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“Get Out” Analysis: Themes, Motifs, and Real-World Connections

I just saw the movie  Get Out last night, and have spent a lot of time since thinking really hard about it.

It was an incredibly dense experience, with subtle hints and not-so-subtle clues all over the place.

A lot of people have already pointed to the overarching themes of the film.

I’m not really here to talk about that. What I wanted to do was touch on several things I picked up, how I tied it to modern society, and what the justification was for me doing so.

Let’s get right to it:

Oh, wait–

*SUPER DUPER SPOILER ALERT*

Okay, here we go:

The Opening Scene

Usually, people are afraid of walking at night in a sketchy neighborhood.

Andre is walking in an apparently affluent neighborhood, and is still afraid.

This reflects how Black people never, ever feel completely safe in America. Because, while you can leave a bad neighborhood, we can never leave being Black.

The Deer Metaphor

I think Jordan Peele put this early in the film to serve as what school teachers would call a “gimme”.

In other words, the Deer symbolism was a placement test. Anyone who didn’t catch the blatant connection between Chris and Deer (especially after Dean’s obvious “this-is-about-Black-people” rant) probably wouldn’t get the rest of the film’s symbolism, and would instead just see the whole thing as Invasion of the Body Snatchers or some shit like that.

The use of a silver spoon as a controlling device

Missy’s bitch ass primarily used a teacup with a silver spoon to hypnotize her (typically Black) victims.

The “Silver Spoon” motif has been classically used to embody economic privilege, which the Armitage’s clearly have. The real-world connection here is a how White society has always used its economic advantages to render the Black population powerless to control its own destiny.

The entire “Hypocritical White Liberal” theme went completely over my head

A lot of writers and critics have described how Get Out is a commentary on modern Liberal Whites who are just as harmful as overt racists.

I didn’t quite catch that during my own viewing, but I know why.

Most of these critics are White, and so they’ve projected their own backgrounds and experiences into the film. They saw friends, family members, and coworkers who have all behaved like the people at the cocktail party. They probably know people who are just like the Armitages behind closed doors.

In my eyes, the things said during the cocktail party are nothing new. Much like how Chris brushed it off as another day at the office—so did I.

So yeah. I see how this theme would be communicated, but it didn’t jump out at me entirely.

That Asian Guy

Make no mistake: this wasn’t an arbitrary casting decision.

The presence of an Asian person at the cocktail party echoes the preaching of Triangulation Theory, which outlines how Asians are generally thought to be above Blacks in contemporary society while still being below White people.

His question to Chris about whether he felt more advantaged or disadvantaged being Black was also very deliberately written. The line highlights the “in between-ness” of “Model Minority” Asians in the US. The man asked Chris this question because he literally had no clue.

It seems like Jordan Peele is expressing grief of how Asian Americans sometimes criticize Black society as being a victim of its own action without stopping to realize how little they actually understand.

I think this highlights a common concern among Black people when interacting with Asians who might have an idea of Black plight in America, but lack any intimate firsthand experience of it.

Well played.

The significance of Jim Hudson’s blindness

Did you notice how Jim’s first interaction with Chris was one of immediate understanding? Me too.

Jim is fully aware of how ignorant the cocktail party attendants are, and instantly forms a bond with Chris (and the audience) by doing so.

Now, there’s a few things that I think are going on here.

First, this highlights how, when it comes to American society, a Black person will only ever be on common ground with a White person who is impaired. I think the this encounter taking place with Jim sitting by himself while surrounded by several empty chairs only makes this more likely.

Second, the scene might communicate that a White person could only ever have an understanding conversation with a Black person if they cannot see the world through privileged eyes.

Speaking of the cocktail party…

The color coordination of this entire movie was meticulously planned out. This was obvious.

However, the whole color scheme reached a crescendo (like most other elements) during the cocktail party.

Everyone arriving in a train of black cars created the ambiance that they were attending a funeral. Okay, also obvious.

Here’s what I noticed: every single attendant of the party wore a combination of Black, White, and Red—except a few.

Chris is the only character wearing blue, which makes him stand out even more than he already does.

Both Dean and Missy are wearing brown—but so is Logan/Andre, which I found particularly interesting.

“Logan” wearing brown serves as an indicator for his quasi-assimilation into White society. The significance here is that the color scheme tips us off to his Whitewashing without him ever having to say anything. Just something I picked up.

The “Fruit Loops” Deal

You’ve probably all heard this one by now.

Blah blah, separating white from coloreds, blah blah.

Rose’s character flip

I was able to pick this one up due to personal experience.

There’s more to Rose’s sudden character shift besides being a scheming hoe and finally showing her true face.

Her history of hunting down Black people to return home is a reflection of Black men being fetishized in modern society.

Every now and then, I encounter a White woman who only seems to view me as a sort of prize or trophy. Something to show her friends and family while saying “Look what I’ve caught!”

The real truncating here is how Rose seemed to be a well-meaning person up until the film’s third act.

The message aligns with the movie’s main theme of White people hiding classic racist beliefs behind a veil of progressivism.

The Presence of Uncle Toms

Yeah, I know that we eventually find out the servants are just the Grandparents controlling Black bodies.

But when it comes to this movie, there’s a distinction between the plot and what the plot points are supposed to represent.

The “Tom” caricature is that of a Black person who is completely eager to serve White society.

When Chris speaks to both Georgina and Walter, they both say how they are completely happy doing their duties for the Armitages with big smiles on their faces.

This isn’t just to creep us out.

After we find out that Georgina and Walter carry the consciousness of the Armitage grandparents, we are forced to face the fact that the Tom stereotype is considered the optimal fate for Blacks in America.

Happy servants who are blissful in their fate—this is what the Armitage family is working towards with their Black captives.

“Logan”/Andre represents a modern day Tom character. Today, Black people will use the “Tom” term to label another Black person as a sellout. Logan is dating a White woman, speaks in an oddly proper manner, and rejects Chris’ attempts to connect over their “Blackness”—notably his adamancy with giving Chris a handshake instead of a fist bump.

The fact that we see Andre get abducted early in the film and is subsequently Whitewashed helps bolster his status as a modern Tom.

Which leads me to…

The most poignant moment of the film

Nothing stood out to me more than a particular interaction between Chris and Georgina.

While Chris is talking to Georgina about her life at the Armitage residence, she starts shedding tears while speaking to him.

Again—the plot would suggest that the ‘actual’ Georgina is trying to escape captivity, which is communicated through the tears.

To me, this scene reflected the guilt many Black people experience when they change how they present themselves in order to fit in with White society. When a Whitewashed Black person encounters a more “typical” Black person, they can’t help but feel a sense of self-betrayal.

That’s what I saw in Georgina’s tears—a Black person who hates what they’ve become, but must continue to be that way in order to be accepted.

Alright, that about wraps up what I’ve come up with. Let me know if you have anything else you’d like to add.

Thanks for reading.

5 Replies to ““Get Out” Analysis: Themes, Motifs, and Real-World Connections”

I really enjoyed reading this! Lots of things I didn’t pick up on that make sense to me now so thank you 🙂

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“It seems like Jordan Peele is expressing grief of how Asian Americans sometimes criticize Black society as being a victim of its own action without stopping to realize how little they actually understand.”

“I think this highlights a common concern among Black people when interacting with Asians who might have an idea of Black plight in America, but lack any intimate firsthand experience of it.”

Wow. Way to brush over years of black-AA conflict by doing the work for white people: pitting two POC communities against one another.

I fell that the scene with the fruit loops isn’t about separating the whites from the colors. its to give a bit of foreshadowing to the spoon on the glass. if Rose was to eat cereal out of a glass bowl with a metal spoon, then everyone in the sunken place would snap out of their trans.

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68 Get Out (2017)

The horrors of black life in america in get out.

By Paige Mcguire

The film Get Out by Jordan Peele gives us a unique insight into the horrors of black mens life in America. His thriller, although it is somewhat dramatized shows how real and scary it is to be a man or woman of color. Throughout the film, we see multiple systemic racist issues and stereotypes. I plan on giving you an overview of the film and go into depth on a couple of scenes from the film and describe the issues they show relating to discrimination in film, as well as real life. Lastly, I will talk about Jordan Peele’s alternative ending as well as a short review of the film and how it changes the way we look at horror.

In Get Out we get a really interesting perspective into a black man named Chris’s life and his relationship with a white woman named Rose. In the beginning of the film, Chris and Rose are on their way to Rose’s parents’ house in the country for the weekend. They have a brief interruption when a deer runs out in front of them and clips their car. The police came to check out the scene and make sure everything was okay. However, they also asked Chris for his license and assumed he was suspicious due to the color of his skin. Fast forward, Chris and Rose make it to Rose’s parents’ estate. Their house is huge and comes with a pretty large amount of land.

Everyone in the family, including Chris, gather for a welcome lunch.  This is when Chris begins to initially become uncomfortable. Chris is starting to realize all of the help Rose’s family has around the house is of color. Rose’s dad does his best to explain to Chris that it is not “like that” they had just been with the family helping with the grandparents before they both passed. The next day Rose’s family hosts a huge friends and family get-together. This is probably one of the most important scenes of the whole movie, which we will get into more later. In this portion of the film everyone is coming up to introduce themselves to Chris with that however there are many subtle and not so subtle hints of racism. Chris finally sees someone at the gathering who is of color and approaches him in hopes of finding a friend. This scene turns dark when Chris notices the man seems off and isn’t acting like how a man Brookelyn would usually act. Chris snaps a picture of the man which sends him into a frenzy. The man tried to attack Chris, and screamed at him to “get out”.

After everything had calmed down with the man Chris still seemed unhappy. He and Rose go on a walk to cool down and talk while the rest of the people gather for “bingo”, or so Chris thought. Chris is able to convince Rose to leave because he isn’t comfortable. The two head back to the house to pack as everyone leaves the gathering. As Chris and Rose attempt to leave the house, things become tense. Rose can’t find the keys. This scene is where Rose reveals her true colors of actually trying to trap Chris. The family knocks Chris out using hypnosis which is previously used in the film. The entire time Rose and her family were trapping black men and women so they could brainwash them and use their bodies to live longer and healthier lives via a special brain transplant. They thought of  African-Americans as the most prime human inhabitants; they would be stronger, faster, and live longer in a black person’s body. Chris is able to fight against them and free himself. With the price of having to kill pretty much every person in his way. His friend from TSA shows up cause he knew something was fishy and was able to save him from the situation.

Now that you have gotten the basic overview of the film I want to investigate a couple of scenes from the film and explain their importance.  Starting off with the first scene where Chris is getting introduced at the gathering (43 min). This scene was where I felt as the viewer you started to see major examples of systemic racism. It seemed like every person who met Chris had something to say that could be taken offensively. In this scene they mostly used medium close-ups, showing primarily the upper half of the body. The cuts were pretty back and forth cutting from one person’s point of view in the conversation to the others. I feel like this kind of editing really adds to the scene in the fact that you can see one another’s reactions. This is important because some racist discussions occur. A couple examples are a man who said that “Black is in fashion” and a woman asked Rose in front of Chris if the sex was better. These are stereotypes that have been supported by film and other media for years and years. In fact Chapter 4 of Controversial Cinema: The films that outraged America , it brings up the fact that for many years black men and women were portrayed as more violent as well as more sexual. Equality in film is still something we’re working on today in general, and we are getting there but I think it’s important to see how much film and media have influenced us and given us a specific way that we view others. If the media is telling us to view black men as more sexual and aggressive it creates a stereotype in real life.

The second scene that I felt was really worth mentioning was when Chris and Rose go off to talk while the family plays “bingo” (59 min). The reason I say “bingo” is because they say they’re playing bingo, however when the camera begins to zoom out and pan across everyone sitting and playing you find out kind of a scary truth. In the beginning of the scene it starts off with a very tight close-up on Rose’s father, and it starts to zoom out from his face showing his gestures. Well obviously when you play bingo there is talking sometimes even yelling but no, it was dead silent. During this time Chris and Rose are off on a walk having an uncomfortable conversation. Chris feels like something is wrong, he’s not comfortable and would like to leave. The cameramen cut back and forth between these two scenes. AS the cut back to the bingo scene each time more and more of the actual scene is revealed. They are panning outward to show what they are actually doing, which is bidding on who gets to have Chris. A blind art critic ends up winning the bid, which means he will be getting to have Chris’s body to brain transfer into. There was a sort of foreshadowing earlier in the film when this man said that Chris had a great eye, this man quite literally wanted Chris’s eyes.

Now, this bidding and purchasing of people is not a new subject or idea to any of us. We should all be aware of slavery and the purchasing of African-Americans in history. That’s why I feel like it was an extra shock to see this is in this film, set in 2017. The hopes would be that stuff like slavery would not be happening anymore but I feel like Jordan Peele had a specific idea when writing this film to inform others of the struggles of African-Americans of every day and to realize that. Yes, this may be a very eccentric way of explaining it but people want the power of black people, and this is still a problem even if it’s not something on the news every day.

In fact, Jordan Peele had an alternative ending to this film that I felt like I truly needed to include. So, in the actual ending of Get Out Chris escapes the house and Rose comes after him. Chris ends up sparing her because he did love her at one point and couldn’t bring himself to do it. He sees a police car roll up, he puts up his hands and is greeted by his friend from TSA. Chris makes it out a free man. Peele revealed later that he decided to have a happier ending because at the time when the film was filmed was when Obama was still in the presidency and he had seen hope for the country. With that being said 2017 was the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency. Situations in the film like police brutality or racism via a policeman have since been more popular. So I think it’s important to include the alternate ending because Peele felt it was more realistic. So, in the alternate ending Chris makes it out of the house and Rose is coming after him. Chris instead of sparing Rose chokes her to death. A car rolls up, Chris puts his hands up and is greeted by the police. The police arrest him, and take him to jail. Now, Chris had basically been abducted, almost murdered, hypnotized, and more. Yet he was still sent to jail, this was because the house went up in flames. There had been no evidence.

In the world we live in I truly believe along with Peele that this would have been the actual outcome of the situation.  Unfortunately, our system is corrupt, and this is the type of outcome many black men and women face every day. We have seen situations like this many times this year with people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Stephon Clark, and many many more. Awful things happen to people of color every day, and I truly believe that that was Peele’s goal to get this across to people. On Rotten Tomatoes, critic Jake Wilson made a remark saying “This brilliantly provocative first feature from comic turned writer-director Jordan Peele proves that the best way to get satire to a mass audience is to call it horror.” Honestly, I really agree with this statement. People don’t want to hear about bad stuff going on in the world especially if it doesn’t apply to them or their race. However, people go to see a thriller to see bad stuff happen, to be on their toes. This method of getting people to sit down to watch a thriller and have it show real problems is entirely the smartest thing I have ever seen.

In conclusion, the film Get Out really makes you think about the life of African-Americans from a new perspective. As a white person, I will never know truly what it’s like or the pressures that arise from being a person of color in society. All I can do is inform myself, and fight for change to be made. I think Jordan Peele is changing the way we see horror. More often than not a horror film is made up of characters and situations that realistically would never happen. Get Out shows problems from real-life situations at an extreme level but it forces people to sit down and actually, truly understand something larger than themselves.

Get Out (2017). (2017). Retrieved November 18, 2020, from https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/get_out

Phillips, K. R. (2008). Chapter 4: Race and Ethnicity: Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. In Controversial cinema: The films that outraged America (pp. 86-126). Westport, CT: Praeger.

Difference, Power, and Discrimination in Film and Media: Student Essays Copyright © by Students at Linn-Benton Community College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Symbolism in “Get Out” Movie Essay (Movie Review)

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The movie Get Out is extraordinarily symbolic and contains memorable and powerful imagery. For centuries, African Americans were enslaved, mistreated, and made to work as servants and laborers in fields. They became free people after years of struggle, but the separation of race and discrimination persist. I have been living in the United States for three years and have seen many examples of injustice among citizens both via social media and offline. I have not been through it myself, and I would not wish it on anybody. Americans of all races have been subjected to police violence, but police brutality against African Americans became more frequent for a variety of reasons. It existed for a long time but could not always be proven. Now, with technological innovation, people are able to protect themselves by using their phone cameras. This essay will discuss the movie Get Out and its symbolism, including the use of cameras, contrasting colors, and a silver spoon.

The use of cameras is a prominent symbol in Get Out . The protagonist, Chris, a professional photographer, uses the camera flash to snap people out of their brainwashed state. For example, when taking a picture of Andre, a black man, who, in fact, is possessed by an elderly white person, Chris notes a bizarre, hysterical reaction, which others explain as a seizure (Peele). The flash brought Logan to the surface of his consciousness and regains temporary control of his body (Peele). It can be viewed as a reference to show how many police brutality incidents against minorities would go unheard of if not for cameras and phones. In the movie, the camera flash is an instrument that helped people “see the light” about the unnoticed injustice. Overall, the phone camera can be a weapon in the fight against racial discrimination and prejudice.

Different colors are also symbolically used throughout Get Out to convey various ideas. For example, red is very noticeable in the party scenes of the movie as all guests wear a red piece of clothing. Thus, there are many women among visitors with red dresses on and men with red ties. Rose, Chris’s girlfriend, who lured him out to her family home, wears a jumper with red and white stripes (Peele). Red can be viewed as the color of blood and danger, as it is only worn by the people who are bidding on Chris’s body. Meanwhile, Chris and Andre, the victims, wear blue and brown clothing. The colors are used to oppose the “hunters” from their prey and to warn the viewers that the partygoers cannot be trusted. In addition, white is used in the scene when Rose is eating cereal while searching for the next victims. Dressed in all white, she does not mix colorful cereal with white milk, reflecting her beliefs on the place of minorities in American society. Overall, the colors in the movie help reveal hidden clues about the characters and their true intentions.

The silver spoon is another interesting symbol used by Peele in the movie. Rose’s mother, the Missy, uses a teacup and a silver teaspoon to hypnotize Chris (Peele). The phrase “silver spoon” is often employed to show that someone belongs to a wealthy family or comes from a privileged upbringing. Missy uses a silver spoon to put Chris in a trance. Meanwhile, the whole family relies on their wealth and their skin color to remain undetected. The wrongdoing and injustices committed by wealthy people are not known to the public because their use their money to keep them secret. Moreover, the silver spoon represents the power rich white people had over their black slaves. Chris is put in the “sunken place” by Missy, losing all control of his body (Peele). Similarly, white slavers owned the lives and bodies of their black slaves, utilizing their wealth to acquire more servants and workers. Thus, the ownership of black bodies is also evident in the usage of the spoon. Overall, the silver spoon is symbolic of the wealth and power of white people over minorities.

In summary, Get Out is a carefully crafted movie full of symbolism. The director leaves many clues to illustrate the characters’ true nature and intents and depict racial inequality. Thus, the camera flash is utilized to show that documentation of injustices can be a powerful weapon in the fight against discrimination as it helps people realize the actual standing of minorities in society. Colors in the movie are used to oppose the characters and show their attitudes towards people of color. Finally, the silver spoon symbolizes the power wealth has and how it can further racism and discrimination. It is also a representation of slavery and ownership of black bodies. Overall, Get Out is very symbolic, and I would highly recommend it.

Get Out . Directed by Jordan Peele, Universal Pictures, 2017.

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IvyPanda . "Symbolism in "Get Out" Movie." September 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/symbolism-in-get-out-movie/.

Get Out: The Horror of White Women

by Sophie Hall

December 8, 2020

Get Out was one of the biggest successes of 2017. With a budget of $4.5 million, the film grossed over $200 million worldwide, won director/screenwriter Jordan Peele an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and became one of the most influential films of the decade. Get Out deftly weaves various genres, but settling on one has caused mild controversy, as when it was nominated for Best Musical or Comedy at the 2018 Golden Globes, Peele disagreed and stated, “…it [ Get Out ] was a social thriller.” However, I feel that Get Out ’s genre is undoubtedly horror due to one key factor—the character of Rose Armitage and how she uses her race as a weapon.

Get Out follows the story of Chris Washington, a twenty-six-year-old aspiring photographer. He is in a relationship with Rose, a WASP-y but seemingly woke white women of a similar age. One weekend, Rose invites Chris to meet her parents at their remote country home—“Do your parents know I'm Black?” Chris asks awkwardly. “No,” Rose lies. “Should they?”

Indeed they should—it is later revealed that Rose becomes romantically involved specifically with Black men (and sometimes women) in order to take them to her father, a neurosurgeon so that he can transplant the brains of his (mainly white) friends and family into their bodies, as Black skin is deemed more desirable.

Throughout the film, we see Rose using her race as a way to ensnare and manipulate Chris. Firstly, we see Rose using her white privilege as a way to trap Chris. In the film’s first act, Chris and Rose encounter a police officer on their way to her parent’s house. The officer asks to see Chris’s license (even though he wasn’t driving the car) and Rose calls the officer out on his 'bullshit.'

However, what initially appears to be Rose standing up against institutionalized racism in the police force is chilling in hindsight; she was doing it so that Chris’ details were not recorded for when he later goes missing. The fact that she was able to do this was due to her white privilege—Chris, a Black man, alone, would not able to convince the officer to let him go otherwise.

Another way in which Rose uses her white skin to her advantage is by falsely displaying herself as an ally. On their first night at her parent’s house, Rose rants about her parent’s apparent lack of cultural awareness around Chris, sounding even more appalled than he does, who experiences it firsthand. On the DVD commentary, Jordan Peele said that “I think the scene is pivotal in our not suspecting her… the fact that she’s more turned up about this than he is.”

Later, in the scene where Chris decides to stay at the Armitage’s home because of his love of Rose, she deceives him further by suggesting that they should in fact leave. Rose’s deception is revealed in a killing blow at the end of Act II, where she iconically reveals that she has Chris’ car keys, preventing him from leaving and exposing her part in the plan.

Chris is then physically restrained by Rose’s brother and put into the 'sunken place' by Rose’s mother. However, the unique thing about Rose’s villainous reveal was not the fact that she was a ‘bad guy’, but the way it was executed.

Instead of telling Chris that she despised him or was revolted by them being together, she calmly says, ‘You were one of my favorites’ as if consoling him. It’s not just a shocking plot twist, it’s an emotional gut punch.

For The Guardian , journalist Lanre Bakare writes: “The villains here aren’t southern rednecks or neo-Nazi skinheads, or the so-called 'alt-right.' They’re middle-class white liberals… It [ Get Out ] exposes a liberal ignorance and hubris that has been allowed to fester. It’s an attitude, an arrogance which in the film leads to a horrific final solution, but in reality, leads to a complacency that is just as dangerous.”

And that ‘complacency’ is just what makes Rose so horrifying—she is just as racist as a so-called ‘neo-Nazi skinhead,' but she doesn’t realize this because of her so-called liberal ideals. The Armitage family wants Black bodies not to erase them but to inhabit them for their more admirable traits. In a weird way, Rose doesn’t see herself as racist—she thinks she’s paying him a compliment by having chosen him in the first place.

This attitude is a deliberate reflection by Jordan Peele on contemporary America. In the aftermath of Trump winning the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, widespread marches erupted across America (and the world) which focused on Trump’s history of sexual assault and misconduct.

However, the marches at large failed to address the fact that 53% of white American women voted for Trump, a shocking comparison to the 94% of Black women who voted for Clinton. White women contributed greatly to Trump being elected, but the white women who went on the marches against Trump only considered the effect on their rights and not the additional impact on the rights of Black women and women of color.

Another way in which Rose uses her white privilege as a source of horror was in her phone conversation with Chris’ friend Rod. He was concerned and suspicious of Chris’ sudden disappearance and was enquiring about his whereabouts. Rose initially acts innocent and tries to draw sympathy from Rod, saying she’s ‘so confused’ by the situation.

However, when Rod doesn't fall for Rose’s ploy, she changes tactics; she states that the reason Rod called was because of his alleged sexual attraction to her, asserting that she knows ‘you [Rod] think about fucking me.’ Rod hastily hangs up, adding that Rose is a ‘genius.’ And Rod is telling the truth; Rose is not only weaponizing her whiteness but her white femininity.

The fear of Black men attacking white women has been ingrained in the American subconscious for over a century. The film The Birth of A Nation helped to create this fear—in Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th , writer/educator Jelani Cobb notes: “There’s a famous scene where a woman throws herself off a cliff rather than be raped by a black male criminal. In the film you see black people being a threat to white women.” Despite this, The Birth of A Nation was (and still is) considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, and until recently was still being taught in film schools across America.

The idea of Black men being a threat to white women was still being peddled by American society well into the 21st century, with one of the recent prominent examples being the Bush vs. Dukakis presidential election in 2003. Dukakis wanted criminals to have weekend releases and to combat this, Bush’s campaign used Willie Horton, a Black man convicted of raping a white woman as a fear-mongering tactic against Dukakis.

Again in 13th, Harvard professor Khalil G. Muhammed states: “Bush won the election by creating fear around black men as criminal, without saying that's what he was doing... It went to a primitive fear, a primitive American fear because Willie Horton was metaphorically the black male rapist that had been a staple of the white imagination since the time just after slavery.”

Rose not only uses this American fear against Rod but also against Chris. In the film’s final act, Chris manages to escape the Armitage home and the fate of all of Rose’s previous exes. Rose pursues him with a shotgun but is ultimately mortally injured by Walter, a Black gardener whose mind was occupied by Rose’s grandfather.

As Rose lays on the road dying, Chris goes to her and begins to strangle her. He cannot bring himself to finish the job, however, but it doesn’t matter—flashing lights fill the screen, and Rose, thinking it’s the police, theatrically cries for help.

In the theatrical ending, it turns out to be Rod coming to Chris’ rescue, not the police coming to Rose’s, much to the audience's delight. However, Jordan Peele originally had a much bleaker idea in mind and shot an alternate ending, one that did indeed have the police arriving and Chris ultimately put in prison.

In the podcast Another Round, Peele notes that “The ending in that era was meant to say, ‘Look, you think race isn’t an issue?’ Well, in the end, we all know how this movie would end right here.” And it’s true, hence why Rose immediately started to cry for help when she saw the lights.

Although a fictional film, we know that the image of Chris, a Black man, crouching over a wounded white woman, would’ve been a life sentence for the character. Even though she would’ve died in both endings, Rose could’ve still won in the alternate ending due to her race.

Catherine Keener’s character Missy Armitage also uses her whiteness as horror in Get Out . In the aforementioned podcast, Peele explains, “The idea of getting hypnotized or being in a psychiatrist’s chair which is partially playing off of the stereotype and generalization that the Black community hasn’t exactly embraced therapy as a means to get to your inner turmoil…religion is where it goes.” Missy’s character using a therapeutic technique to manipulate Chris was a deliberate ploy by Peeleto to create anxiety in the Black audience and more specifically have that anxiety being sourced by a white character.

Even though the other two members of the Armitage family, Dean and Jeremy, can physically antagonize Chris—Dean, the father, would be the one to perform the operation on Chris and Jeremy, the son, is his physical opponent,—neither affect Chris’ psychology or character development in the way that Missy and Rose do.

In John Truby’s novel The Anatomy of Story , the writer proposes, “Create an opponent… who is exceptionally good at attacking your hero’s weaknesses.” Both Missy and Rose do exactly this—Missy introduces a weakness of Chris, the fact that he left his mother to die, and brings it to the fore. This leads Chris to decide to stay with Rose later in the movie, as he tries to right the wrongs he made in the past for her. Missy exposed Chris’ weakness and Rose exploited it. The actions of the two women are what help drive the narrative forward.

Another way in which Peele made Rose a source of horror in Get Out was altering the ‘final girl' trope. Like most final girls, Rose is white, young, intelligent, and spends the majority of the film in an isolated house. However, instead of being the one to escape the monster and live to tell the tale, she is the monster and is ultimately the one who is defeated by the film’s true hero.

Furthermore, in their video essay on ‘Final Girls’, The Take   surmises, "The flip side to the ‘final girl’ after all is the ‘black guy dies first’ trope. While audiences are expected to be terrified for the white girl, the deaths of black characters are regarded as just part of the show.” The fact that Rose is the film's baddie is subversive, but the way that Peele wrote for Chris, a Black man, to be the one to defeat her, is a delicious spin on audience expectations of the horror genre.

This new take on the 'Final Girl’ seems to have ushered in a new generation of women in horror—since Get Out’ s 2017 release, we have since seen Suspiria ,  Midsommar , and Us (also by Peele), where the final girls are either the villains or go to dark lengths in order to achieve their goals. Final girls are no longer enduring horror—they are inflicting it.

Rose Armitage is one of the scariest on-screen villains in recent years, but not because she has fangs or wields a chainsaw—it is because we know someone like a Rose in real life. Rose is the most dangerous character in Get Out because she is the most real. Even though her malevolence is overwhelming, Jordan Peele does not want audiences to cower from her, but rather face her head-on.

Get your copy of the Get Out 4K Blu-ray by clicking here.

Get your copy of the Birth of a Nation DVD by clicking here.

If you want to learn more about race and the film, order the book  Critical Race Theory and Jordan Peele's Get Out.

• Going to the Movies Words: 838
• Why Movies Are Popular All Over the World Words: 858
• Portrayal of African Americans in the Movies Words: 2317
• Racism in “Get Out” Movie: Rhetorical Discussion Words: 1963
• Minorities Portraying in Movies Words: 904
• Movie Censorship and Ratings in America Words: 8217
• Race Relations in the “Get Out” Movie Words: 576
• Film Studies: Watching Movies Now and in the Past Words: 605
• Comedy Movies: Positive Psychological Effects Words: 1128
• Mi Familia Movie Analysis Words: 1097

“Get Out” Movie’s Rhetorical Analysis

I have selected the movie Get Out because it is an entertaining horror movie from the comedian and producer Jordan Peele. The film brings up the topics of race and interracial interactions. The give rhetorical analysis is aimed to identify the methodologies, which are used in the Get Out to entertain and inform the audience about the perspective of African-Americans. Although the movie possesses a satiric feature and exaggerates the realities of interracial interactions, it illustrates how one ethnicity can be overwhelmed by the hostility of other ones.

The main plot of Get Out revolves around an African-American man Chris, whose girlfriend, Rose, invites him to meet her family. This Caucasian family turns out to be highly hostile towards other races and places their consciousnesses into the victim’s body through hypnosis. Chris gradually realizes that he is in danger and then escapes the house, which results in the death of Rose’s family. Although the movie shows the events from an African-American man’s perspective, its target audience is Caucasian people. The purpose is to show the exaggerated and satiric version of the realities of a minority. It is important to note that the movie puts White people as antagonists and villains in order to demonstrate how peculiar and stressful for Black people to interact with Caucasians.

In conclusion, the movie Get Out is a horror satire directed by a comedian Jordan Peele. Its main purpose is to illustrate an exaggerated reality of interracial interactions from the African-American person’s perspective. The primary target audience of the film is Caucasian people who can observe the intricacies and challenges that are experienced by a Black person when he/she communicates with them.

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Themes of Get Out

I saw the movie Get Out (2017) and learned that the film has the theme of the oppression of black people . When I watched the movie I only saw the movie for what it is at the outset, a thriller.

However after learning about the inner meaning of the movie, I am curious to know specifically, what themes have been portrayed, and how?

Could someone tell me if there are any, besides the obvious theme that the protagonist, a black person, is tricked into being a pawn for the whites?

2 Answers 2

I think the primary theme is of black bodies being exploited for the benefit of elite whites, while black minds are controlled and co-opted. The "sunken place" is specifically used as a metaphor for the suppression of black identity in a white-dominated culture. This theme has obvious connections to the American practice of slavery through the mid-19th century; to the problems black people face in their interactions with white-dominated authority; and to the problems faced by black cultural expression in a white-dominated culture.

A secondary theme is that many whites who express a belief in racial equality still support institutions and policies that express racist thought.

Jordan Peele spoke to Deadline Hollywood about the film, and specifically mentioned wanting to subvert the white savior trope :

Peele cites Kevin Costner in Hidden Figures and Brad Pitt in 12 Years A Slave ... he points out that the role of those characters is to speak to white audience members saying, “Hey! This is you!” as a form of reassurance to remind them that they aren’t racist. With the character of Rose (Allison Williams), the audience expects to see her come out as the white savior to save Chris, but Peele made a bold move to not have that happen. He points out that there is this trend in race-driven movies where the last good white person can’t be racist, like Costner and Pitt. “Rose subverts that,” said Peele.

Brandon Harris, writing for The New Yorker , points out that ,

The film ... brazenly inhabits the anxieties that surround miscegenation [romance between black and white people] in our still racially stratified country.

Harris quotes Peele as saying:

...there was a time when I went to a girl’s parents’ house for the first time, and I was nervous because she hadn’t told them I was black.

Later in the same review, Harris quotes a response from Peele during a Q&A regarding the movie:

The real thing at hand here is slavery ...

Vulture.com quotes Peele talking about his take on the 2008 primary race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as partly being about racism versus sexism, which was part of the inspiration for the film:

I had never seen the uncomfortableness of being the only black guy in a room played in a film. That notion is a perfect state for a protagonist of a horror film to be in, to question his own sanity. Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives were movies that did with gender what I wanted to do with race .

In the same interview, Bradley Whitford talks about the ending:

The ending he ended up with does a brilliant thing, because when Chris is strangling Rose in the driveway, you see the red police lights, and then you see the door open and it says “Airport” and it’s a huge laugh, and everybody has that same laugh and release. You understand from Chris’s POV that if the cops come, he’s a dead man . That is absolutely brilliant, non-lecturing storytelling.

And a student taken a class on the movie is quoted as saying,

Peele told my class that when he was writing the scene with the sunken place, he realized that it represented the prison-­industrial system .

There are a lot of themes to unpack in Get Out . I'm sure I could keep doing web searches and quoting Peele from various interviews and we would likely see him talk about every aspect of racism and how it is portrayed in the film. Here's a summary of the themes mentioned above:

• The White Savior Trope : The movie is written and cast to make it seem like in the end, Rose is going to be the one good white person who will save Chris, but she is actually as evil as her family and their friends, and she ends up being the last white person that Chris has to escape from at the very end.
• Anxieties About Miscegenation (with a side of white privilege): Chris is borderline panicked about the fact that Rose hasn't told her family that he's black, because he knows that white parents can be very uncomfortable about that. Rose shows her privilege by thinking it's not a big deal (although we later learn that the family knows that she will be bringing another black man home for their evil schemes).
• Modern Slavery : In the film, black people are enslaved by white people in a horrific way, and also a way that isn't obvious. Another recent film, 13th , is a documentary suggesting that the incarceration of blacks in America is a way to perpetuate slavery in disguise.
• The Societal Horror : Chris spends the entire movie surrounded by white people, all of whom we later learn are evil and are attempting to enslave his body. Even the black people Chris meets are already enslaved and are also evil inside. He feels uncomfortable, isn't sure why, and no one empathizes with him about his discomfort. This highlights how black people can feel on a daily basis in a society dominated (numerically and culturally) by white people.
• Racial Profiling and the Assumption Of Guilt of Non-Whites : When the police car pulls up at the very end, the audience is meant to think that Chris is doomed. If the cop in the car doesn't shoot Chris dead, no one will believe his story and he will be jailed for multiple murders. And in the end, it will be because he is black. Even though the reveal that the police car is driven by Chris' friend there to save him, that reversal of fortune serves to highlight the implication that immediately precedes it.
• The Prison-Industrial System/Complex : This connects with the theme of modern slavery, above. An aspect of this not discussed above is the financial incentive of privately owned prisons to have more inmates, which drives lobbying for tougher laws (e.g., "three strikes" laws). Racially biased enforcement and prosecution creates an industry of incarcerating black people for profit, and the metaphor for this in Get Out should be clear.

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Get Out (film)

By jordan peele.

• Get Out (film) Summary

Upon the insistence of Rose , his Caucasian girlfriend, Chris Washington, an African-American photographer, hesitantly concedes to meet her parents and spend the weekend at their country estate. En route, they hit a deer and report the incident to the police. The investigating officer accusingly asks for Chris’s ID, even though it was Rose at the wheel at the time of the impact. Rose vehemently protests and the officer backs off promptly. The incident is brushed off as a minor road mishap.

Once they arrive at the Armitage country estate, Chris notices the presence of an African American groundskeeper and housekeeper and is bothered by the sight, but Rose reassures him. Soon, Chris is warmly received by Rose’s parents— Dean , an accomplished neurosurgeon, and Missy , a hypnotherapist. Dean takes Chris for a tour of the estate and makes a couple of mildly questionable comments concerning race relations but quickly smoothes things over. Before dinner, Jeremy , Rose’s younger brother, arrives. Jeremy makes a number of off-putting remarks about African Americans and asks Chris to allow him to demonstrate some jiu-jitsu moves on him, but Missy soon diffuses the situation.

Later that evening Chris finds it difficult to sleep so he goes outside to smoke and sees Walter , the Armitages' groundskeeper, sprinting full throttle in the dead of night, oblivious to his presence. Georgina , their maid, also acts strangely, prowling around the house like a ghost. Chris, upon seeing all this strangeness, decides to call it a night, but is caught by Missy who forces him to undergo a hypnotherapy session intended to “cure” him of his smoking habit. Despite Chris's reluctance, Missy manages to put him into a deep trance where he recalls his mother’s death as a child. Upon discovering Chris's guilty feelings concerning his mother’s death, Missy leverages these feelings to sink Chris’s consciousness within a dark void within his unconsciousness, a place she calls “The Sunken Place.”

When Chris awakens from the trance, he finds himself in bed once more, covered in sweat. Initially, he dismisses the whole thing as a dream, but realizes that it was indeed real as cigarettes now nauseate him. Walter then confirms that he had indeed gone through a hypnotherapy session and was with Missy for quite some time. The strange interactions with Walter and Georgina continue, but Chris just tries to shrug it off.

Not too long afterward, throngs of wealthy Caucasian guests begin to arrive at the Armitage estate for their fancy annual party. These guests take a keen interest in Chris, but in a very peculiar manner—either admiring his physique as if he were livestock, or making other unusual comments about African American people in his presence. Looking for respite from all the bizarreness, he breaks away from the crowd where he meets Jim Hudson , an art dealer whom he admires. Ironically, Jim is blind, but he takes particular interest in Chris’ work as a photographer.

After recovering somewhat he returns to the party where he meets another African American man who introduces himself as Logan King. Logan, despite his youth, is dressed in a manner more appropriate to a man several times his senior. His behavior is likewise off; he responds to everything in a mechanical, almost rehearsed manner. Even more puzzling is his choice of wife: a heavy-set, Caucasian woman, about three decades his senior. Despite not having met Logan before, Chris is reminded of someone he once knew and decides to discreetly take a photo of him to send to his friend Rod Williams, a Transportation Security Agent. His flash goes off, triggering an even stranger reaction from Logan, causing his nose to bleed and sending him into a hysterical frenzy. He begins pushing Chris in a panicked manner, ordering him to “ get out!”

The other guests quickly restrain him while their hosts attempt to calm him down. Logan eventually regains his composure after a quick session with Missy and he apologizes to the guests, explaining that he had an epileptic seizure which caused him to freak out. Chris, properly spooked by all the weirdness he experiences, finally manages to convince Rose that they need to leave. Unknown to Chris, however, as he and Rose discuss their next steps the guests of the Armitage family are holding an auction with Chris as the prize. Jim Hudson wins the bidding and Dean goes into action to prep his prize. Meanwhile, Chris manages to send Logan’s photo to Rod, who recognizes Logan. His real identity is Andre Hayworth, and he has apparently been missing for half a year already. Rod reports the missing men to the police but they ridicule him rather than help him.

While preparing to escape, Chris finds a small cabinet with a box full of photos of Rose posing with various black people—including one of Georgina. This is Rose’s collection of previous “acquisitions.” Chris realizes how bad his situation is, but it's now too late—the entire Armitage family prevents him from leaving the house. Rose finally drops her ruse, telling him that everything she had done—the concern, the intimacy, everything—was intended to lure him in. Missy uses a hypnotic keyword to render him cataleptic. When he comes to, he finds himself strapped to a leather chair in the basement game room in front of a TV set playing a dated video of Rose’s grandfather, Roman.

Roman divulges the horrible truth behind the abductions: they are done so that wealthy Caucasian patrons can use strong, healthy, young African American bodies to serve as hosts for them, via a combination of complex neurosurgery and hypnotic conditioning. The host body’s consciousness remains deep within “The Sunken Place” as a helpless participant, essentially trapped within one's own self. The screen suddenly switches from Roman to Jim Hudson. Jim tells Chris that he bid on him so that he can get a new set of eyes—as well as Chris’ unique artistic abilities.

Chris manages to save himself by stuffing his ears with the stuffing of the chair to which he is strapped, blocking out the hypnotic suggestions. He manages to kill both Jeremy and Dean when they try to ready him for surgery. He is about to escape in Jeremy’s car when he hits Georgina. Wracked with guilt from newly liberated childhood memories, he carries Georgina to bring her to safety but is horrified to discover that she had also undergone a brain-switch procedure. Georgina is in fact Marianne, Rose’s grandmother. She begins to savagely beat Chris causing them to crash into a tree, killing her and temporarily stunning Chris, which gives Rose time to locate him.

With Rose is Walter—who in fact is Roman, Rose's grandfather and the founder of the “Order of the Coagula” a clandestine cult of sorts dedicated to making brain-switches for their wealthy patrons. Walter attacks Chris, but Chris manages to break Walter’s hypnotic trance by using his phone camera’s flash. Awakened at last, Walter then turns on Rose then tragically turns the rifle on himself. A critically injured Rose tries to shoot Chris but fails. Chris starts to strangle her in retribution but decides against killing her. A police siren sounds in the distance, spelling certain doom for Chris—but as it turns out, it's Rod, Chris's best friend, who has arrived in time to rescue his friend. They leave together as Rose bleeds to death on the driveway of the Armitage estate.

Get Out (film) Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Get Out (film) is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Where does it take place

The filming takes place in LA and Alabama but is set in Upstate New York.

what were they trying to do to chris

Missy is tricking Chris into being hypnotized. She wants him to be emotionally exposed about the death of his mother. She plunges Chris into a dark vulnerable place until she has total control of his psyche, “ Now you’re in the Sunken Place .” At...

what is a disturbing discoveries that lead chris to a truth that he never could have imagined?

Sorry, I have not seen this film yet.

Study Guide for Get Out (film)

Get Out (film) study guide contains a biography of Jordan Peele, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Get Out (film)
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Essays for Get Out (film)

Get Out (film) essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Get Out (film) by Jordan Peele.

• Memories That Make Us Who We Are: Comparing 'The Stepford Wives' and 'Get Out'
• Get Out: Illustration of the Enduring yet Elusive Psychology of Slavery
• To What Extent Do To Kill a Mockingbird, The Help, and Get Out Engage with White Poverty in their Depiction of White Women?
• What the Critics Got Out of 'Get Out': Commentary on Modern Racism and Its Impacts
• Bodily Autonomy and Bucks in 'Get Out'

How to Write a Film Analysis Essay: Examples, Outline, & Tips

A film analysis essay might be the most exciting assignment you have ever had! After all, who doesn’t love watching movies? You have your favorite movies, maybe something you watched years ago, perhaps a classic, or a documentary. Or your professor might assign a film for you to make a critical review. Regardless, you are totally up for watching a movie for a film analysis essay.

However, once you have watched the movie, facing the act of writing might knock the wind out of your sails because you might be wondering how to write a film analysis essay. In summary, writing movie analysis is not as difficult as it might seem, and Custom-writing.org experts will prove this. This guide will help you choose a topic for your movie analysis, make an outline, and write the text.️ Film analysis examples are added as a bonus! Just keep reading our advice on how to get started.

❓ What Is a Film Analysis Essay?

• 🚦 Film Analysis Types

📽️ Movie Analysis Format

✍️ how to write a film analysis, 🎦 film analysis template, 🎬 film analysis essay topics.

• 📄 Essay Examples

🔗 References

To put it simply, film analysis implies watching a movie and then considering its characteristics : genre, structure, contextual context, etc. Film analysis is usually considered to be a form of rhetorical analysis . The key to success here is to formulate a clear and logical argument, supporting it with examples.

🚦 Film Analysis Essay Types

Since a film analysis essay resembles literature analysis, it makes sense that there are several ways to do it. Its types are not limited to the ones described here. Moreover, you are free to combine the approaches in your essay as well. Since your writing reflects your own opinion, there is no universal way to do it.

• Semiotic analysis . If you’re using this approach, you are expected to interpret the film’s symbolism. You should look for any signs that may have a hidden meaning. Often, they reveal some character’s features. To make the task more manageable, you can try to find the objects or concepts that appear on the screen multiple times. What is the context they appear in? It might lead you to the hidden meaning of the symbols.
• Narrative structure analysis . This type is quite similar to a typical literature guide. It includes looking into the film’s themes, plot, and motives. The analysis aims to identify three main elements: setup, confrontation, and resolution. You should find out whether the film follows this structure and what effect it creates. It will make the narrative structure analysis essay if you write about the theme and characters’ motivations as well.
• Contextual analysis . Here, you would need to expand your perspective. Instead of focusing on inner elements, the contextual analysis looks at the time and place of the film’s creation. Therefore, you should work on studying the cultural context a lot. It can also be a good idea to mention the main socio-political issues of the time. You can even relate the film’s success to the director or producer and their career.
• Mise-en-scene analysis . This type of analysis works with the most distinctive feature of the movies, audiovisual elements. However, don’t forget that your task is not only to identify them but also to explain their importance. There are so many interconnected pieces of this puzzle: the light to create the mood, the props to show off characters’ personalities, messages hidden in the song lyrics.

To write an effective film analysis essay, it is important to follow specific format requirements that include the following:

• Standard essay structure. Just as with any essay, your analysis should consist of an introduction with a strong thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The main body usually includes a summary and an analysis of the movie’s elements.
• Present tense for events in the film. Use the present tense when describing everything that happens in the movie. This way, you can make smooth transitions between describing action and dialogue. It will also improve the overall narrative flow.
• Proper formatting of the film’s title. Don’t enclose the movie’s title in quotation marks; instead, italicize it. In addition, use the title case : that is, capitalize all major words.
• Proper use of the characters’ names. When you mention a film character for the first time, name the actor portraying them. After that, it is enough to write only the character’s name.
• In-text citations. Use in-text citations when describing certain scenes or shots from the movie. Format them according to your chosen citation style. If you use direct quotes, include the time-stamp range instead of page numbers. Here’s how it looks in the MLA format: (Smith 0:11:24–0:12:35).

Even though film analysis is similar to the literary one, you might still feel confused with where to begin. No need to worry; there are only a few additional steps you need to consider during the writing process.

Need more information? It can be found in the video below.

Starting Your Film Analysis Essay

There are several things you need to do before you start writing your film analysis paper. First and foremost, you have to watch the movie. Even if you have seen it a hundred times, you need to watch it again to make a good film analysis essay.

Note that you might be given an essay topic or have to think of it by yourself. If you are free to choose a topic for your film analysis essay, reading some critical reviews before you watch the film might be a good idea. By doing this in advance, you will already know what to look for when watching the movie.

In the process of watching, keep the following tips in mind:

• Consider your impression of the movie
• Enumerate memorable details
• Try to interpret the movie message in your way
• Search for the proof of your ideas (quotes from the film)
• Make comments on the plot, settings, and characters
• Draw parallels between the movie you are reviewing and some other movies

Making a Film Analysis Essay Outline

Once you have watched and possibly re-watched your assigned or chosen movie from an analytical point of view, you will need to create a movie analysis essay outline . The task is pretty straightforward: the outline can look just as if you were working on a literary analysis or an article analysis.

• Introduction : This includes the basics of the movie, including the title, director, and the date of release. You should also present the central theme or ideas in the movie and your thesis statement .
• Summary : This is where you take the time to present an overview of the primary concepts in the movie, including the five Ws (who, what, when, where, and why)—don’t forget how!—as well as anything you wish to discuss that relates to the point of view, style, and structure.
• Analysis : This is the body of the essay and includes your critical analysis of the movie, why you did or did not like it, and any supporting material from the film to support your views. It would help if you also discussed whether the director and writer of the movie achieved the goal they set out to achieve.
• Conclusion: This is where you can state your thesis again and provide a summary of the primary concepts in a new and more convincing manner, making a case for your analysis. You can also include a call-to-action that will invite the reader to watch the movie or avoid it entirely.

You can find a great critical analysis template at Thompson Rivers University website. In case you need more guidance on how to write an analytical paper, check out our article .

Writing & Editing Your Film Analysis Essay

We have already mentioned that there are differences between literary analysis and film analysis. They become especially important when one starts writing their film analysis essay.

First of all, the evidence you include to support the arguments is not the same. Instead of quoting the text, you might need to describe the audiovisual elements.

However, the practice of describing the events is similar in both types. You should always introduce a particular sequence in the present tense. If you want to use a piece of a dialogue between more than two film characters, you can use block quotes. However, since there are different ways to do it, confirm with your supervisor.

For your convenience, you might as well use the format of the script, for which you don’t have to use quotation marks:

ELSA: But she won’t remember I have powers?

KING: It’s for the best.

Finally, to show off your proficiency in the subject, look at the big picture. Instead of just presenting the main elements in your analysis, point out their significance. Describe the effect they make on the overall impression form the film. Moreover, you can dig deeper and suggest the reasons why such elements were used in a particular scene to show your expertise.

Stuck writing a film analysis essay? Worry not! Use our template to structure your movie analysis properly.

Introduction

• The title of the film is… [title]
• The director is… [director’s name] He/she is known for… [movies, style, etc.]
• The movie was released on… [release date]
• The themes of the movie are… [state the film’s central ideas]
• The film was made because… [state the reasons]
• The movie is… because… [your thesis statement].
• The main characters are… [characters’ names]
• The events take place in… [location]
• The movie is set in… [time period]
• The movie is about… [state what happens in the film and why]
• The movie left a… [bad, unforgettable, lasting, etc.] impression in me.
• The script has… [a logical sequence of events, interesting scenes, strong dialogues, character development, etc.]
• The actors portray their characters… [convincingly, with intensity, with varying degree of success, in a manner that feels unnatural, etc.]
• The soundtrack is [distracting, fitting, memorable, etc.]
• Visual elements such as… [costumes, special effects, etc.] make the film [impressive, more authentic, atmospheric, etc.]
• The film succeeds/doesn’t succeed in engaging the target audience because it… [tells a compelling story, features strong performances, is relevant, lacks focus, is unauthentic, etc.]
• Cultural and societal aspects make the film… [thought-provoking, relevant, insightful, problematic, polarizing, etc.]
• The director and writer achieved their goal because… [state the reasons]
• Overall, the film is… [state your opinion]
• I would/wouldn’t recommend watching the movie because… [state the reasons]
• Analysis of the film Inception by Christopher Nolan .
• Examine the rhetoric in the film The Red Balloon .
• Analyze the visual effects of Zhang Yimou’s movie Hero .
• Basic concepts of the film Interstellar by Christopher Nolan.
• The characteristic features of Federico Fellini’s movies.  
• Analysis of the movie The Joker .
• The depiction of ethical issues in Damaged Care .  
• Analyze the plot of the film Moneyball .
• Explore the persuasive techniques used in Henry V .
• Analyze the movie Killing Kennedy .
• Discuss the themes of the film Secret Window .
• Describe the role of audio and video effects in conveying the message of the documentary Life in Renaissance .  
• Compare and analyze the films Midnight Cowboy and McCabe and Mrs. Miller .  
• Analysis of the movie Rear Window . 
• The message behind the film Split .
• Analyze the techniques used by Tim Burton in his movie Sleepy Hollow .
• The topic of children’s abuse and importance of trust in Joseph Sargent’s Sybil .
• Examine the themes and motives of the film Return to Paradise by Joseph Ruben.
• The issues of gender and traditions in the drama The Whale Rider.   
• Analysis of the film Not Easily Broken by Duke Bill. 
• The symbolism in R. Scott’s movie Thelma and Louise .
• The meaning of audiovisual effects in Citizen Kane .  
• Analyze the main characters of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo .  
• Discuss the historical accuracy of the documentary The Civil War .  
• Analysis of the movie Through a Glass Darkly . 
• Explore the core idea of the comedy Get Out .
• The problem of artificial intelligence and human nature in Ex Machina .  
• Three principles of suspense used in the drama The Fugitive .
• Examine the ideas Michael Bay promotes in Armageddon .
• Analyze the visual techniques used in Tenet by Christopher Nolan.
• Analysis of the movie The Green Mile .
• Discrimination and exclusion in the film The Higher Learning .  
• The hidden meaning of the scenes in Blade Runner .
• Compare the social messages of the films West Side Story and Romeo + Juliet .
• Highlighting the problem of children’s mental health in the documentary Kids in Crisis .
• Discuss the ways Paul Haggis establishes the issue of racial biases in his movie Crash .
• Analyze the problem of moral choice in the film Gone Baby Gone .
• Analysis of the historical film Hacksaw Ridge .
• Explore the main themes of the film Mean Girls by Mark Walters .
• The importance of communication in the movie Juno .
• Describe the techniques the authors use to highlight the problems of society in Queen and Slim .  
• Examine the significance of visual scenes in My Family/ Mi Familia .  
• Analysis of the thriller Salt by Phillip Noyce. 
• Analyze the message of Greg Berlanti’s film Love, Simon .
• Interpret the symbols of the film The Wizard of Oz (1939).
• Discuss the modern issues depicted in the film The Corporation .
• Moral lessons of Edward Zwick’s Blood Diamond . 
• Analysis of the documentary Solitary Nation . 
• Describe the audiovisual elements of the film Pride and Prejudice (2005) .
• The problem of toxic relationships in Malcolm and Marie .

📄 Film Analysis Examples

Below you’ll find two film analysis essay examples. Note that the full versions are downloadable for free!

Film Analysis Example #1: The Intouchables

Raising acute social problems in modern cinema is a common approach to draw the public’s attention to the specific issues and challenges of people facing crucial obstacles. As a film for review, The Intouchables by Oliver Nakache and Éric Toledano will be analyzed, and one of the themes raised in this movie is the daily struggle of the person with severe disabilities. This movie is a biographical drama with comedy elements. The Intouchables describes the routine life of a French millionaire who is confined to a wheelchair and forced to receive help from his servants. The acquaintance of the disabled person with a young and daring man from Parisian slums changes the lives of both radically. The film shows that for a person with disabilities, recognition as a full member of society is more important than sympathy and compassion, and this message expressed comically raises an essential problem of human loneliness.

Movie Analysis Example #2: Parasite

Parasite is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller movie directed by Bong Joon-ho and is the first film with a non-English script to win Best Picture at the Oscars in 2020. With its overwhelming plot and acting, this motion picture retains a long-lasting effect and some kind of shock. The class serves as a backbone and a primary objective of social commentary within the South Korean comedy/thriller (Kench, 2020). Every single element and detail in the movie, including the student’s stone, the contrasting architecture, family names, and characters’ behavior, contribute to the central topic of the universal problem of classism and wealth disparity. The 2020 Oscar-winning movie Parasite (2019) is a phenomenal cinematic portrayal and a critical message to modern society regarding the severe outcomes of the long-established inequalities within capitalism.

Want more examples? Check out this bonus list of 10 film analysis samples. They will help you gain even more inspiration.

• “Miss Representation” Documentary Film Analysis
• “The Patriot”: Historical Film Analysis
• “The Morning Guy” Film Analysis
• 2012′ by Roland Emmerich Film Analysis
• “The Crucible” (1996) Film Analysis
• The Aviator’ by Martin Scorsese Film Analysis
• The “Lions for Lambs” Film Analysis
• Bill Monroe – Father of Bluegrass Music Film Analysis
• Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Harry Potter’ Film Analysis
• Red Tails by George Lucas Film Analysis

Film Analysis Essay FAQ

• Watch the movie or read a detailed plot summary.
• Read others’ film reviews paying attention to details like key characters, movie scenes, background facts.
• Compose a list of ideas about what you’ve learned.
• Organize the selected ideas to create a body of the essay.
• Write an appropriate introduction and conclusion.

The benefits of analyzing a movie are numerous . You get a deeper understanding of the plot and its subtle aspects. You can also get emotional and aesthetic satisfaction. Film analysis enables one to feel like a movie connoisseur.

Here is a possible step by step scenario:

• Think about the general idea that the author probably wanted to convey.
• Consider how the idea was put across: what characters, movie scenes, and details helped in it.
• Study the broader context: the author’s other works, genre essentials, etc.

The definition might be: the process of interpreting a movie’s aspects. The movie is reviewed in terms of details creating the artistic value. A film analysis essay is a paper presenting such a review in a logically structured way.

• Film Analysis – UNC Writing Center
• Film Writing: Sample Analysis // Purdue Writing Lab
• Yale Film Analysis – Yale University
• Film Terms And Topics For Film Analysis And Writing
• Questions for Film Analysis (Washington University)
• Resources on Film Analysis – Cinema Studies (University of Toronto)
• Does Film Analysis Take the Magic out of Movies?
• Film Analysis Research Papers – Academia.edu
• What’s In a Film Analysis Essay? Medium
• Analysis of Film – SAGE Research Methods
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Have you ever read a review and asked yourself how the critic arrived at a different interpretation for the film? You are sure that you saw the same movie, but you interpreted it differently. Most moviegoers go to the cinema for pleasure and entertainment. There’s a reason why blockbuster movies attract moviegoers – cinema is a form of escape, a way to momentarily walk away from life’s troubles.

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Crafting a Powerful Thesis Statement for a Movie Review: Examples and Tips

• backlinkworks
• Writing Articles & Reviews
• October 28, 2023

Introduction

writing a movie review can be an exciting task, but IT requires careful consideration and thought. One of the most important elements of a movie review is the thesis statement, as IT sets the tone and direction for the entire review. In this article, we will explore the process of crafting a powerful thesis statement for a movie review, providing you with helpful examples and tips along the way.

What is a Thesis Statement in a Movie Review?

A thesis statement in a movie review presents the main argument or opinion that you will be discussing and supporting throughout your review. IT typically appears near the end of your introduction and should be clear, concise, and thought-provoking. The thesis statement should provide an overall evaluation or interpretation of the movie, highlighting the key aspects you will be focusing on in your review.

Examples of Powerful Thesis Statements

Let’s now explore some examples of powerful thesis statements to give you a better understanding of how to structure your own. Remember, these examples are not meant to be copied directly but rather to serve as inspiration for crafting your unique thesis statement:

• Example 1: The movie “Inception” explores the convoluted depths of the human mind, challenging our perception of reality and leaving audiences questioning the nature of dreams.
• Example 2: Through its stunning cinematography and emotional storytelling, “The Shawshank Redemption” showcases the resilience of the human spirit and the power of hope in the face of adversity.
• Example 3: In “Black Swan,” the director delves into the dark and obsessive world of ballet, blurring the lines between sanity and insanity, leading to a mesmerizing and haunting cinematic experience.

Tips for Crafting a Powerful Thesis Statement

Now that you’ve seen some examples, let’s dive into some tips to help you craft a powerful thesis statement for your movie review:

• Identify the central theme: Analyze the movie and identify the central theme or message being conveyed. This will serve as the basis for your thesis statement.
• Be specific: Make your thesis statement clear and specific, avoiding vague language or generalizations. This will make your argument more compelling and focused.
• Consider the audience: Think about the intended audience of your review and tailor your thesis statement to resonate with them. Different audiences may have varying expectations or interests.
• Support with evidence: Your thesis statement should be supported by evidence from the movie. Incorporate specific scenes, dialogues, or character developments to strengthen your argument.
• Stay objective: While expressing your personal opinion is essential, ensure that your thesis statement remains objective and balanced. Avoid overly biased language that may detract from the credibility of your review.

Crafting a powerful thesis statement for a movie review is crucial in setting the tone and direction for your review. IT should provide a clear evaluation or interpretation of the movie, supported by evidence and examples. By following the tips outlined in this article and considering the provided examples, you can create a compelling thesis statement that engages your readers and enhances the overall quality of your movie review.

1. Can I include my personal opinion in the thesis statement?

Yes, you can include your personal opinion in the thesis statement, but ensure that IT remains objective and supported by evidence from the movie.

2. Should I mention the title of the movie in my thesis statement?

While IT is not mandatory, IT is recommended to include the title of the movie in your thesis statement to provide clarity and context.

3. How long should my thesis statement be?

A thesis statement should be concise and to the point. Aim for a sentence or two that effectively conveys your main argument.

4. Can I change my thesis statement after writing the review?

Yes, IT is possible to make adjustments to your thesis statement if you feel IT needs refinement or modification based on your analysis and review process.

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A Critical Analysis Paper on the Movie: Get Out

I chose movie "Get Out" 2017. The requirement of essay Choose a Film OR TV Show (2+ episodes) directed by a black filmmaker/ artist OR that features a black performance artist in the leading role and write a 5-page paper (12-pt font, double spaced) analyzing how the main characters demonstrate the intersection of race, class, and gendered identities. How do the characters illustrate the concept of "diversity within blackness"? Does the use of drama, suspense, psychological thriller, comedy, satire, or irony reinforce or challenge negative stereotypes of blackness? If so, or if not, why? Please pay careful attention to how geographic location and historical context shape the characters' worldviews. Scroll down to see list of choices of films and TV series. Requirement of sources: Working annotated bibliography (also known as annotated Works Cited): You must include at least 5 sources that look promising, which will help you analyze the significance of race, class, gender, etc., identities of the characters included in the film or television series that you've selected. You MUST identify at least 2 primary sources (e.g. interviews with writer, director, producer or actors featured in film or television show that you're writing about) AND 3 scholarly sources. You may use books as scholarly sources and/ or you can use digital/electronic (web) materials, but 3 of them MUST be peer reviewed (scholarly) texts. (Consider article Herman Gray, Cultural Moves (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.). This bibliography should be annotated. Please note regarding your annotated bibliography (a.k.a. "Works Cited" page). ONLY scholarly books on topics relevant to your main thesis AND/ OR articles found through academic databases, which have been published in peer-reviewed journals count as scholarly sources. I'm talking about databases like JSTOR and Project Muse. Use key terms to search under the categories of "Articles & More" on Miami U's library website: http://www(dot)lib(dot)miamioh(dot)edu/multifacet/books/academic+databases?field=text For NON-scholarly sources, you may also used articles found in reputable news publications such as The New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, etc. I want the essay conduct by instruction, 5 body paragraphs, and conclusion. and each body paragraph have one source, and Do Not describe the movie a lot in the introduction.

• Cast & crew

The leaders of seven wealthy democracies get lost in the woods while drafting a statement on a global crisis, facing danger as they attempt to find their way out. The leaders of seven wealthy democracies get lost in the woods while drafting a statement on a global crisis, facing danger as they attempt to find their way out. The leaders of seven wealthy democracies get lost in the woods while drafting a statement on a global crisis, facing danger as they attempt to find their way out.

• Evan Johnson
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• Rolando Ravello
• Charles Dance
• 17 Critic reviews
• 71 Metascore
• 1 nomination

Top cast 17

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• October 18, 2024 (United States)
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Where Kamala Harris Stands on the Issues: Abortion, Immigration and More

She wants to protect the right to abortion nationally. Here’s what else to know about her positions.

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By Maggie Astor

• Published July 21, 2024 Updated Aug. 24, 2024

With Vice President Kamala Harris having replaced President Biden on the Democratic ticket, her stances on key issues will be scrutinized by both parties and the nation’s voters.

She has a long record in politics: as district attorney of San Francisco, as attorney general of California, as a senator, as a presidential candidate and as vice president.

Here is an overview of where she stands.

Ms. Harris supports legislation that would protect the right to abortion nationally, as Roe v. Wade did before it was overturned in 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

After the Dobbs ruling, she became central to the Biden campaign’s efforts to keep the spotlight on abortion, given that Mr. Biden — with his personal discomfort with abortion and his support for restrictions earlier in his career — was a flawed messenger. In March, she made what was believed to be the first official visit to an abortion clinic by a president or vice president.

She consistently supported abortion rights during her time in the Senate, including cosponsoring legislation that would have banned common state-level restrictions, like requiring doctors to perform specific tests or have hospital admitting privileges in order to provide abortions.

As a presidential candidate in 2019, she argued that states with a history of restricting abortion rights in violation of Roe should be subject to what is known as pre-clearance for new abortion laws — those laws would have to be federally approved before they could take effect. That proposal is not viable now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe.

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