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Passing poster

Passing (2021)

In 1920s New York City, a Black woman finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend who's passing as white.
5.0 / 5
INCLUVIE SCORE
3.5 / 5
MOVIE SCORE
Representation
Black
LGBTQ

Incluvie Movie Reviews

Semoy Booker
November 12, 2021
5 / 5
INCLUVIE SCORE
3.5 / 5
MOVIE SCORE

The Black and White Metaphor in 'Passing'

When I first found out, there was going to be a film adaption of the novel Passing by Nella Larsen, I was over the moon. The story of a woman not knowing where she exists, whether that is the black world, the white world, or both, speaks true to this day. I was very impressed by the casting of the characters, such as Tessa Thompson being a queer light-skinned Afro-Panamanian actress (Irene Redfield) and Ruth Negga (Clare Kendry) a bi-racial actress herself, brings authentic representation to the film. Passing (2021) is set in the roaring 20s, and our central protagonist is Irene Redfield, an African-American woman who is married and has two children. She seems to have it all, except whenever she’s reminded that she’s black living in a white world. The story also focuses on Irene’s childhood friend Clare Kendry, an African-American woman that chooses to pass for white to gain white privilege. Like in the novel, Passing acknowledges that passing for white doesn't just give people white privileges. There’s an exotic beauty to being white that is called the standards of white beauty. Irene is enthralled by Clare’s white beauty and her white life. This fascination over Clare’s beauty can also hint at a homoerotic desire that the film does not shy away from. What I most love about this film is the black-and-white metaphor for passing. The film is shot in black-and-white. This could be because writer and director, Rebecca Hall wanted her viewers to be transported into the 20s, and all movies in the 20s were shot in black-and-white. But the choice of monochromatic shades could reference what it means to be passing. Modern films that choose to film in black-and-white use grayscale. The grayscale is a range of shades of gray, where the darkest shade is black and the lightest is white. Gray can be a metaphor for in-betweenness and liminality, and this is what Clare Kendry symbolically represents. Clare has two entities co-existing in her body, her interior identity (black ancestry) and her exterior identity (white appearance). Similarly, the black and white shades are co-existing in the body (the body being the film). However, the tragic mulatto trope kills the passing-for-white character for existing in two worlds (black and white) that should not be mixed. Irene points out the dangers of Clare’s racial identity being exposed, such as the fear for her safety and child. It can also be argued that Clare’s demise is the symbolic violence that passing folk face when exposed. All in all, Passing is a visually stunning portrayal of Larsen's story with an inclusive cast, and the performances of Thompson and Negga are sensational. 
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Mixed-Race Passing: An Actress's Life Mirrored in "Imitation of Life"

March 25, 2022

Imitation of Life (1934) is a drama film directed by John M. Stahl, based on the novel of the same name by feminist and race activist Fannie Hurst. It stars Claudette Colbert, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington, and Warren William.

The story is centered on two single mothers, Bea and Delilah, and their lives with their children, Jessie and Peola. Starting with their daughter’s childhood and ending with the girls in college, its central theme is how parents and the choices they make can affect their children, in both positive and negative ways.

The film crossed many boundaries for its time such as Louise Beavers’ role as Delilah, which was the first time in American cinematic history that a Black woman's problems were given great emotional weight in a major Hollywood motion picture.

The film dives into her effort as a single Black mother, her heartbreak after losing her daughter, how hard it is for people of color to discuss racism with their children, and how Black people were treated in general.

Due to its discussions on race, racism, and mixed-race passing, it made history and is on Time magazine’s list of The 25 Most Important Films on Race.

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Movie Information

In 1920s New York City, a Black woman finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend who's passing as white.

Rating:
Genre:Drama
Directed By:Rebecca Hall
Written By:Rebecca Hall
In Theaters:10/27/2021
Box Office:

Runtime:98 minutes
Studio:Picture Films, Significant Productions, Flat Five Productions, Hungry Bull Productions, Film4 Productions

Cast

Director

Rebecca Hall

Director

noImg
cast

Tessa Thompson

Irene Redfield

cast

Ruth Negga

Clare Kendry

cast

André Holland

Brian Redfield

cast

Alexander Skarsgård

John Bellew

cast

Bill Camp

Hugh Wentworth

cast

Gbenga Akinnagbe

Dave

cast

Antoinette Crowe-Legacy

Felise

cast

Justus Davis Graham

Ted

cast

Ethan Barrett

Junior

cast

Ashley Ware Jenkins

Zulena

cast

Amos J. Machanic

Ralph Hazelton

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