American Societal Issues Prevalent in Get Out(2017) and BlacKkKlansman(2018)

Abstract

Film is a powerful mass media form of education and consciousness-raising. Numerous American films are being made that have attempted to represent racial injustice and struggle in the country throughout history. The contemporary society has seen over the last few years the reflection, exchange and circulation of motion pictures that respond to the black condition as a way of making sense of the last few years in Donald J. Trump’s America. After Trump won the presidential election in 2016 and became the 45th president of the United States, there were signs of a resurgence of right-wing populism in the United States and a corresponding rise in the Black Civil Rights Movement. As two very politically charged cinematic works, Get Out and BlacKkKlansman is a good representation of race relations in a politically polarised America. This essay will discuss social phenomena closely related to the two films and its promotional materials, and analyse them from societal and political perspectives, which will hopefully lead to a reflection on the relevant topic.