Film Review: Dear White People
Directed by Justin Simien
Distributed by Duly Noted
In an age of militant political correctness, Justin Simien’s independent cinematic debut Dear White People (DWP) is a defining film for the millennial generation. The fictional campus of elite Winchester University get entangled into a debacle of racial tension and politics when the school’s resident humour magazine hosts an offensive Halloween party. Tessa Thompson of Veronica Mars plays raging bi-racial activist and filmmaking student Sam White, and Everybody Hates Chris’ Tyler James Williams stars as reserved sophomore and unlikely hero Lionel Higgins.
Inspired by various cases of notorious “blackface” parties at universities across America, DWP directly addresses the racial issues and tensions underlying Western culture today in the sarcastic, absurdist tone so familiar to students living in the age of the Internet. With witty dialogue and clean-cut cinematography, DWP delivers hard-hitting lessons about cultural identity and racial misconceptions.
Yet, unlike most films about racism, there are no inspirational montages of underdog triumph or devastating bursts of racist rage in DWP. Rather, you get a few outrageous laughs and varying feelings of uneasiness as DWP moves from beginning to end. The film is meant to unsettle its viewers, not blare out a moral-of-the-story, and it does so excellently, without pomp and circumstance. When a character tells Lionel, “You’re only technically black,” it’s unnerving, and you’re not altogether sure why. And most of DWP’s moral questions stem simply from these one-liners that throw your perspective off-kilter.
DWP’s strength is in its subtle revelations, notably emphasized in the character development portrayed by Thompson’s and Williams’ performances. Thompson’s character Sam struggles to deal with her dual identity as a bi-racial woman, and Williams’ Lionel continuously ponders the “black culture” missing from his identity as a black student—inner conflicts not commonly portrayed in mainstream Hollywood movies.
Ultimately, Dear White People is satire done right—it provokes discussion and, without being preachy, teaches lessons about the state of racism in today’s century. If you want a thoughtful night out, you can catch Dear White People only at Mayfair Theatre on Jan. 28 and 29 at 9 p.m.
