Zhana Books
The widespread appeal of Hollywood movies makes this particular medium a crucial site for examining the meanings of race in the United States. Popular films have the power to reconstruct the racial past of a nation, as well as envision its future. This presentation will provide readings on The Help (dir, Tate Taylor, 2011) and The Purge(dir, James DeMonaco, 2013) in order to examine both the racial and gender discourse that is embedded in these representations of two key social contexts - the 1960s civil rights era and the post-civil rights not-too-distant future. Analysis will highlight the ways in which these narratives draw on the preexisting cinematic racial order of white saviours and passive blacks who cannot save themselves. This presentation will also explore themes of racial innocence, white redemption, liberal individualism and white female sexuality as the locus of social anxiety.
NB. It will be helpful if you have seen the films before attending. Both are available on DVD.
For more info and to book, visit London Black History Walks.