“Blindspotting” What is the hidden reality of America as seen in the “blind spots” between races?

*Information as of September 2019 article publication.

"Blindspotting" synopsis

Colin (Daveed Diggs), a black man from Oakland, must survive the remaining three days of his probation. Colin and his childhood friend Miles (Rafael Casal), a white troublemaker, work for a moving company. One day, on his way home, Colin witnesses a black man suddenly appear in front of his car and be shot from behind by a white police officer. As a result of this, the two are forced to confront realities such as their identity and changes in their hometown, which is rapidly becoming more upmarket, and their relationship is gradually put to the test. If Colin can endure the remaining three days, he will be able to start a new life as a free man, but the unexpected behavior of problem child Miles threatens that Being There.

Index

• The existence of an invisible wall that separates friendships
• The two sides of the liberal city of Auckland
• What is urban gentrification?

The existence of an invisible wall that separates friendships

Racism against black people is a deep-rooted problem in America. Even after the abolition of slavery in the mid-19th century and the enactment of the Civil Rights Act in the mid-1960s, the darkness of discrimination within the country still persists. It is often said that movies are a mirror that reflects society, and in recent years, movies with various perspectives on the theme of discrimination against black people have appeared.

Spike Lee's `` BlacKkKlansman '' (2018) depicts a black police officer's infiltration of a white supremacist organization, and `` Black Panther '' (18), based on an American comic, depicts the story through the perspective of a black hero. It vividly reveals the domestic side of black society. Both films were highly acclaimed and were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Carlos López Estrada's ``Blindspotting '' (2018), which opened the Sundance Film Festival and received rave reviews from critics, depicts a bromance between a white man and a black man. Former United States President Barack Obama selected `` Blindspotting '' as one of the best movies of 2018, along with `` ROMA, '' `` Black Panther ,'' and ``BlacKkKlansman.'' Although it lost out on the prize race, it depicts the reality of America more realistically than any other recent work.

“Blindspotting” preview

The movie is set in Oakland, a city on the San Francisco Bay. Along with San Francisco and Berkeley, it is a city characterized by a very liberal culture. It is a highly diverse city with a high racial mix. The main characters are Colin (Daveed Diggs), a young local black man, and Miles (Rafael Casal), a young white man. Colin, who was arrested for a certain incident, has finished his sentence and has only three days left in his supervision period. I wake up for an early morning run, finish my job at the moving company, and have to be home by the 11pm curfew. If you break the rules, your instruction period will be extended and your freedom will be further away. You must avoid making a fuss as much as possible and strive to behave in an exemplary manner. However, his friend and childhood friend Miles is a problem child with a rough personality. Due to his careless actions, Colin's situation becomes even worse...

The film focuses on the relationship between these two people and captures the "invisible wall" between races. Colin, a black man, calls his white friend Miles a "nigger." "Nigger" was originally a derogatory term for black people, with its origins in "negro", but in recent years it has increasingly been used as a greeting between close black friends and even non-black people. In terms of nuance, it's something like, "Hey, brother."

“Blindspotting” (c)2018 OAKLAND MOVING PICTURES LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Miles, on the other hand, simply calls Colin "bro." This is an abbreviation for "brother" and is a very conventional slang term. This also means ``Yo, brother,'' but the original meaning of the word is probably lighter than nigger. Miles never calls Colin a nigger, no, he can't call him a nigger. Colin is unaffected by the color of his skin and simply calls his friends niggers, but Miles' sense of discrimination towards his friends gets in the way, and a kind of resistance takes root.

The two must have grown up in the same environment, under the same circumstances, and under the same ideology. There seems to be no difference between races. However, an invisible wall has definitely been built between the two. What's amazing about this film is that it doesn't just focus on discrimination against black people, but also vividly depicts the position of white people who grew up in the black community.

The two sides of the liberal city of Auckland