The Color of Fear: Personal Reactions and Thoughts
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For anyone who hasn't seen Lee Mun Wah's film "The Color of Fear," I would recommend it, as it's a truly eye-opening experience.
The film shows eight men of various ethnicities discussing the issue of race together. They are all of different backgrounds, which makes their discussion quite interesting, and very heated at times.
One primary theoretical model that applies to the film “The Color of Fear” is the critical race model, because in many parts of the film, the minority individuals rejected David Christensen’s claims and ideas that all people are the same and should be treated as such. For instance, Chinese-American David Lee expressed that he feels insulted when White people consider him to be an American just like they are. The critical race model suggests that colorblindness and neutrality are invalid, and that various multicultural standpoints allow for different experiences and knowledge that make people different. This is what David Lee and the other minorities said in the film; people may be equal, but they are not the same. Additionally, the film as a whole was a step toward eliminating racial oppression, which is what the critical race model worked toward as well.
I agree with Mohammed and his examples that complicity theory also applies, as the film revolves around overgeneralizations based on race. Another example is when David Lee and Yutaka brought up their anxieties concerning contact with African Americans as a result of viewing and hearing media sources and even school; Yutaka admitted that he felt anxious at a bus stop with African Americans until he thought about his fear and how irrational it was. The complicity theory is important in order to help people avoid such essentialism, which I think is part of the point of creating and showing the film. Also, “The Color of Fear” shows a partial transition from complicity to coherence, as interactions went from calm discussion to heated outbursts to progressive understanding. It seemed at first that the eight individuals were so different that coherence could not be possible; White David wanted life to be fair, and throughout his life couldn’t see the how “progress” could be made with such thoughts and frustrations as those expressed by the minority individuals in the film. However, the discussion deepened and words grew louder, with Victor demanding an end to the complicity and imploring David and other “outsiders” to try to understand what he and other Black men have to go through.
Personally, I felt a little uncomfortable in many parts because I initially wasn’t able to understand the tension displayed by Victor and other individuals. I was like David Christensen in that I thought everyone should be treated fairly and similarly; the words that came out of his mouth didn’t sound virulent or wrong to me at all. Therefore, I was surprised by the anger and frustration displayed by many of the minorities in the film, most likely because I was raised like a White person by White parents in a fairly White community in Sonoma County, California, and so my cultural standpoint is probably the most similar to David’s. According to co-cultural theory, people learn, from their experiences in being a part of a certain racial or ethnic group, to communication in a certain fashion because of inherent or apparent advantages and disadvantages they associate with certain styles and strategies. The tense communication in many parts of the film seemed to go against what I had learned about effective and healthy communication with and about other races, and so I was unsure as to what the outcome could be as a result; this made me very anxious.
However, in retrospect, I see that such tension is honest and necessary, especially through the complicity theory model that advocates coherence rather than complicity. Victor’s passionate outbursts signaled to me the end of complicity, or at least his tolerance of it, and according to the complicity theory, this is a healthy step toward “harmonic discourse” and potentially the elimination of racism and other forms of oppression.
I was very affected by David Christensen’s “colorblind” statements because I think they are shared by many Americans who try to get along with all people. He seemed confused by the anger that his “why can’t we all just get along” mindset seemed to engender. In a way, my thoughts were similar; to most who are part of a macroculture, it probably doesn’t seem negative to see everyone as the same, because many of the people they know are the same, and as they have grown up with many of the same people, their lifestyle seems the best.
The first time I watched the film, my class discussed the content, but I feel that watching it this time has helped me understand myself even more. I understand more about my background and the way it has influenced how I think about culture, race, and people in general today. I have also changed the way I think and talk about ethnicity and culture; I no longer have the colorblind mentality, which has allowed me to appreciate the differences between others even more, rather than avoid or loathe them. Critical race theory suggests that color blindness and neutrality are negative, and I never understood this before, but like the theory states, racism is “an integral part of the United States,” and in order to eliminate racial oppression and work toward equality, people need to recognize differences in race and ethnicity rather than try to avoid conflict or awkward moments.
It was beneficial to hear comments from the perspectives of other races, and in a way it was probably best that the format was consistent and that all of the participants were male, thus making it easier to discuss race and ethnicity without the complications that talking about gender and sex could bring to the conversation.
The Color of Fear Trailer
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Comments
This sounds like an interesting film. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Interesting. I have not seen the movie, but it does seem interesting.
I have not seen the film but will make a point to see it. From the trailer, the pain is disturbing, but I agree the cure is in the pain, but pain is so uncomfortable, isn't it.
This looks to be one I will have to seek out and watch. Thanks for a great review!
God made us all one in His eyes. No matter what collar or race we are.
yes was a great review...even makes me want to see it and I am not a great movie fan...Thanks...G-Ma :O) Hugs & Peace
Well written review of the movie.
Excellent Post.
I've written on various aspects of race on my blog in hopes to offer an understanding and a way to reconciliation.
This movie sounds very interesting.
interesting.. definitely will check it out.
Theory is relevant for ideas but time is what changed racisim where I live.
The progression you described in this movie: partial transition from complicity to coherence, as interactions went from calm discussion to heated outbursts to progressive understanding, seem almost identical to a study of 100undergraduates at University of Georgia last year where researchers identified these traits with self esteem.
Research published in the Journal Of Personality, June 2008-vol 76 found that when a person's beliefs and values were threatened, the individual became defensive and possibly abusive - described as the low self-esteem and fragile high self-esteem types. Other research showed that people with secure high self-esteem accepted themselves better and they didn't make excuses when defending themselves or when discussing the past.
Great review. I too would be interested in watching the film to see the point of fear. Although undergradutes are most likely younger then the men pictured above, you would think at that age, they would accept who they are and get on with life.
Where is the happiness?
Thanks for your comments! That study is crazy, newsworthy! It's so weird how things like that can be almost predictable.
GREAT HUB
Why overcomplicated the issue with nice sounding rhetoric or convoluted verbiage? The color of, excuse me...FEAR!? PLEEEEEASE! The very topic itself is formulated to generate an erratic response; just a couple of Ohhhhs , Ahhhhs, a few violent outburst here and there. It’s nothing more, I assure you. When it’s all said and done, not a single thing will change save people clinging ever more passionately to their misconceived notions of each other.
Really, it's quite easy to comprehend. There is such a thing called 'white privilege' which undoubtedly continues to give a certain ethnic group a sort of automatic credibility - if you will. Hence, they can do no wrong. And in a Capitalist society where everything has essentially been turned into a commodity, being white or as close to it as humanly possible is a big plus - but only because the elite is white. So they set the standard! What's that popular refrain: If you can't beat'em, Join'em! Let's face it, we all loved Rocky but in the real world, nobody wants to be in the camp of the underdog. Friction, discord, thievery, war are inevitable byproducts of capitalism, and so is racism because in order to get ahead you are compelled to take every advantage wherever you can find it. The corporate world, however, gives it another name: Competition, an ingenious euphemism to be sure. Of course, Power concedes nothing without defeat. So ultimately, whites today cannot be blamed anymore for their complicit roles in perpetuating such an exploitative system anymore than their forefathers. It’s the nature of the beast! Like us, they are hapless victims of circumstance. But we can change that reality…we actually don’t have much of a choice now!
The insatiable appetite of Capitalism has already gone after all the easy prey in foreign lands, its back home to gorge on its own helpless and unsuspecting populations. This time, being white won’t save you it can only ward off the inevitable a bit longer than those far beneath…like the poor folk of the doomed Titanic (1912) who had been locked in their quarters in the ship’s lower decks so that the rich might flee to safety unencumbered.
Too many instantly reject any solution coming from the left because of the unwarranted fears of someone taking your property and giving it to presumably lazy dark people who are ingrates. They cite various histories of Russia, Germany, China, and Italy as evidence failed left ideology but anyone who can read will see that neither of these revolutions was for the benefit of laborers, because laborers did not continue leading them or never led them. The Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 was an attempt of students and eventually laborers to reassert some authority and force the state to act more favorably to those less-privileged. They were cut down like trees so we see that having mere numbers doesn’t necessarily win wars. Its communism but its more fascism, and certainly not socialism! Obama is not socialist! Like a captured regulator, he’s in the hands of the bank. Where I’m from, we call him a house-n@#ga! Hell, I never voted for him.
Realize this, just as an unrestrained aggressive form of Capitalism - called Neoliberalism - can grossly distort the hopes of a free market system, which isn’t really free so too can, socialism be mired in baseless accusations by people who’ve never once given it more than one glance. So the fear of color is a side show with horrible consequences if you pay too much attention to it. Whites are not evil; I think they want the same things everyone else wants…to live and let live. It’s the functionality of this system. For even if we somehow restored capitalism to what we had prior to this crisis, our offspring would be fighting these very same wars a hundred years from now. Capitalism has only one motive…profit. Think on it.
Thank you for your comments. Theleftflank, thanks for your input, and interesting connection with capitalism, which wasn't mentioned in the film. Money-grubbing can have a huge amount to do with racism, I think, and I don't think that whites are evil, too.
When I was a Drill Instructor I had my privates watch the film as part of our EEO classes. Some got it while others thought it was a waste of time because they did not see themselves as part of the problem. By the end of the class this group realized that racism is not always an action, it includes a thought as well - and it's the thought which becomes the action - and the action becomes the problem.
I believe that every individual or group has the right to think what they want to think about other individuals or groups. But when that thought becomes an action they cross the lines of decency and respect and into the area of conflict. The other point I made was the fact that the melting pot theory from the 60's - late 70's was very damaging because the pot always took the tone of the prominent color which in the case of America was white - and everyone became, or was forced to become a tone of white - adopting the while culture and denying their own. Unlike the civilian population success in the military demanded a recognition of differences and anyone who gives up their differences for acceptance was giving up the very thing that made them unique and the culture experience required for success in certain skill areas or environments.
Great hub and a powerful movie. Thanks for sharing.
jxb, your military perspective is so valuable in this area. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Interesting movie. Thanks for sharing!
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lilcoco77007 says:
9 months ago
Very Deep!