A panel of U professors dissected blockbuster movies “Django Unchained” and “Lincoln” on Thursday, providing insight into Hollywood’s relationship with slavery in America.
Edmund Fong, professor of ethnic studies and political science, had concerns with both movies, but said Hollywood can only be itself. While the movies possess a wealth of knowledge regarding slavery, they still perpetuate misunderstandings, Fong said.
“I did enjoy both movies, but they show what we still don’t understand about slavery in America,” he said.
Fong was referring in part to the servile and submissive portrayal of slaves and freed people in “Lincoln.” Elizabeth Keckley was the dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln after becoming a freed slave, and Fong was disappointed by her depiction in the film. During her life, Keckley outfitted the wives of the Washington elite as well as published a book, and Fong saw this as reason to portray her as something a bit more valuable.
The panel was also concerned this portrayal of slaves could have caused audiences to forget the important contributions made by the slave population during the Civil War.
“Slaves were seizing plantations, joining the Union cause,” said Karen Johnson, professor of education, culture and society.
Johnson said the two movies depict slaves in a manner that is not entirely historically accurate.
She referred to Abraham Lincoln as the “ambivalent emancipator,” and said the common belief that he was a passionate abolitionist is not accurate. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation for many reasons, and the actual freedom of slaves was only one reason, she said.
Johnson enjoyed the character of Django because of his dedication to the task at hand.
“What I do like about Django is how Django is the antihero,” she said. “He will save his wife no matter what he must do.”
Panel members said movie viewers often hold onto the fantasy of the “White Savior” when it comes to slavery because white populations still hold underlying guilt concerning slavery. This creates a yearning for depictions of white men helping the enslaved blacks. Both “Lincoln” and “Django Unchained” contain these components, much to the delight of the box office, they said.
Geneva Thompson, a senior in history and ASUU president, enjoyed the analysis the panel provided.
“The two movies didn’t really change my perspective on slavery, but I identified with the points the speakers made,” she said. “My friends found the movies a little more eye-opening than I did.”
Also attending the panel was Sadaf Baghbani, a master’s student in public policy. She was especially interested in the critique of the character of Abraham Lincoln in “Lincoln.”
“I came out of ‘Lincoln’ and I said, ‘I love him!’ As it turns out, he wasn’t everything I saw in the movie,” she said.
The panel was moderated by psychologist and academic adviser Denise Francis-Montaño.