Portrayal of African-americans in Films: Django Unchained and 12 Years a Slave

The subject touching on the representation of the African-Americans in films is wide and encompasses various aspects. In the 19th and 20th centuries, major film producing business enterprises, especially Hollywood, did not incorporate the black man in most of the films, and this is attributed to the widespread racial discrimination in these periods. However, when the 21st century dawned, the appearance of the black man in big screens erected in which they formed a better part of film characters as well as production officials. In the process, there are myriad ways through which the African Americans are portrayed in every piece of the film aired. Below is a countdown of the black man’s representation in films.

Physical Strength and High Productivity

The strength of the black man was the ultimate recipe for his slavery in the 19th and 20th century. Thus, this has been a factor and one of the fundamental tools for the representation of the African-Americans in various films. To this end, the masculinity of the African-Americans comes off significantly, and this is why most auctioneers and slave traders loved them (“Popular and Persuasive Stereotypes of the African-Americans”). Other films echoing the masculinity and the physical strength of the black man include Django Unchained and 12 Years a Slave. In 12 Years a Slave, the African-Americans are portrayed as engines used by the whites for production, as they are subjected black collar jobs in which they work as servants in farms.

In the film Django Unchained, the African-Americans are portrayed in two distinct ways. This film concedes, or rather, cites the example of Malcolm X regarding the behavior of African-Americans. The film uses this point to portray the rift between African-Americans regarding issues affecting them, and this suggests that this community is not united. In the film, Django aggressively launches a revolution against the enslaver of the black man, and yet Stephen acts as a spanner boy to the white man who enslaves the African-Americans. The two characters differ in ideology, and this portrays the African-Americans as a group of people who cannot see and act against issues affecting them. This confirms Malcolm's argument regarding the field negro who does not care about the affairs of his or her master as well as the house negro who is a puppet to the master.

To this end, the film portrays the diligent part of the African-Community who launches a revolution gearing up for their appreciation. This is evidenced by Django’s bold moves as he sails through the white man’s farm, killing his guards. Conversely, the film also indicates the weak African-Americans who are manipulated like puppets. Stephen is the agent in this case, and he actively defends his master, and it is also interesting that he was the first to notice that Django did not mean well for his master. This demonstrates the internal fights and the rift among this community, and much of this is potentiated and aggravated by personal interests as well as ideology. It was in Stephen’s interest to defend his master and this is because he was housed and fed by his white master. However, Django’s interest was to free the black man, getting him off the hook of slavery.

African-Americans, through most films, have been portrayed as second-class citizens, and this has been a product of racial discrimination stereotyping in which the community is perceived to be foolish, childish, lazy, unclean as well as a symbol of disgrace and poverty. The stereotyping of the black man was pioneered during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and most of the films have portrayed them as second-class citizens in which they are shown to be tools used for black collar jobs. From Django Unchained to 12 Years a Slave, the African-Americans are shown to forcefully work in plantations. This indicates their mistreatment in which they do not access similar and equal justice like their white counterparts. To a larger extent, they do not access similar social benefits as they are segregated and denied access to particular schools, shops, and recreational facilities. However, this changed with time in which the contemporary content portrays the African-Americans as an aggressive community. For instance, the television show Power portrays African-Americans as an aggressive community in which they would do anything to maintain a steady income, better their lives and protect their businesses. James Ghost is an exemplary example, and in this part, he indicates that the African-Americans, whether through hook or crook, will not stand a chance of messing up their business empires. This aggression also suggests that the African-Americans are also in the race of empowering themselves to discount the traditional perception that it is a backward and stunted community.

Conclusion

Several films have been produced with the African-American community as the subject. The major themes of these films have represented this community in different ways. However, much of them touch on the slavery of the black people in which they are portrayed as a backward community. However, contemporary films indicate a converse of this, and this is evidenced by the advancement of the African-Americans in which they engage themselves in multi-million businesses and investments.