Between the dazzling first shot—burning debris falling from a satellite entering the atmosphere—and the final sequence merging underwater images with others generated by a specially created camera, a path is sketched out which, in the manner of a reverse science-fiction journey, leads from space exploration to a cemetery in the middle of the ocean.
Ultra-violent storytelling has never been my thing, but the issues with Scarface go beyond that. The film perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Latinx immigrants and uses gore and misogyny for shock value that never serves any purpose. The whole venture is frustratingly empty, and left me desiring something more.
White audiences saw Peola’s mixed-race passing as a Black woman’s struggle to be white. Black audiences saw it as the rebellion of a Black woman trying to gain privileges only given to white people.
Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow era, the film offers layered representation.
Complex relationships between mothers and daughters are far from a new concept, whether the strain comes from abandonment, beliefs, or trauma. In My Only Wish, an Incluvie Film Festival submission, Brenda Gutierrez’s take on her character’s maternal divide comes in the form of abandonment.
This list was made with the intention of celebrating the craft. I love seeing more women of colour on this list than before and more newcomers on the scene as well!
The iconic title character stars in her own horror and gothic TV series.
