Imagine Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner? as a sci-fi horror comedy flick. Of course, for many, racism itself will always be construed as a horror story. For some, the horror story. But there are any number of contexts in which that can play out.
On the other hand, in America, given its history, race almost always hovers over eveything. One way or another it is going to be staring you down. What to say, what to do…here and now? there and then?
But this?!
We’re all gonna be judged. But there is never a one size fits all reaction. What may be “politically correct” for some is anything but for others. So, for many, it’s like walking on pins and needles. Or navigating a minefield. In other words, though America goes through periods of optimism when it is thought that race will [at last] sink farther and farther into the nasty past, it comes roaring back as virulent as ever. Trumpworld being just the latest incarnation. And then the even more convoluted reaction to race from the “liberals”. Or, as one reviewer suggested: “Get Out is a stinging criticism of the white liberalism that carries itself as empathetic towards blacks, but that empathy only extends as far as white control. Peele isn’t taking aim at Neo- Nazis and other whites who would angrily shout the n-word. They’re a lost cause. Instead, he’s looking at those who profess their lack of racism, but only do so if they can maintain their dominance over black people in the most insidious manner possible.”
Okay, but this?!
Then the part about hypnotism. What to take seriously and what not to. What to take literally and what to only imagine metaphorically as a commentary on human interactions in a world where race [among other things] revolves around choosing behaviors only more or less thought through. Or only more or less your own.
Unless of course I’ve got it all wrong.
Look for the Sunken Place.
IMDb
[b]On the Rotten Tomatoes Top 100 Horror Movies list, extraordinarily, Get Out (2017) is ranked at the top due to the largest amount of positive film reviews and the film’s growing prestige.
Regarding the meaning of The Sunken Place, creator/director Jordan Peele said, “The Sunken Place means we’re marginalized. No matter how hard we scream, the system silences us.”
Daniel Kaluuya was given the lead role on the spot after nailing his audition. Jordan Peele said Kaluuya did about five takes of a key scene, in which his character needs to cry, and each was so perfect that the single tear came down at the exact same time for each take.
At a Vanity Fair screening of the film writer/director Jordan Peele explained that he wrote the screenplay during the first term of President Barack Obama, when racism was believed to be a thing of the past. He thought there wouldn’t be much interest for his movie in such an optimistic climate, so he wrote it mainly for himself. But with the increasing discussion regarding violence against African-Americans and the coming of the Black Lives Matter movement in later years, he knew the time was right to make the movie.
Movie critic Armond White is the only known professional movie critic that gave this film a negative review, thus lowering its excellent Rotten Tomatoes rating from 100 percent to 99 percent. He claimed that it was produced for a liberal agenda and referred to it as a “get whitey” film.[/b]
trivia at IMDb: imdb.com/title/tt5052448/tri … =ttqu_sa_1
at wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Out_(film
trailer: youtu.be/DzfpyUB60YY
GET OUT [2017]
Written and directed by Jordan Peele
[b]Chris: Do they know…do they know I’m black?
Rose: No. Should they?
Chris: It seems like something you might want to mention.
Rose: "Mom and Dad, my uh, my black boyfriend will be coming up this weekend and I just don’t want you to be shocked because he’s a black man. "
Chris: You said I was the first black guy you ever dated?
Rose: Yeah, so what?
Chris: Yeah, so this is uncharted territory for them. You know I don’t want to be chased off the lawn with a shotgun.
Rose: You’re not going to. First of all, my dad would have voted for Obama a third time if he could have…they are not racist.
…
Dean [poining to a photograph]: Here, you’re going to love this. My Dad’s claim to fame. He was beat by Jesse Owens in the qualifying round for the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Those were the ones where …Owens won in front of Hitler. Yes, what a moment, what a moment. I mean, Hitler’s up there with all his perfect Aryan race bullshit. This black dude comes along and proves him wrong in front of the entire whole world. Amazing.
Chris: Not great for your dad, though.
Dean: Yeah. He almost got over it.
…
Dean: I know what you’re thinking.
Chris: What?
Dean: Come on, I get it. White family, black servants. It’s a total cliche.
Chris: I wasn’t going to take it there.
Dean: Well you didn’t have to, believe me. Now, we hired Georgina and Walter to help care for my parents. When they died I just couldn’t bare to let them go.
…
Rose: Oh God, the party.
Chris: How bad can that be?
Rose: They’re so white. Like so white.
…
Missy: Want to know how it works?
Chris: You dangle a pocket watch in front of people’s faces? Is that it?
Missy: You watch a lot of TV.
…
Missy: How do you feel now?
Chris: I can’t move.
Missy: You can’t move.
Chris: Why can’t I move?
Missy: You’re paralyzed. Just Like that day when you did nothing. You did nothing. Now…sink into the floor.
Chris: Wait, wait, wait.
Missy: Sink. Now you’re in the Sunken Place.
…
Chris: They working you good out here, huh?
Walter: Nothing I don’t want to be doing.
Chris: I didn’t get to meet you yet, up close. I’m Chris.
Walter: I know who you are. She is lovely isn’t she?
Chris: Rose? Yes, she is.
Walter: One of a kind. Top of the line. A real doggone keeper.
Chris: Right.
Walter: I’m sorry about last night. My exercise. I did not mean to scare you. And did it work?
Chris: Did What work?
Walter: You were in Mrs Armitage’s office for quite some time.
…
Chris: I think your mom hypnotized me last night.
Rose: What? When?
Chris: I went out for, I went out for some air last night and I run into her and I can barely remember any of it but now the thought of a cigarette makes me want to throw up.
Rose: Oh my God.
…
Jim: [to Chris]: Fair skin has been in favor for the past what, couple of hundreds of years… But now the pendulum has swung back. Black is in fashion.
…
Chris: What the fuck?
Jim: Ignorance.
Chris: Who?
Jim: All of them. They mean well, but they have no idea what real people go through.
…
Chris: Shit ain’t fait, man.
Jim: Oh, you got that right. Shit ain’t fair.
…
Chris: I got hypnotized last night.
Rod: Nigga, get the fuck outta there!
…
Chris [on the phone, after telling Rod Missy hypnotized him]: I know she caught me off guard, right? But it’s cool because…I’m cured. It worked!
Rod: Bruh, how you not scared of this, man? Look, they could have made you do all types of stupid shit. They have you fuckin’ barking like a dog, flying around like you a fuckin’ pigeon looking ridiculous. Or… I don’t know if you noticed, white people love making people sex slaves and shit.
Chris: Yeah, I’m pretty sure they are not a kinky sex family, dawg.
…
Hiroki: Do you find that being African-American more advantage or disadvantage in the modern world?
Chris: A tough one. Yeah, I don’t know, man.
[he beckons to Andre]
Chris: They were asking me about the African American experience. Maybe you can take this one.
Andre: I find that the African-American experience for me has been for the most part very good. Although I find it idifficult to go into detail because I haven’t had much desire to leave the house in a while.
…
Rod [on the phone with Chris talking about Andre]: : Sex slave! Oh, shit! Chris, you gotta get the fuck outta there, man! You in some Eyes Wide Shut situation. Leave, motherfucker!
…
Dean: What is your purpose, Chris?
Chris: What?
Dean: In life. What is your purpose?
Chris: Right now it’s finding those keys.
Jeremy: Fire.
Dean: It is a reflection of our own mortality. We are born, we breathe and then we die. Even the sun will die someday. But we are divine. We are the gods trapped in cocoons.
…
Rose [to Chris]: You were one of my favorites…[/b]
Then things really get weird…
[b]Roman [on a television screen to Chris bound to a chair]: Is there anything more beautiful than a sunrise? I am Roman Armitage and if you’re watching this, you’re probably wondering what’s going on. There’s no need to worry. Let’s take a walk. You have been chosen because of the physical advantages you enjoyed your entire lifetime. With your natural gifts and our determination we could both be part of something greater. Something perfect. The Coagula procedure is a man-made miracle. Our order has been developing it for many, many years … and it wasn’t until recently it was perfected by my own flesh and blood. My family and I are honored to offer it as a service to members of our group. Don’t waste your strength. Don’t try to fight it. You can’t stop the inevitable. And who knows? Maybe one day you will enjoy being members of the family. Behold. The Coagula.
…
Rod [to Detective Latoya and two other detectives]: Then he sent me some weird pictures. I’m like, “Ah man, that’s Andre Hayworth.” This dude’s been missing for 6 months, right? So I do all my research, you know, 'cause as a TSA agent…I-I go do my…my detective work, right? And I start putting pieces together. And see, this is what I came up with. They’re probably abducting black people, brainwashing them and making them slaves…or sex slaves. Not just regular slaves, but sex slaves and shit. See? I don’t know if it’s the hypnosis that’s making 'em slaves or what not, but all I know is they already got two brothas we know and there could be a whole bunch of brothas they got already. What’s the next move?
…
Detective Latoya [to Rod]: Oh, white girls, they get you every time.
…
Rod [on the phone]: So last time I talked to Chris, he told me your mama hypnotized him.
Rose: Rod, just stop. I know why you’re calling.
Rod: Why is that?
Rose: It’s kind of obvious, don’t you think? What? That there is something between us.
…
Roman [on the television screen to Chris still bound to the chair]: Hey, Chris. How’s it going, buddy? You can answer, there is an intercom in the room.
Chris: Where is Rose?
Roman: Oh, You dirty dog. You’re one of the lucky ones, trust me. Jeremy’s wrangling method sounds much less pleasant. I’m supposed to answer any outstanding questions or concerns you may have so far. Apparently our common understanding of the process has a positive impact on the success rate of the procedure. You could give a shit, right? Okay, just let me just tell you what it is? Phase one was the hypnotism. That’s how they sedate you. Phase two is this. Mental preparation. It is basically a psychological pre-op.
Chris: Pre-op?
Roman: For stage three. Transplantation.
…
Chris: Why us? Why black people?
Roman [chuckling]: Who knows? People want to change. Some people want to be stronger … faster … cooler. Black is in fashion. But please don’t lump me in with that, you know I could give a shit what color you are. No, what I want is deeper. I want your eyes, man. I want those things you see through.
Chris: This is crazy.
Roman: Okay, I’m done.
…
Dean: Jeremy…?
…
Rose [to Walter]: Get 'em grandpa…
…
Rod: I mean, I told you not to go in that house.
Chris: How you find me?
Rod: I’m T.S…motherfuckin’…A. We handle shit. That’s what we do. Consider this situation fuckin’ handled.[/b]