Racial Attitudes in Film from 1850-2009

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Racial Attitudes in Film, 1940-1969

Following the Second World War and the heroism seen from black soldiers, representations of black men in films changed.

Island in the Sun (1957)

Island in the Sun reveals the problems faced by interracial couples on a British West Indian Island.
- The film caused outcry in some American counties where interracial marriage was illegal.
- People thought the film would encourage interracial relationships.
- Producers thought the film was acceptable because the characters were meant to be British.

Reaction

Some theatres didn’t show the film.
- Many scenes that involved the black and white couples touching each other were removed.
The film poster which showed a black woman dancing in a ‘primitive or savage’ way was racist and encouraged exoticism.
Despite the controversy surrounding the film, it was the 3rd highest-grossing film of 1957.

The Defiant Ones (1958)

During the 1960’s Hollywood began to challenge racial stereotypes.
In The Defiant Ones, black and white prisoners are chained together and need to rely on each other for survival.
- Southern audiences hated this message.
- At the end of the film, a black man gives up his freedom for a white man.
- This made black audiences angry.
Hollywood had to be mindful of the attitude of Southern audiences if they wanted to make money. They had to be careful when promoting any form of interracial relationship.

Racial Attitudes in Film, 1960s

Following the Second World War and the heroism seen from black soldiers, representations of black men in films changed.

A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

A Raisin in the Sun told the story of a black family trying to escape their life in a ghetto.
The lead was Sidney Poitier who was a very famous actor who was black.
The film highlighted the struggle of many black people who were unable to rent or buy property because of refusal from white people.

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

In the Heat of the Night showed a black police officer facing racism in the South.
The character referenced the growing plight of the race riot and the racism felt by black people from the police.
The black police officer character is admirable, professional and very good at his job.
The white police officers in the film are shown to be arrogant and racist.

Filming In the Heat of the Night

Filming was very difficult. The lead actor, Sidney Poiter had a burning cross put in his front garden by the Ku Klux Klan.
Much of the filming had to be done out of the South.
Many people liked the film and the way in which it portrayed the issues that the black people had to deal with.
The film was one of the most popular films of 1967 and won an Oscar for Best Picture.

The popularity of In the Heat of the Night

It is important to note that just because the film was popular does not mean that attitudes towards black people had changed.

Blaxploitation Films

Between 1969-1974 Blaxploitation Films were created. These films reflected angry black radicalism. These films had all-black casts and were created in response to greater awareness of Black Power.

Hollywood

Hollywood was looking to reflect the size of the black population in American society (30%) and for another avenue to make money.
These films featured black characters overcoming corrupt white people.
The films aimed to please black audiences. One of the most famous of these films was Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasss Song (1971).
The film shows a young black male killing two white policemen who hurt an innocent black youth.
White and Black audiences alike loved the film.
- Its success proved that Hollywood movies did not have to ignore black audiences and black stories in order to make money.

Trends in cinema

As the Women’s Movement spread through America, films such as Foxy Brown (1974) appeared. This showed a strong black female cleaning up the ghettos and seeking revenge on corrupt white people.
By the end of the 1970s, exclusively black films were out of fashion. Films with lead roles played by black and white people working together became more popular.
- For example, Lethal Weapon (1987) had two leading detective characters, one black and one white, who worked together.
- These are called ‘buddy movies’.

Mississippi Burning (1988)

This film is based on a successful investigation run by the FBI into the murder of 3 white Civil Rights activists in the Freedom Summer of 1964.
In the film, despite opposition to the investigation and threats from the KKK, the FBI successfully convict the murderers of the activists.
Many people were positive in their reactions to the film but some were dismayed that the killers were only brought to justice by white men. It fell into the idea that 'white saviours' were the only people who could help black people.

Malcolm X (1992)

This was probably one of the most controversial films depicting race relations.
The film was directed by Spike Lee and stars like Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby made financial contributions to it.
It showed Malcolm X's difficult upbringing which led to the development of his political philosophy of Black Power. It showed him as a heroic figure.
The film wasn’t a massive box office success but Vincent Canby suggested the real success was that Spike Lee was able to make the film at all, this showed a massive change in race relations.

1‘Free at Last’ 1865-77

1.1The Thirteenth Amendment

1.1.1The Civil War & The Thirteenth Amendment

1.1.2The Impact of the Civil War

1.1.3Economic, Political & Social Position of Ex-Slaves

1.1.4Political Settlement & Andrew Johnson

1.2Radical Reconstruction, 1867-77

1.2.1The Fourteenth Amendment

1.2.2The Fifteenth Amendment & The Civil Rights Act

1.3The Backlash

1.3.1White Supremacy Groups

1.3.2The End of Reconstruction 1887

2The Triumph of ‘Jim Crow’ 1883-c1890

2.1Jim Crow Laws & Civil Rights Cases

2.1.1Jim Crow Laws

2.1.2Voting Rights

2.1.3Scientific Racism

2.1.4Civil Rights Cases

2.2Resistance and Migration

2.2.1The Northern States & Black Resistance

2.2.2Early Migration

2.2.3The Great Migration

2.2.4Race Riots

2.2.5Migration Case Study: Harlem

3The New Deal and Race Relations, 1933–41

3.1Failure to Address Black Grievances

3.1.1The Democrat Party & the Anti-Lynching Bill

3.2The New Deal

3.2.1The New Deal

3.2.2The Alphabet Agencies

3.2.3The PWA, WPA & the NYA

3.2.4Benefits

3.2.5Impact of the New Deal & Eleanor Roosevelt

3.2.6Gone With the Wind

3.3The Second World War

3.3.1The Experience of War

3.3.2The Home Front

3.3.3The White Flight

3.3.4Restrictive Covenants

4‘I have a dream’, 1954–68

4.1Civil Rights Activities, 1954–63

4.1.1The Desegregation of Schools

4.1.2The Montgomery Bus Boycott

4.1.3SCLC & Birmingham

4.1.4SNCC

4.1.5CORE

4.2Civil Rights 1964-68

4.2.1Civil Rights Act 1964 & Voting Act 1965

4.2.2Ghettos & Poverty

4.2.31966 - 1968

4.3Malcolm X & The Black Panthers

4.3.1The Nation of Islam & Malcolm X

4.3.2Divisions in the Civil Rights Movement

4.3.3The Black Panthers

4.4Literature, Film & Television

4.4.1Racial Attitudes in Literature from 1850-2009

4.4.2Racial Attitudes in Film from 1850-2009

4.4.3Racial Attitudes in Television from 1850-2009

5Obama's Campaign for the Presidency, 2004–09

5.1The Late 20th Century

5.1.1Migration Back to the South in the 20th Century

5.1.2The Status of Black People 1968-2009

5.2Barack Obama & his Political Career

5.2.1Barack Obama's Life

5.2.2Senator for Illinois

5.2.3Running as Presidential Candidate

5.3Reasons for Obama's Victory

5.3.1Reasons for Vicotry

5.3.2The Significance of Obama's Victory

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