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Get Out: A Horror-Satire
Get Out: A Horror-Satire
Directed by Jordan Peele, Get Out was released in theaters right after the election of Donald Trump when there was a lot of tumult and terror among the country’s minority population. The underlying purpose of the film was to draw attention to the oppression of the black community.
Synopsis
Synopsis
A young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point -IMDb
"The Sunken Place"
"The Sunken Place"
"This film is how racism feels," said Kaluuya. "You get paranoid and you can't talk about it. You can't voice it. No one around you gets it, so you can't speak about it. And in the end it just comes out in a rage."
In this scene, Chris is having a normal conversation with his girlfriend's mother when she suddenly begins to question his past, specifically about a traumatizing event with his mother. As he begins to painfully remember the moments leading up to her death, Mrs. Armitage begins to hipnotize Chris by the simple swirling of her spoon in her teacup. She simply commands him to "sink into the floor... sink" and he, while protesting, falls victim to the "sunken place."
Peele uses "the sunken place" as a metaphor for the oppression that minorities face, specifically those of the black community. The room is dark, empty, and completely isolated from that of the outside world. The victim subject to this alternate reality is able to see the other continuing with their reality but are unable to reach them. The Black Lives Matter Movement attempts to eliminate such isolation so no one, regardless of race, should ever experience such oppression.
The Party Scene
The Party Scene
"’That party sequence is why I really wanted to do this film, because I've been to that party,’ Kaluuya said of a scene in which Chris politely navigates a series of white strangers whose pleasantries are edged with passive-aggressive racist undertones.”
This party scene begins with Chris's introduction to the space full of strangers, but when he sees a familiar face, he decides to take a picture of him. Unfortunately when the flash goes off, the man's nose begins to bleed as his eyes gloss over and he acts in retaliation.
Chris's phone in this scene is important, as the only way the truth is revealed is through the use of pictures and video taping. When Chris takes the picture of Jim, the truth is revealed that something is wrong with the situation. There is an off-balanced tone to the party and through Chris's act in recording it, the eeriness is amplified.
In relation to the Black Lives Matter Movement, cameras and videocameras have been an asset to the victims whose voices cannot and will not be heard. Since they do not have a voice, they use photographic evidence to help deliver the truth.
Relevance in the Black Lives Matter Movement
Relevance in the Black Lives Matter Movement
The media is a very powerful outlet for such social movements like the Black Lives Matter. Get Out which grossed over $254 million worldwide, has provided those who are unaware this issue with a film that draws special attention to it. Rather than being a simply enjoyable movie, Get Out is filled with symbolism and satire that creatively displays the Black Lives Matter movement on the big screen.
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