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Black feminist film theory

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Black Feminist Film Theory
The writer communicates from the perspective of a Black woman in the backdrop of historical
racial prejudice. As such she seeks to examine the oppression dynamics: firstly, as a Black
person then secondly and more importantly, a Black woman. She explores one particularly
ignored aspect through which the White masters quelled Black resistance-their gaze. When met
with unfair conditions imposed on them by their White masters, Black slaves would gaze at
them in indignation. Sensing resistance, slave masters would stifle this subliminal ‘resistance’
in the form of a gaze.
Soon enough, the tactic worked so well that Blacks would use the same method on their own.
Children would give their children ‘the gaze’ to protest whatever situations their parents would
force them into. To restore submission, they would forbid or even punish the look. The children
would eventually fear even looking at their parents. To display compassion and respect, the
parents would force their children to look at them again.
Growing up, the ways in which she viewed the gaze and its power evolved. If one’s stare could
spread from one mind to another, it could be created- and its idea of creation spread across
minds. This creation came through film, where the author is critical of the idea of spreading
images of Black domination.
Being all-White, the first films depicted the realistic race dynamics that existed then in the eyes
of the oppressor. The concept of Negroid domination was displayed both in real life and in
film. Tired of seeing race through one lens, Blacks started making their own films, except there
was another party being oppressed- and it was not the Whites, it was Black Women.
There were a few Black women who identified the attack on Negroid womanhood. The rest
enjoyed the movies, though only through the eyes of other personas excluding the Black
woman. They felt pleasure. To change the narrative and demonstrate their understanding of
racism’s politics through film.
Black feminist film became a ‘gaze’ through which they can name class exploitation, racist and
sexist domination. It was a way through which afflicted Black women- and progressive White
women too- could identify with themselves and their struggles.
The writer chose that specific writing style as it best exhibits her descriptive tone. She
accurately manages to follow the creation of Black Feminist film and its importance.
Furthermore, she manages to highlight the plight of Black people, women and Black women
and its manifestations. Against their oppression, the writer clearly describes the methods they
used to display their resistance from just a vengeful gaze. However, she also covers the gazes
the oppressors had towards Black people, White women and Black women. In their films, I
found that white men showed subordinance of White women and Black people. Black male
film creators saw Black women as objects of desire. Thus, it was necessary that the ‘doubly
oppressed’ weaved stories of their own, free from any forms of oppression- effectively resisting
them in the process.

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