraces “negroes” as a race without attaching traditional stereotypes. The main character of Django (“The ‘D’ is silent’”) does not deny his ethnicity. His place in the time period of accepted slavery and abuse of human beings is simply where he lives. He has trials specifically directed to his skin color, such as receiving a certificate for his freedom. A white person would not be shown having to do this. Django seeks to rescue his wife, just as any other man would if his wife was held captive. Django isn’t on a mission to prove his worth as a man; he simply wants to live his life. The violence he employs is not part of conceptual map the viewer uses to classify his character. He uses violence to achieve his goal and to punish the evil perpetrated by others.
The drama associated with racism provides strong storylines for movie producers. Following World War II, black characters became depicted with more respect. Particularly in the light of their participation in the conflict, numerous situations of black and white men fighting side-by-side were filmed. However, many other times cliques developed in the ranks where whites socialized with whites and blacks stayed with blacks. Increasingly, black men are shown in the ranks of officers, but they have crossed over into the “white man’s world” and lost their black identities. An exception is “Red Tails”, the story of the first black men to fly fighter planes in World War II. The representation and meaning of African-American soldiers is demonstrated through the images of men fighting for their country; not black men and not white men – just men. This is the type of movie making that will cross the line from racism to representation.
Current American cinema is quickly developing and changing. It absorbs new, relevant topics and immortalizes them in on the movie screen. Stuart Hall dedicated years to discover the relation between culture, history and media. He established the understanding that culture is a way “in which we make sense of or give meaning to things” (Hall, 9).

Physical Consequences of Racism

A physical brutality of racism can be seen in the American movies dedicated to the issue. For example, Django Unchained evokes great feelings and depicts events without constraints. The main theme of the film is the story of America before the Civil War, more specifically, the history of slavery and exploitation. In that time, being a black man automatically meant to be a slave and contradictions were not accepted. Slaves were regarded as animal and to treat them as such was accepted. When Django rides on horseback through the city, people could not understand how a slave could be allowed to ride a horse; they automatically assumed he was not a free man. It was expressed when a man shouted:: “That's a nigger on a horse!” (Tarantino, Django Unchained). Entering the bar, Django is told to leave because black men were not allowed in most places open to whites unless it was in the capacity of a servant. Tarantino showed the strong stereotypes in American society at that time. A black man or woman could not be free by definition. When the master told people to treat Django as a white man of the working class, it provoked immediate negative reactions. However, in the movie, the African-American slaves overcame the planters, the immediate oppressors. Django Unchained can be seen as a presentation of a pure American film character. However, a black cowboy who shoots his enemies to the accompaniment of “gangsta rap” music can be seen as slipping back into present-day stereotypes.
At the beginning of the film, the standard transfer of slaves at the time was shown. Exhausted people with multiple wounds on the back were forced to go on foot for a few days while their exploiters were jumping on the horses. After their release, slaves killed them in the fashion they deserved. It is well shown that the notion of slavery was accepted and the owners could use the person in any way he saw fit. Tarantino demonstrated it in the numerous dialogues. For example, calling for the attention of slaves by Dr. King Schultz was very strong. It was expressed in words: “Hello, you poor devils!” (Tarantino, Django Unchained). The words of Spencer 'Big Daddy' Bennett were very symbolic. He said about Django: “We're gonna whup that nigger lover to death. And I'm gonna personally strip and clip that garboon myself” (Tarantino, Django Unchained).
Such strong convictions are difficult to eradicate. The existence of the Klu Klux Klan and their activities are a testament to this. They left a significant imprint on the black population’s behavior and self-understanding in this world. It must be difficult for an African-American actor to accept such role and to portray such humiliations unless he sees it as a way to bring the injustices to light.
African-Americans are shown in a similar way in movies such as A Soldiers Story. The film advanced the idea of a black officer during a time when the appointment was rarely seen. The main character, Captain Davenport, is sent to investigate the murder of a black sergeant as he walking along a road while inebriated. It is interesting to note that the distrust of Davenport’s authority is present by both races on the base. Some of the black enlisted men took pride in his promotion to captain, while others were uncomfortable with his stepping outside the accepted behavior of a black soldier. This is seen in the character of the black sergeant who exhibits his own form of racism against the men under him who came from the southern part of the country.
Indicative of the attitude toward blacks in the military in the film, one soldier says, “Anything you don't want to do, the colored troops will do for you” (Jewison, A Soldiers Story). Cinema from the 1970 to 1990's frequently violated today’s code of political correctness. Let’s take for example the words of Master Sergeant Vernon Walters, who was saying in the film:

“You know the damage one ignorant Negro can do? We were in France

in the first war; we'd won decorations. But the white boys had told all
them French gals that we had tails. Then they found this ignorant colored
soldier, paid him to tie a tail to his ass and run around half-naked, making
monkey sounds” (Livingstone, Paris is Burning).
Such strong expressions could not leave the viewers indifferent. The same can be told about the culture in general. The books and media sources also were not tolerant and attentive in phrases. Physical Brutality inside the black community in that time was shown realistically, without shadows. The first chapter from The Black American Cinema, written by Manthia Diawara, showed how black people are always depicted in movies as problematic participants in the communities. They can be depicted as pimps, gangsters, killers and thieves (Diawara, Chapter 1). Even if he is not, a black man then becomes disempowered. Some members of black society incorporated this idea into their lifestyle, mimicking the behavior and appearance. The association with a “strong black man” gave them a sense of control in the face of racism. Unfortunately, it also promoted the illegal acts in that subculture. Despite brutal physical consequences, there were even more serious psychological consequences of racism reflected in the American cinema.
In term of health issues, research has shown that one of the main causes behind stress, high blood pressure and stokes among black people is a result of their exposure racism in their past (Richards, 1997). Studies reveal the frustration and sense of hopelessness resulting from racism takes its toll on all ages and genders of black Americans.

Psychological Consequences of Racism

Black movie characters are frequently depicted a drunkards, criminals, and drug abusers. However, white people are also. But the stigma is attached to blacks. The meaning is fixated on the race and results in racism. The physical consequences of this type of perception prevent adequate employment, poor living conditions, personal violence, and opinions formed against a person without justification.
The history of black Americans is used by a black actor preparing for the role of a slave. The actor should understand his ancestors, explore their experiences and imagine their feelings. The Creative Dilemma by James Baldwin reflected the problems of an African-American artist. The author showed how difficult it is for a black artist to find resources and muse to pursue the art (Baldwin, 65). The book demonstrated the difficult life of an artist. Stuart Hall presented this idea in his video named Representation & the Media. It represents an exclusive investigation in the field of black contemporary American cinema. According to Hall, movie is a visual text that is why the actor should speak it perfectly (Hall, 6).
In the current American film making, racism is still acutely present. The identity of a black man has shifted from being a slave to being a criminal. Actual events are transferred to the movie screen with associated violence and other anti-social behavior. Some psychologists describe the current attitude of many members of the black community as stereotypes adopted as their identity.

Conclusion

The impact of racism on the black society in America remains strong. Media representation continues to carry a distorted stereotype to the public that is reflected in news broadcasts and entertainment. There remains a unspoken rule to the black people that they cannot succeed unless they emulate the standards of the white man, shedding their individuality and culture to conform to the appearance, speech patterns, and lifestyle of the most prosperous individuals in this country.

These individuals are not black.

It’s true that Morgan Freeman has played the president of the United States in several movies, and Michael Ohr’s story of rising above a deprived childhood to a successful athletic career was told in “the Blind Side”. The people of this generation are the first to see black men and women cast in movie roles that did not specifically require an African-American. But film has a long way to go before it takes the emphasis off the faults of black society and depicts it as simply another facet of American culture.
During an interview, James Earl Jones related his experience reuniting with a boyhood friend after he had become a famous actor. To his surprise, the boy was white. As they grew up together, race was not an issue to them. This is a powerful example of the possibility of erasing racism from American culture.

Works Cited

A Soldier's Story. Norman Jewison. Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., 1984. Film.
Baldwin, James. '"The Creative Delimma"'. American Literature: Ginn Literature Series. Terie Porter and Bennett Porter. 1st ed. Lexington, MA: Ginn, 1981. Print.
Balkaran, Stephen. “Mass Media And Racism”. Yale Political Quarterly 21.1 (1999): n. pag. Web.
Django Unchained. Quentin Tarantino. The Weinstein Company, 2012. Film.
Diawara, Manthia. Black American Cinema. New York: Routledge, 1993. Print.
Ellison, Ralph, and John F Callahan. “What America Would Be Like Without Blacks”.The Collected Essays Of Ralph Ellison. New York: Modern Library, 1995: p. 4. Print.
Hurst, Roy. “Stepin Fetchit, Hollywood's First Black Film Star”. NPR.org. N.p., 2006. Web.
11 Mar. 2015.
Paris is Burning. Jennie Livingston, Prestige. 1990. Video.
Richards, Graham. Race, Racism, and Psychology: Towards a Reflexive History. London: Routledge, 1997. Print.
Rhines, Jesse Algeron. Black Film, White Money. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1996. Print.
Silk, Catherine, and John Silk. Racism And Anti-Racism In American Popular Culture. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1990. Print.
Taylor, Ronald. “The Harm Wrought By Racial Stereotype”. Hartford Courant 19 (1995): n. pag. Print.