‘Get Out’ plays on fear of modern day slavery
Columbia Pictures released “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” in 1967, a film that told the story of a young white woman who brought her black fiancé home to meet her parents. At the end of the film, the parents seem to be okay with it and they live happily.
It’s now 2017 and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” shows that things will not be okay with interracial dating just yet. The film is filled with multiple racial issues that are sharp, brave and disturbing for his directorial debut.
In “Get Out,” white individuals don’t want to understand interracial relationships or want to reflect on their prejudices or privileges. They do not hate the black race, but only want control. They see black people as only being good for their bodies. Peele plays into this old time way of thinking while putting a modern twist on it.
Chris, played by Daniel Kaluuya, is a photographer who decides to go with his girlfriend Rose, played by Allison Williams, to meet her parents at their country home over the weekend. The father, Dean, is played by Bradley Whitford, and the mother, Missy, is played by Catherine Keener.
The audience can tell Chris is skeptical about meeting his girlfriend’s parents for the first time, especially because she hasn’t mentioned to them that he is black. However, her parents seem pleasant about the situation and act as if the fact that he is black doesn’t matter at all. Things get weird as the family’s two black servants start to act strange. As the weekend goes on, Chris starts to notice more and more bizarre behavior from everyone he meets, and begins wondering if Missy, a hypnotist, has gotten to him and the rest of the people in the town.
“Get Out” plays on the fear of slavery returning in a modern America. It’s a film that gives off the feel of the film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” with a hint of “The Stepford Wives.” This mixture creates an eye opening story of white power.
Peele is able to take aim at those who fail to acknowledge their racism. This is a film that is simply saying, “Hey look, it’s not okay to only not be racist when you can maintain dominance over a certain race. Let’s just not be racist.”
While “Get Out” is full of racial satire, it’s a film that takes on the issue of racism in a time where racism and discrimination are at a high in America. Categorized as a horror and a comedy, “Get Out” is something that will be an uncomfortable, needed conversation among all races.
A special premiere of “Get Out” will be Thursday at 9:30 p.m. at Hendrix theatre. Tickets can be picked up at the central ticket office in Mendenhall Student Center.