This is a film analysis of John Peele’s 2017 film titled “Get Out”. The protagonist, Chris Washington acted by black British actor Daniel Kaluuya, and his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage which is acted by Allison Williams. It is a horror movie but can be categorized as tragicomedy given the comedy incorporated in the film. It centers on racial relationships between blacks and whites and expounds on the racial issues amongst the American society, subtly in as the film commences but delves fully into the issues as the movie progresses. This paper analyses this film, “Get Out”, giving a small background on the cinematographer, gives a short synopsis, gives an opinion on the film, and analyses visuals involved in the film.
Cinematographer
The cinematographer of the film is an Australian by the name of Toby Oliver who has artfully depicted the director’s themes appropriately. The cinematography employed in the film clearly indicates that Toby Oliver the cinematographer well understood the weight of the themes of social discourses that the director wanted to bring out in this horror film which enabled him to bring up the social issues well. Unlike most of the other horror films which are primarily for entertainment, “Get Out” addresses a social issue of racism. His previous experiences in the industry gave him an added advantage in holding the audiences’ attention without telling them that the movie is a horror one. This is seen in the initial introduction stages of the film where instead of the common foreboding of horror films which use scary scenes, the cinematographer introduces the actors into the Armitage estate setting it as a very natural and real.
The cinematographer manages to coax the audience into believing that all will be well, as bright and glowing colors and light are used to conceal the impending tragedy. Further on, as the actors arrive and stay at this place, the shooting creates a creepy effect on the audience. Even the night scenes even though supposed to suggest tragedy, still bear other themes such as beauty. The camera positioning in the film is very appropriate to each and every desired effect, as intense scenes have the actors very close to their faces. The cinematographer clearly understands each and every single part of the storyline which is very useful in the positioning of the cameras, lighting and incorporating them into the storyline.
Synopsis
The film starts as a young couple, Chris a photographer, and Rose is preparing for a weekend out, Rose is taking Chris to meet her parents for the first time; her parents who are not aware that Chris is black. However, to dispel Chris’s fears, Rose jokes that her parents have no problem with his skin color, and would even vote in Obama for another term is it were possible. The two arrive at Armitage estate, Rose’s home which is in New York to which they receive a warm welcome. Rose’s parents are middle-class workers; her father a surgeon and her mother a psychiatrist with two black staff, a gardener and a maid. However, from their appearances, Chris, a natural and trained observer as required by his profession, makes it that something is not quite right. Further, as the weekend progresses, Chris notices other weird things around this upstate farm, and when he tries to take a picture of one of the servants, who introduces himself as Logan, the man gets scared and shouts at him to get out.
The Armitages then organize a big party to which Chris is eyed at and appraised by the family friends of Rose. It is at this point as Chris is wandering with his camera that he meets a blind Jim Hudson who happens to be a dealer in art, but despite his blindness speaks well of Chris’s work. He appears warm-hearted and seems to harbor hatred at the other whites. This perception, however, is short-lived as, during the final scene, Chris finds himself hypnotized and in a chair with ropes strapped on him. As an old TV gives light in the basement, and from the screen, he sees Jim in a seeming operations room, lying. Jim explains to Chris what is happening to him, Jim’s brain is to be transplanted into Chris’s head. Chris questions why black people are chosen for the kind of operations, but Jim tells him that he desires to see using Chris’s eyes, and can also be inferred that maybe he wanted to experience perceptions from Chris’s point.
With a feigned unconsciousness, Chris breaks free after knocking Rose’s father out, manages to step into a nearby vehicle and drives away. However, the whites pursue him and he has to fight them. Even Rose wants Chris dead for unearthing her family secrets. Rod, Jim’s friend arrives in a police car to rescue him and drives him away into the night as the film ends with Rose lying dead on the road. I like the film. This is because the film goes past the normal norms of the current films and brings up a very important social problem and the politics of racism which for a long time have just been sidestepped. The racial marginalization and racial views as the view which came out in Jim’s assertion that some people can be useful if some parts are removed from them. The film suggests subtly that the notion is not true as Chris’s maneuvers to save his life paint him as an intelligent person.
Visuals
The visuals enhanced the story as evident in Chris’s many encounters where his vision is used to show his paranoia, discomfort, and fear when relating to most of the white characters in the film. Visuals have been used to give a glimpse of how Chris views the world in general. The fears and discomfort that the visuals from the start as he was uneasy about whites are confirmed to be true from the ensuing events in the film. The horror experiences by Chris are felt by the audience. Even the very fact that blacks were used added credibility to the themes of the director. The night and lighting changes are used to bring out the message of creepy effects in the movie appropriately.
Shot with a visual approach
A shot in the movie which gives a detailed visual approach is when Chris is hypnotized by Rose’s psychiatrist mother into the sunken place and Chris is terrified as his eyes are wide and filled with shock; they are red and tears are falling off his cheeks. The shot has a wide meaning, as Chris’s emotions overflow, in the realization of his marginalization from the society as a black man coupled with the camera closing down to his face brings about the emotions of the audience. It makes the audience aware of the horror that Chris must be in at the time. It also portends probable decisions upon the realization that Chris could be making about the whole happenings. The audience at this point feels invited into Chris’s misfortunes and support. The theme of racism is sparked here clearly as a bad practice. The pain, frustration, and despair that the actor, Chris felt at this position are evident, further depicting racism as a vice in humanity. In conclusion, “Get Out” was appropriately acted and presents apt themes.