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DIDAS KATO

   Review of some of the concepts in the film ‘Blood diamonds.’

In our class this semester, we have learned about how power, identity, and injustices have been identified in the world we are in, but another thing I found interesting was to take a look at the ethical choices we make in our lives. Looking at one man obsessed with finding a valuable diamond no matter what comes (Danny Archer) and the other man (Solomon) risking his life to find his son is the beating heart of the movie.

 The scene from this movie that I found touching was ‘the fisherman Solomon Vandy dreams about the day that his young son Dia Vandy will become a doctor. His dreams are shattered when the rebels invade his village and kidnap the young boy to work in the diamond mines where they are brainwashed to become merciless killers held in check by drugs, liquor, and doing a lot of things that disrupt the justice of society.

    Solomon was a fisherman in the quiet village of Sierra Leone had a family of a wife and two children who escaped death, but the boy Dia was taken away to be trained as a child soldier with the rebels. And another person in concern is Danny Archer, a Rhodesian smuggler, an ex-mercenary who learned about the diamond when in prison, he could not stop at anything until he gets the diamond.

  Solomon’s stand moved me as he couldn’t do anything until he finds his son and reunites with his family.

 Solomon sees his son Dia on one of the trucks of the rebels who are using power over the others to rule, these sierra Leone’s government troops could roll into town and slaughter men, women, and children as if they were exterminating rodents, but amidst all what was going on Solomon risk his life to save his son. Danny Archer reaches a moment in time that he fights Solomon because he only cared about the diamond stone Solomon had hidden in the ground, to be specific he only cared about monetary possessions which in the end doesn’t even matter compared to the unending love you can get from family.

The picture show when Danny Archer finally gets the diamond stone that he was yarning for but loses his life in return, so it all did not make any sense but rather so painful at the end of Danny.

The determination Solomon had to search for love not to be consumed by material possessions finally yields his best results as he finally gets his boy back and he reunites with his family. On the other hand, Danny dies after getting the stone and does not even get a chance to enjoy what he fought for. In conclusion therefore we should almost try to focus on things that matter most in life” Love”.

By Zhenyang Shao

The movie that I select is The Gua Sha Treatment. The movie talked about a story that the Protagonist Datong and his Chinese wife moved to the United States and lived there for a long time. When they thought they would almost finish their American dreams, a bad thing happens. One day, his son Dennis got a cold, and Dennis’ grandfather use Gua Sha which is a Chinese traditional medicine to cure his illness. Gua Sha would leave some light petechiae on Dennis’ back which would make people misunderstand as a painful looking mark. Because of culture difference and conflict, his American neighbor accused Datong of bullying child. In the court, the judge also prosecuted that Datong included the Chinese legendary character Sun Wukong in his design of a violent video game. However, he did not know the cultural value of Sun Wukong. Finally, Datong was penalized and cannot meet his son anymore.

In this movie, it shows the interculture relationship and conflict between China and America. The identity of Datong’s family is an immigrant, and his friend, the judge, the policeman and so on are the natives which can be considered as the main power. They spend many years to overcome cultural difference and integrate into the society. The injustice in the movie is that since Americans did not quite understand the culture in China at that time, they misunderstand such a little thing, Gua Sha. They penalized Datong so hard and even deprived his freedom of staying with family. That remind me the question that Gayatri Spivak “Can the Subaltern Speak?”. Datong, and even the immigrant group, is the subaltern. They cannot tell their idea to the society, and the society did not fully understand them. In addition, that reminds me the Story of My Body which is written by Ortiz Cofer. In the reading, when she came to study in the foreign country, she was discriminated because of her skin, her color, and her identity. I think her experiences is very similar to Datong. Both are minority groups and cannot be fully accepted by the society. Finally, that remind me the idea of “the one” and “The other” in Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex. In this movie, Datong and his immigrant family are the Other while the native Americans are the One.

From the movie, it shows the cultural differences and conflict between Chinese family and American society. It also told people the danger of a single story. Communication always a good method to solve problems and conflicts.

Jordan Peele’s first film as a writer and director, Get Out (2017) is a comprehensive social commentary disguised as an American horror film. Chris’ white girlfriend Rose is ready for him to meet her parents upstate. As a black man, Chris has concerns about what Rose’s parents will think of their relationship, but Rose assures him that they’ll be loving and accepting. The situation becomes increasingly fishy as the visit goes on until Chris realizes he is in mortal danger because of his race. The movie makes a couple powerful points about racism in America and the power dynamic involved. Horror movie main characters are seldom black, and Get Out uses this to turn Othering on its head. As the viewer accepts Chris as filling the protagonist role, the movie doesn’t grant many humanizing traits to the Armitage family. They are creepy from the start, and they easily fill the role of being the movie’s monsters. While black people have been Othered in America since its very beginnings, the movie puts rich white people in this position. The intention seems to be to show white viewers who may feel uncomfortable that this is the reality black people have experienced throughout history.

The Armitage family still holds the power in the movie to the point where Chris has to kill or be killed. While violence is often glorified in many aspects of American culture, it is typically quickly stifled and criticized when used as a means of social resistance. Get Out does a great job making the viewer feel Chris’ desperation, and in doing so challenges real-life views on black resistance while drawing a parallel to the level of desperation black people often feel in terms of racial justice in America. In one particular scene, Chris experiences the “horror” of a large get-together of rich white people. Many of the guests make what appear to be micro-aggressive racial remarks toward Chris. While bothered, he does his best to smile and shake it off. As is later revealed, these micro-aggressions were actually related to a despicable, violent, and racist plot. Get Out is making the real-life point that even the most seemingly harmless racial remarks we still hear in modern society are inextricably rooted in a violent racial power dynamic that at one point in history had resulted in slavery itself. Get Out is a powerful satire with a plot that is chillingly entertaining in its own right. If you’re a fan of horror films and want to apply tools and concepts we learned in this class to more literature, I recommend you watch it!

One of the movies that I have watched recently that really resonated with me was the movie The Hate U Give. This movie represents a lot of what has been going on in our society today. Starr Carter, the main character of this film, is constantly trying to fit into her two worlds. One being the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she lives with her family, and the mostly white, rich prep school that she attends. She is constantly working to be herself in both environments but the balance between these two worlds is ultimately shattered when she is the main witness to the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer. She faces a lot of pressure from her community so she is forced to find her voice and stand up for what’s right. Khalil’s, Starrs best friend, shooting really put injustice at the forefront of the film. Khalil was not armed and did not threaten the officer which makes his murder unjust. Race is also tied into this theme of injustice because immanent racism prevents African Americans from obtaining justice. At the end of the film Starr accepts that injustice is going to continue but she will work to bring justice to Khalil and his family no matter what. 

Throughout this course, we have talked a lot about race and injustice and I believe this film fits in perfectly with the other information we have learned. This film is a good example of the “other”. In this case, the police officers can’t do any wrong. People are conditioned to think that whenever a police officer does something it is for the right reasons. Starr and her community are seen as the “other” in this instance because they are not being heard and the treatment that Khalil faced was extremely wrong but no one sees the truth in the real story. I highly recommend this movie as another way to understand how racism and inequality can really affect the lives of many people. I think the film as a whole really opened my eyes to what goes on in our society and how people deserve to have their voices heard. The film, The Hate U Give, is also a book. I do believe however that the movie doesn’t do the book justice both. That being said, the film and the book are equally educational and heart wrenching. 

I’d like to recommend The Michelle Obama Podcast to anyone who is wishing to learn more about injustices & inequalities in America told from the perspective of a respectable, accomplished African American woman.

The Michelle Obama podcast is a nine-episode series that covers a variety of general life topics and current situations. Obama keeps the conversations engaging and applicable to a variety of viewers while also providing insight from her experiences. Alongside Obama is her changing co-hosts; guests range from Barack Obama, her best friends, her brother, Conan O’Brien, and more.

I recommend the podcast series as a whole but today would like to discuss episode two: Protests and the Pandemic. Michelle is joined by award-winning Washington Post journalist Michele Norris. This episode was a candid conversation constructed around the current situation in America: a lockdown, violent protesting for BLM, and dealing with the unknowns and stresses from both.

There are several instances specifically during the conversation that explore injustices in the system. First, the sacrifices underprivileged workers must endure during the pandemic. Blue-collar workers don’t have the safety net to work from home that upper class, white-collar workers have. They are forced to risk their lives in order to make money. This was a topic heavily explored during the podcast and frankly, it opened my eyes to how this pandemic was truly affecting the rich and poor in drastically different ways.

Another injustice explored was the topic of what it is like to be African American during the BLM movement. It is one thing to be white in America and supporting BLM, but is an entirely different perspective, feeling, and position to be African American during the current situation. Both African American women, Obama and Norris respectfully and candidly share their personal experiences to viewers. Unsurprisingly, it’s an uncomfortable, stressful feeling. Wasn’t this race issue supposed to be dealt with already? They both expressed how tired their community was in dealing with “the race issue again”

I do recommend the podcast series as a way to learn more about the inherent inequalities in the American system as Michelle discusses many general topics that all connect back to what it means to be African American in our society. Another example I didn’t get to explore today was the episode with Michelle’s brother and their conversation reflecting on growing up in the Southside of Chicago during the white flight. This podcast series explores the topics of inequality and injustice told by someone who has experienced it. I found it inspirational to hear her perspective as she is so accomplished now and isn’t afraid to talk about the real, tough issues.  The Michelle Obama podcast is a must listen for all who are hoping to gain a new perspective from their own.

42 is an American biographical sports film, directed and written by Brian Helgeland, based on the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball player Jackie Robinson. If you don’t recognize the name Jackie Robinson, then you’re missing out on a revolutionary chunk of history.

Jackie Robinson, played by Chadwick Boseman in the 2013 film, was an American professional baseball player. In fact, he was the first African American to ever play in the major leagues. He started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Below is a picture of the scene where Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

42 gives us a dramatized glimpse of Robinson’s journey rising to the MLB, being given a chance to play in the historically all-white league by Brooklyn Dodger owner Branch Rickey, played by Harrison Ford. The film gives us a tear-jerking view of how segregated America was in terms of race in 1947. You see Robinson in constant tension and frustration in regards to brutal racism with the fans he plays in front of, the opponents he plays against, and even some of his own teammates. You see at the end of the film he is able to assimilate in this new world more as his teammates begin to accept him as apart of the team.

The film is a good representation of Hegel’s concept on the One and the Other, but at the same times it’s a good depiction of Bhabha’s idea of hybridity and the Third Space. You can see with each opposition Robinson encounters, they are trying to dominate themselves and have Robinson acknowledge the power they have over him.

Though other characters are a great example of Bhabha’s preferred concept of hybridity, such as Harold Peter Henry “Pee Wee” Reese, played by Lucas Black, who stands up for Robinson as he comes to realize the struggle he faces everyday, and Branch Rickey, who gives Robinson the time of day after he chose against the opportunity to do the same for a black player while he was in college. These two characters are some of the only people different from Robinson who put aside their rigid traditions of being segregated from black people and allowed themselves to accept their cultural differences.

The picture below is from the scene in the film where Pee Wee stands up for Robinson on the field.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is a unique dystopian science fiction novel that harmoniously blends nightmarish medical advances into a mundane coming of age story. Scientists figured out that they could extend people’s lifespans if they cloned them in order to produce healthy organs which could be harvested once the person became ill. This wonderful life prolonging medical technology had a dark side to it, however. They weren’t just cloning organs, but rather complete humans who were destined to live on the fringes of society until their clones needed their organs. When their organs were needed, the clones would have them harvested one by one until they died. The book follows Kathy H., the narrator, one of these clones who has become a “carer”. She takes care of other clones as they slowly die due to having their organs removed. Eventually she will also undergo that process. She reflects on her childhood and adolescence growing up in a place called Hailsham, where the clones were raised in isolation from the rest of the world. Their existence is controversial, some believe they shouldn’t even be educated. They exist as subalterns, people who are not seen as people. People who do not have rights and cannot participate in holding any sort of power. The children grapple with this as they grow up and learn more about their identity. At one point Kathy and her friends go and visit a small city where they search for someone who looks like one of them, in other words someone who might have been where they got their DNA from. They saw their clones lives as their own potential lives, if they were allowed the right to live normal happy lives. As they grew older, they understood more about their roles as citizens of an unseen class. Ultimately, they could not escape that injustice, despite their efforts to prove themselves as human to people who also did not have the power to change the system. The reader must question at what cost are we willing to “advance” society? Can we live in an advanced society that depends upon the exploitation of others? Read Never Let Me Go for a captivating sci-fi journey through Ruth’s life and see what other questions about power, identity, and justice arise.

A piece of literature that I will be speaking of today is the dystopian novel, Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley in 1931. The reason that I am writing about this novel is I feel that it applies a few concepts of what we have read about in class quite well. If you are looking for something that displays the concept of the “One and the “Other”, injustices amongst individuals in two parts of the world. The book itself takes place in a dystopian society where everyone is given a drug to numb their feelings, and those individuals who do not take this drug are on the outskirts of town and are see as outsiders, as they do not follow the beliefs present in the center of the city. So how do the applications apply in this book? Quite easily. Let’s begin by looking at the establishment of the “One and the Other”. In this book Huxley establishes a relationship like this with the people in the city and those outside of it, the people inside the city are unaware of so much and are being controlled by a government, yet they believe they are living their best life. While, those on the outside are considered monsters and beasts, but are in control of what they feel and see. Due to this, we see the city, the “One” establishing those on the outside as the “Others” due to being of different culture and overall, just a different being. When it comes to injustices, these are present in every facet of the book from within the city when it comes to an individual who is not being suppressed by the drug and is seen as different, to the reaction of the city people to the outsiders, seeing them as beasts and danger, even though nothing is inherently wrong with them. What I think Huxley wants us to take from this is not to fall into the trap of letting someone control us, resulting in injustice when it comes to power. As well as, do not view people different than you as entirely different human beings as they are likely similar to you. I feel this work inspires a lot of questions revolving identity of a person, power in governmental systems, and injustices amongst people of different views and backgrounds.