Review of Dear White People (2014) by Spencer S — 31 Dec 2014
"Dear White People" is a film full of divisive issues on race, presented with hysterical point of view by writer/director Justin Simien. The main takeaway of this film is the issue of identity when you are classified as the "Other" in a white dominated society.
Many different perspectives emerge from the various black cast members: that of the upper middle class rich kid who don't see disparity, though their actions contribute to it, the voice of an angry faction fed up with white privilege, and whom places race in every conversation, and the voice of someone who doesn't know their racial identity because of their various interests.
Every issue that this film brings up makes you, as an audience member, angry and enlivened. The fact that racism's biases are so entrenched in our lives, and yet we treat it as a dead, age old form of degradation is unfathomable.
The characters sometimes rely on clichés, and aren't always as fully developed as I would like, but their problems and motivations are fleshed out. Writer/Director Justin Simien has a unique, personal voice that rings true, and even if you don't enjoy the film, I wouldn't doubt you will be thinking about it a long time afterwards.
This review of Dear White People (2014) was written by Spencer S on 31 Dec 2014.
Dear White People has generally received positive reviews.
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