Analyze the
representation of a woman of color in a film of your choice, using the
framework of feminist theory and standpoint theory. Use 6 scenes to develop and
support your argument. Is she a stereotype or counter-stereotype? Analyze
whether the director/writer’s vision contributes to an authentic representation
of this character using standpoint theory (link under Week 9/10 Module). For
example, if the director is white male, can he contribute to an authentic,
legitimate portrait of African American female characters? (The Help from 2011
was criticized for a lack of authenticity due to its white male director making
a film about African American female characters).
LOSING ISAIAH
There are many stereotypes in society.
For example, men are strong while women are weak. Most movies tend to push some
kinds of stereotype up to the front. In the movie, “Losing Isaiah”, even though
there are many controversial issues such as African American culture (life), interracial
adoption and drug addiction, it does not illustrate a one dimension female
character. In the movie, the main character, Khaila, is portrayed as both a
stereotype and counter-stereotype. Moreover, although the Standpoint Theory
focuses on individuals’ own perspectives that are formed by his/her experiences
and knowledge in social groups, the director of this movie who is a white male contributes
by showing equally the both sides (white family and black family) as well as an
authentic portrait of African American female character.
According to the article “Blaxploitation
Film of the 70’s”, movies are made to continue showing the public’s perception
of blacks as insensitive, and their lives with drugs, sex and hookers. And also
according to Sybil Delgaudio (1983), “Colored women are maids, cooks, crossing
guards, welfare recipients, and the only time they becomes ladies is when they
are cleaning ladies”. To begin, the movie started to show Khaila as a
stereotypical African American female. In the beginning of the movie, Khaila is
portrayed as a crack addict and threw her three day old baby (Isaiah) in the
garbage can while she injected herself with drugs. After she found out her baby
was gone, she was arrested for shoplifting and possession of drugs, then, went
to jail. As well, in the scene of the trial, it was revealed that she does not know
who the baby’s father is and she had sex for drugs although she did not admit
that she took money for sex. It is a predominant stereotype of African American
females that they just have a lot of sex and usually do not really know who the
baby’s father is. Moreover, after
getting out of jail, she started to work as a housekeeper for a white family
and stayed at her friend’s house for a while. Those scenes prove that Khaila is
portrayed as a stereotypical African American female who lives a poor,
uneducated, on drugs a criminal and work for a Caucasian family who is much
better off. In addition, another image
of an African American female is that they are religious, they strongly believe
in God. According to Sikivu Hutchinson (2012), “That the vast majority of black
women were only afforded access to the worlds of work, the family, and church
meant that their “genius” would by necessity be a reflection of those
worlds. In the turbulence of antebellum
America “God” became ordinary black women’s medium for expressing genius,
creativity, artistry, mastery, and invention” (para.6). In the scene before Khaila goes to the court,
she went to the church and prays. Another
example that she believes in God in these following lines;
Lawyer: Do you have a higher power, Miss
Richards?
Khaila: Yes, I do. It's because of Him that
I'm here today.
Lawyer: Could you explain what you mean,
please?
Khaila: Because...it's because of Him...that
I have this second chance to make it up to Isaiah. (“Losing”, n.d.).
These
scenes prove that the main character, Khaila, is portrayed as a stereotypical African
American female.
On the other hand, Khaila is also
portrayed as a counter-stereotype. For example, after came out from jail, she
totally beat the temptation of going back and becoming addicted to drugs when
she found some at her friends’ house. Unlike the bad image of African American females
who cannot get out of the life of sex and drugs which represented her friend,
she tried to get a better life with her strong determination. Moreover, after
moving out of her friend’s house, she was still caring for her friend’s children.
She even gave encouragement to the little boy that he would be able to get over
it in future when she said to him “I know things right now seem like it don't
make sense to you, and you don't understand, but I've been just where you are,
and it ain't gonna be easy, but it don't mean you can't make it.” (“Losing”, n.d.). This shows that she
is warm-hearted. Furthermore, the end of the movie, Khaila went to ask for help
from a white female (Margaret Lewin) who has adopted Isaiah once and fought for
parental rights with Khaila. This must be a really rare scene that African American
woman goes to ask a white woman’s help by putting aside her pride as an African
American woman. These examples prove that Khaila is portrayed as a
counter-stereotype as well.
As mentioned above, this film
portrays not only the stereotype of African American females but also counter
stereotypes of African American females. Most movies which represent racial
topics tend to bring out many mixed reviews especially if a white director
makes the movie about the African American people’s lives due to lack of a real
experience. For example, the movie “The Help” directed by a white male has many
controversial reviews. According to the Association of Black Women Historian
(2011), “The Help” does not portray real African American women who labored in
white homes to support their families and communities. “’The Help’ is the
coming-of-age story of a white protagonist, who uses myths about the lives of
black women to make sense of her own” (para.6).
However, although Losing Isaiah is made by a white male, Stephen
Gyllenhaal, he did great job to show both sides; the white family who adopted
Isaiah, and Khaila. For example, it seems to show that a white family is the
perfect environment to raise Isaiah because there is a father and mother and
daughter as well as having a high income. However, it is revealed that the
father has cheated on his wife, and daughter is not a great child by opposing
her mother. So audiences can see that Margaret Lewin (white mother) wanted
Isaiah in order to fix those problems and getting someone who she can give her
love to and feel love from. On the other hand, although Khaila is portrayed as a
bad African American female who dumped Isaiah into a garbage bin and had a drug
addiction at the beginning which gives an impression that she wouldn’t be able
to a good mother for Isaiah, she became clean and took care of her friends’
children and also got her own place to live with her job as a housekeeper to
help support the rent fee. Not only Margaret but also Khaila is a portrayal as
a three dimensional female who is not perfect. In the movie, Khaila is weak and
struggles with drugs as well as poverty, at the same time, she is strong and becomes
religious and loves her son the same as other mothers do. It shows that everyone
makes mistakes and has a right to get a second chance no matter what gender or color
they are. Moreover, this movie brought out the race matter of interracial
adoption. The judges made a decision to give the parental rights to Khaila
because they were afraid that white parents cannot raise a black child by the inability
to teach him "where he comes from." However, Isaiah had a hard time
to adjust to the new environment so Khaila made the decision to ask for Margaret’s
help to raise him together for a little while. This is a great example that proves
that it does not a matter the color of a mother. Therefore, with these examples,
the white male director (Stephen Gyllenhaal) contributes to an authentic
portrait of an African American female character without looking only at only
one side.
In conclusion, the movie “Losing
Isaiah” is a great movie that portrays the main character (Khaila) as a three
dimensional African American female and shows both sides of a white family and
a black family directed by a white male (Stephen Gyllenhaal). In society,
people tend to be controlled by some stereotypes. However, most stereotypes are
not authentic. Individuals cannot be categorized as one group because everybody
has different characteristics as well as different experiences and knowledge. No
two people are exactly the same. No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. As
this movie, no matter what color is, the most important thing is “love”. If every
human being has “selfless love” without judgement/stereotypes, this world could
be changed for the better.
References
Association
of black women historian. (2011). An Open Statement to the Fans of The Help.
ABWH (Association of Black Women Historian). Retrieved November 4, 2012, from https://bbgbc.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse&id%3D_12733_1&url%3D
Blaxploitation
film of the 70’s. (n.d.). Women in Films: week 10 course leader
DelGaudio,
S. (1983, April). The mammy in Hollywood film I’d walk a million miles-for one
of her smiles. Jump Cut A Review of Contemporary Media.
Gyllenhaal,
S. (Director). (1995). Losing Isaiah [Motion Picture]. United States: Paramount
Pictures
Hutchinson,
S. (2012, November 19). Leaving Jesus: Women of color beyond faith. The Feminist
Wire. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://thefeministwire.com/2012/11/leaving-jesus-women-of-color-beyond-faith/
Losing
Isaiah script - Dialogue transcript (n.d.). Drew's Script-O-Rama. Retrieved
November 15, 2012, from http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/l/losing-isaiah-script-transcript-halle.html
