"Why, cause they're white?"

There is an uncountable number of great US films throughout history, through which artists have told stories of unfathomable power. Out of these masterpieces, few are awarded the title of a ‘classic film’ meaning a film which is a “universal favorite that holds up after repeated rescreenings” (filmsite.org). Classic films are deemed to transcend the social context out of which they are born. Unfortunately for these films, over the past century our society has begun to redefine what is acceptable and what is not.

You may have realized that some of your favorite films center solely on the experiences of white people and perhaps have underlying - or even overt - themes of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia and others. In the rare case that we see communities of color represented in classic films, their presentation is horrifically two-dimensional or simply bleak. While it’s important to understand that some of these films were made in a time of different cultural assumptions, where people of color were often dismissed and when hate, (in all its forms), was deeply normalized, it’s more important to ensure we are consuming these films in a socially conscious way, reflective of the constantly evolving world we live in today.

As is the case in the real world, in film racism takes many forms – sometimes elusive, it’s not always easy to expose. However in the case of films such as The Godfather and Sixteen Candles, it’s quite apparent. 

The Godfather has become an unwavering part of US culture. Through this film, Coppola redefined the crime genre by offering characters with psychological depth and emotional complexity. It was renowned by immigrant communities for its illustration of the dichotomy of American-immigrant identity. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t as enlightened when one of Don Corleone’s sons casually says the n-word at a family dinner or when at the meeting with the heads of the five families, another Don discusses targeting ‘coloureds’ because they’re ‘animals anyway’. I understand these comments were solely meant to reflect the existing attitudes in the 1940s and 1950s as a way of establishing context and character, but today they only serve as a poignant reminder of the anti-blackness embedded and shamefully normalized in our society and even within other historically marginalized communities.

Sixteen Candles wholeheartedly demonstrates why my generation has an unwavering obsession with 80s culture, specifically in regards to film. The film is characterized with an honest yet appealing portrayal of the emotionally tumultuous nature of high school relationships. Although, as Peter so simply states in To All the Boys I Loved Before: “isn’t that Long Duk Dong character kind of racist?” Long Duk Dong is a caricature, an absurd amalgamation of Asian stereotypes. The film ignores the diverse and numerous distinctive nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures present within Asian communities - do we ever find out where Long Duk Dong is from? Furthermore, the film exploits his accent and apparent inability to understand U.S. social customs as comedic devices. Did John Hughes not understand that the ‘Foreigner’ trope was never very funny?

In other films, such as Green Book, racism is present implicitly, through mindless comments and everyday assumptions. We’re able to find racial blind spots both in such films, and in the way audiences watch them. 

Green Book quickly captured audiences’ hearts with its intimate approach to an interracial friendship as it is marked by racism in the 1960s. Despite its touching premise, Green Book fails audiences of color, as it becomes a ‘white savior’ film. By telling Don Shirley’s story through the eyes of his white counterpart Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga, the film not only robbed Shirley of the opportunity to tell his own truth, but also glorified Vallelonga, who starts and ends the film as a blatant racist. Furthermore, Shirley’s family criticized the film for commodifying Shirley’s blackness, most prominently in a fictionalized scene where Shirley eats fried chicken for the first time at Vallelonga’s request. Conversely, in a positive response to the film, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar noted; “filmmakers are history’s interpreters, not its chroniclers”, which has made me think more carefully about my own opinions about this film. However I can’t help but wonder: should white filmmakers have the right to take these liberties when telling stories of color?

Lastly, I must highlight that racism can be found simply in the absence of people of color. This one is more difficult to discuss; it’s all about perspective and context. But it’s important to consider what holistic characters of color could have contributed to some of our favorites, for instance Singin’ in the Rain and The Breakfast Club.

Singin’ in the Rain reminds me why I find the treasured story archetype of “star meets talented nobody and makes them a star” so mind-numbingly boring; it’s because it often tells of a white man ‘saving’ a white woman, whose only true obstacle is bad luck. As it pertains to this film, I always found Lina’s narrative remarkably hollow. Consider, for a moment, that Lina was a woman of color. She would instead be a character faced with genuine, colossal obstacles to overcome in the entertainment industry: discrimination, typecasting, racial profiling, and pay inequity to name a few. At the end of the day, Singin’ in The Rain is heartwarming, humorous, and moderately brilliant, but it’s hard to appreciate the sweet simplicity of a white success story in any real socio-political climate.

The Breakfast Club, thought to be a quintessential coming of age film, has served as a favorite for generations of youth. The film thoughtfully focuses on the notion of stereotypes, the weight they carry as well as the journey to overcome them. Moreover, the message of The Breakfast Club is bittersweet: “we are more than what you label us.” Who better understands that sentiment than young people of color? We are intimately familiar with the effects of stereotypes, which define our interactions, experiences, and perspectives - especially in an environment such as high school. Undeniably, adolescence is complicated no matter who you are, but when you’re not white, straight, or have any other perceived social defaults, youth becomes infinitely more perplexing. And, a movie that tackles those intersections is a movie I’d watch any day.

Now, I’m not going to tell anybody to stop watching or even enjoying these films or other classics of a similar nature. But I urge you to think more consciously about the deeper implications of their messages, and what place they have in the contemporary United States. You can simultaneously appreciate the jarring thrills and familial bonds The Godfather presents and the charming nostalgia for young love Sixteen Candles induces, while consciously criticizing their racist tendencies.

We are in the midst of a new movement within the history of art and media, so it’s especially crucial that we clearly define what we want the legacy of this generation of cinema to be. Film has always had the ability to influence our opinions and interactions, that’s why it’s so important for filmmakers to be intentional about what they create. They must constantly ask themselves one question: what do they want their work to be remembered for?