In a time where cinema is dominated by kiddie friendly comic-book based movies Dear White People takes on race relations in the US in a refreshing, funny, insightful and entertaining way. Let's dig in...
Justin Simien (writer-director) takes actual events around US college campuses to create his fictional take on racism in tertiary education in the US.
The interesting thing about Dear White People is that it is told from a black perspective, meaning it interrogates notions around what black people see as racism and hang-ups of black people with race. It shows some of the underlying issues that black culture has to sort out around sexism, being able to assimilate those who do not conform to stereotypical definitions of what black is and the need to be co-opted into white hegemony.
The coolest thing about this movie is that is far from being didactic. The characters are fleshed out and have flaws too, no one is right or the angel/devil. Which is embodied by the lead character Sam White (Tessa Thompson). She, like many characters in the film, is a walking contradiction, and the fun in this movie is about exposing these contradictions within the various characters on screen.
The wit keeps things light but Simien does not hold back the punches when it comes to showcasing how power, race and media work hand in hand. Noam Chomsky would so approve of this film. So the film does not necessarily feel like a comedy ha-ha due to the satire and real issues it deals with but the wit is sharp and insight even sharper.
It’s very telling how 80% of what’s happening in Dear White People is what we in SA are struggling with from UCT with #RhodesMustFall, to Wits with the “Hitler debacle”, to Uniwest with its unofficial black and white campuses, to UP with it's black face party.
These scenarios are all explored in Dear White People in an American context and the resolution and ideas that come from Simien are not what you would expect based on title of the film. So this film is not far removed from our existence like Avengers per se.
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year - it's funny, it has real folks, deals with real issues and it has a story. So even if you're not into race politics, gender issues or how power works, the story alone and the different characters are compelling enough to keep you captivated outside from the themes.
It’s amazing to think this is Simien's first feature - it feels like “Do the Right Thing” and Orange Is the New Black” had a child and “Dear White People” was born. Do yourself a favour and check this one out.
Rating *****
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index
* Junk **Almost bearable ***Now we cooking **** Almost perfect ***** Classic