earticle

영어

Jordan Peele’s film Get Out critically examines the “post-racial lie” within American society during the era of the first black president. To challenge the post-racial illusion, Peele focuses on the liberal racism of urban white middle-class people, rather than the overt racism prevalent in the American South. Thus, the villains in the film are not Southern rednecks but affluent white individuals in New York. By highlighting black individuals victimized by ostensibly liberal whites Peele’s psycho-horror film assaults the post-racial illusion and compels audiences to confront racial realities. This essay discusses two distinct themes presented in Peele’s film scrutinizing liberal racism in contemporary American society. First, Get Out embraces the classic motif of black abduction, drawing a connection between modern-day racism in America and the era of slavery. Within the movie, white characters abduct and auction black people to exploit their bodies. This starkly associates contemporary American society with the antebellum South. Second, Peele’s film dramatizes the racial fantasies ingrained within white consciousness. In Get Out, the abducted black people all fall victims to white people’s fantasies about blackness—fantasies involving physical strength, sexual prowess, sensual black female bodies, and atavistic instincts. By delving into these themes, this essay aims to elucidate the messages conveyed in the film Get Out to its contemporary audience, who may have been enticed by the illusion of a post-racial America.