Through several devices, Lee advances the idea that there are divisions nearly everywhere that one looks. Even within African-American Mission College, there is racial tension between the dark-skinned Jigaboos and the light-skinned wannabees. At face value, this is a way for Lee to create a discourse about Black/White conflict, while being able to construe the conflict as playful and immature at times. Although this standin value is important, it can perhaps be viewed more accurately as an indication that at nearly every level of society, there is a binary division that can be exploited. This is made clear during Dap’s visit to KFC.
At the beginning of the film there was a part of the documentary where young boys were defined as being manly: being tough, powerful, athletic, muscular, and rude. If you did not fit into this category then the names that you were associated with were: wimp, fag, chicken and sissy. ..etc. The family, community and society have a huge part in teaching the kids to be this way, but the biggest influence is found in the media, specially television. For example, kids view Latinos or Mexicans as boxers and Asians as martial artists or even as criminals.
I also liked Lee’s intimate describing of his experience, and how some of his films had interesting elements to them because he was part of the black society. We don’t view his films in first person, which doesn’t make it appear simple, yet it still contains complex and structured ideas. These ideas derived from Lee’s own encounters with chaotic struggles he faced. From Lee’s films, I chose She’s Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and Jungle Fever. I choose these because they all revolve around a similar idea: Racism.
According to the website ScreenRant.com, “Smits will ditch his token clean-cut look to play Neron ‘Nero’ Padilla, a gang member who ends up becoming a mentor and not-so-good influence on the young newly implanted SAMCRO president Jackson ‘Jax’ Teller (Charlie Hunnam).” The show sets up the character of Nero to be a gang leader trying to follow the right path and conduct legitimate business to better his son’s life. But his legitimate business is as the owner of an escort service. Granted the entire show is based on sex, drugs, and violence, but the show did not do that well in season 2 when a Caucasian ran a porn company. In the show the main matriarch is Gemma, played by Katey Segal who is better known as Peggy Bundy. She is the mother of the current “white” biker gang’s leader and wife to both former leaders as well.
It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more of reforming.” (268) Huck finally makes the decision to keep helping Jim, and knows there is no turning back. By choosing to go against society, Huck remains loyal to Jim, proving their friendship to be strong. Huck knows that once he has made a choice, he has to go all the way, “ For a starter I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again; and if I could think up anything worse, I would do that, too; because as long as I was in, and in for good, I might as well go the whole hog.” (268) Huck is willing to accept any consequence that comes along with helping Jim because he has promised to help Jim as much as he could, even though it meant being shunned by society. Through Hucks decisions he made throughout the novel, Huck emerges as an individual with different beliefs from that of the rest of society.
In 2004 Paul directed the Oscar winning film Crash, urban drama tracks the volatile intersections of a mult-ethnic people in Los Angeles. Many of the elements delivered by the director in this film by portrayed in extreme match. The movie promotes racial awareness, most likely and conversation about race and the need to have close inspection white privilege. In the movie we will be mainly observing a three-category lens made up of culture, social class, and ethnicity. The movie incoporates many struggles face by today’s racial stereotypes.
Douglass states that he does not know the reason why he decided to stand up for himself. However, his self esteem and value most likely increased subconsciously as an outcome of his education on slavery. After the exhausting altercation, Covey showed a sign of defeat for the first time. Covery did not punish Douglass for the insurrection and stopped trying to whip him for the rest of his ownership. If he punished Douglass it would be a confession of his failure to break a slave, his reputation would be ruined.
This collective group of men that fought so hard to maintain their dignity somehow has evolved to a common hoodlum without any sense of reason. Films such as Menace to Society, Boyz N Da Hood, and South Central are there to give a description of how life is in the Ghetto. Producers such as the Hughes Brothers and John Singleton were given a graphic description to raise awareness in minority communities. Somehow it has since been glorified into a way of life. Music videos have contributed to the depiction as well.
This idea of the role of power within the film also applies to Sal’s son, Pino. Throughout the movie Pino acts as though he is above everyone else because he is the pizzeria owner’s son and therefore deserves more power. In one conversation with Mookie about the word nigger Pino explains how he feels as though black celebrities, such as Eddie Murphy and Prince, do not classify as niggers. “They’re not really black, they’re more than black. It’s different.” This attitude that Pino has shows the role of class and how blacks of a lower class are considered of less importance than famous blacks.
Marvel continued its trend of making better villains, as Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger represents an impressive antagonist. Jordan conveys the anger and convictions of his character quite well, as screenwriters Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole make the excellent choice to have his character represent black anger and desires for militancy (more on that soon). Coogler, who also directed, brings one of the most noteworthy visual styles yet seen in the MCU to the film. Everything from the bright and exotic color palette to the traditionally African-influenced production design by Hannah Beachler and costuming by Ruth Cart makes this film stand out among its compatriots. Coogler and cinematographer Rachel Morrison also show off some flashy camera tricks here and there.