The Help And Spielberg's Portrayal Of Racism In Film

“I want to stop that moment from coming--and it come in every white child's life--when they start to think that colored folks are not as good as whites. (Columbus & Taylor, 2011)” Much like this message that was delivered in the movie The Help, it has always been a challenge for producers to create films that portray controversial themes, namely racism. Especially recently, viewers are quick to cross-examine movies and vocalize any issues they discover. The Help (Columbus & Taylor, 2011) and The Color Purple (Spielberg, 1985) are two films that are notorious for receiving an intense amount of backlash (in addition to praise) upon release because many audience members disagreed with the way that the films depict African American characters.
Portrayal of Minorities in the Film, Media and Entertainment Industries (1999) explains how, since the beginning of this nation as a whole, people of color have been treated as being inferior to white people. Unsurprisingly, when it comes to the film industry, this concept is present as an archetype. It was not long ago when absolutely no non white actors and actresses would be hired to perform in films. Instead, whenever a person of character was to be present in a movie, a white actor or actress would artificially blacken their complexion using paint in a process called “blackface.” Now, this process is frowned upon and is universally known to be a racist act, but it was the only way that movies contained characters of color for a long time. Therefore, the presence of actual African American actors and actresses in both movies contributes to a more inclusive film industry. Furthermore, these movies are famous for being controversial for a reason. For a long time, it was frowned upon to discuss “lewd” topics which are present in both movies such as racism, sexuality, and physical abuse. Both movies, which contain views of all of these aspects, unconsciously contributed toward the change of the
Enormous audiences have felt the legacies of these two movies and, as a whole, they have brought the issue of racism to the forefront of countless conversations. Even though The Color Purple provides viewers with a slightly more realistic perspective of the absurd lives of African Americans in the 20th century, and both movies have pushed Hollywood businesses in a more accepting and progressive direction, The Help is the more superior movie; to elaborate, The Help is a movie with a much more modern feel. The presence of comedy in the movie also makes it much easier to watch than The Color Purple. To conclude, even though these movies were criticized for not being forthright enough in the issue of racism to many people, they have made a difference for better in the world since they were released. Despite what nitpicking people do, any effort made is welcome, because it gets conversations started. Little by little, movies like these and other ventures that address the issue bring the world closer to finally eradicating