Justin Simien's Dear White People is a satirical, exagerrated portrait of racial politics in contemporary america. Taking place at an Ivy Leage college, Dear White People follows an ensemble of characters as they struggle with racial identity, racism, and individualism. The film starts off slow, with the first 30 minutes or so having me a little concerned with its mass generalizations of race. Fortunately this seems to be part of Justin Simien's plan, with the film using these mass stereotypes to fuel its much more pensive observations. What makes Dear White People such a fun satire is its tongue in cheek approach, using its playfulness to deliver a powerful message about generalizations. Nearly every single character in this film is guilty of racism or prejudice, with the film arguing that one of the main problems with modern day racism lies in people's inability to seperate themselves from everyone else. Take Sam White for example, the main protagonist of the film, an angry young woman sick of the inherent racism she sees all around her. Leader of an african-american activist group, Sam begins to realize that the idea of only associating yourself with your "own kind" is really a terrible ideal, being just as destrctive as more blantant forms of racism. People must be accepted for the type of person they are, not generalizations based on racial stereotypes, which whether positive or negative are racist. Many of these characters feel they have to choose a side, as opposed to being able to simply be their own individual and not be lumped into some generalization of race, class, or social stigma. Justin Simien's Dear White People is a funny film with a lot of fascinating ideas, even spending the time to comment on the sensualization and greed that more so than not leads to hate.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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