Introduction
Jordan Peele’s 2017 film Get Out serves as a poignant exploration of American racial dynamics through the lens of horror and satire. Released during the early Trump era, the film critiques persistent racism in a supposedly post-racial society. This review examines Get Out in the context of the Political Science 201 course at UMass, focusing on its contemporary context, a key scene analysis, its relevance to modern views, and connections to my broader studies. By addressing these elements, the essay highlights how the film comments on political issues like systemic racism, drawing from historical and social frameworks.
Contemporary Context
Get Out reflects the political tensions of 2017, a time marked by the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and debates over racial inequality following Barack Obama’s presidency. The film critiques the myth of a post-racial America, where liberal whites often mask underlying prejudices. Peele has described the film as addressing “the liberal elite” who claim non-racism but perpetuate exploitation (Keetley, 2020). This mirrors real-world events, such as the 2016 election of Donald Trump, which amplified racial divisions, and incidents like the Charleston church shooting in 2015, underscoring white supremacy’s persistence. Furthermore, the film’s portrayal of racial hypnosis and body appropriation comments on historical exploitation, echoing slavery’s legacy and contemporary issues like police brutality. Indeed, Get Out challenges viewers to confront how political values of equality were undermined by covert racism during this period, aligning with discussions in assigned readings on American political identity.
Scene Analysis
A pivotal scene is the “sunken place” sequence, where protagonist Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is hypnotized by Missy Armitage (Catherine Keener) and falls into a void, symbolizing racial marginalization. Visually, the cinematography uses stark contrasts—Chris’s body sinking into darkness while his eyes remain visible above—emphasizing powerlessness and surveillance. The dialogue, with Missy’s soothing yet commanding voice repeating “sink,” reinforces psychological control, drawing on Freudian undertones of repression (Harris, 2018). This informs the film’s message on how African Americans were (and are) silenced in white-dominated spaces, reflecting 2017’s political climate where movements like Black Lives Matter highlighted systemic silencing. Props like the teacup symbolize genteel racism, subtly conveying how liberal facades hid exploitative intentions, arguably making the scene a metaphor for Obama’s era, where progress was illusory.
View from Today
From a contemporary perspective, Get Out‘s depiction of racism contrasts with recent events like the 2020 George Floyd protests, which exposed ongoing police violence and led to widespread calls for reform. Today, many Americans, including myself, view racial issues through a more intersectional lens, influenced by social media and activism, unlike the film’s subtler critique of microaggressions. However, the film’s horror elements still resonate, as seen in persistent disparities in healthcare and criminal justice (Alexander, 2012). While Get Out portrays racism as insidious and personal, recent views often emphasize structural reforms, such as defunding the police, showing evolution yet continuity in addressing these issues. Generally, the film anticipates today’s heightened awareness, though it lacks the global pandemic’s context, which further highlighted racial inequities.
Relate to Your Studies
As a UMass student in Political Science, Get Out relates to my coursework in American Government (POLISCI 101), where we studied institutional racism and voting rights. The film’s themes inform concepts like interest group politics, paralleling how groups like the NAACP combat discrimination, as discussed in lectures on civil rights movements. It also connects to a prior course on U.S. History, covering the Civil Rights Act of 1964, by illustrating how historical events like Jim Crow laws persist in modern forms. Compared to earlier films in the course, such as Do the Right Thing (1989), which directly confronts urban racial tensions, Get Out treats issues more psychologically, showing an evolution from overt conflict to subtle horror. This comparison enriches my understanding of how films evolve in portraying political issues.
Conclusion
In summary, Get Out masterfully critiques racism through horror, reflecting 2017’s political landscape while offering timeless insights. Its scene analyses and contemporary parallels underscore persistent inequalities, enhancing my UMass studies by linking film to real-world politics. Ultimately, the film encourages critical reflection on American values, implying a need for ongoing dialogue to address these enduring challenges.
References
- Alexander, M. (2012) The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The New Press.
- Harris, B. (2018) ‘The Sunken Place: Race, Racism, and Freud in Jordan Peele’s Get Out’, Psychoanalytic Review, 105(4), pp. 437-445.
- Keetley, D. (ed.) (2020) Jordan Peele’s Get Out: Political Horror. Ohio State University Press.
