This chapter Mixed Colors: Riddles of Blackness in Pre-Classical Cinema deals with the issues in portraying blackness in film during the era when blacks in film were portrayed as comically stupid, easily malleable and made the butt of the joke. It touches on the fact that whites who made movies such as, “The Watermelon Patch” or “A Fool and His Money.” Therefore the purpose of this is to deal with the issue of both whites and blacks wearing blackface, the positioning of white views in positions of a masterful stance and the danger that is associated when imitating a different race.
The chapter goes into the issues on blackface. It was the portrayal of blacks in the form of watermelon eating uncle toms who did whatever the superior white characters told them to do. Blacks in film were originally portrayed by actual black people, yet in a comedic way. Yet the overwhelming popularity of vaudeville shows which used blackface as a way to mock black dances and other aspects of African American culture, eventually developed a powerful influence on movies. This means that films toward the turn of the 20th century featured both blacks and whites in blackface as a way to portray the goofy black character.
One of the biggest issues that arises from this portrayal of blacks as walking jokes is that it was presented so much that it reinforced the stereotypes that these stereotypical jokes were the everyday reality and lives of actual black Americans. this just lead to the further discrimination and dehumanization of blacks as being nothing more than comedic relief walking around. The chapter then goes into detailed observations about various films such as “The Colored Stenographer”, “The House of his Master” and “A Close Call.” All of which portray white people in blackface and all of them act in a demeaning and comedic manner, giving of a sense of being lesser than white actors in their own white skin. The author makes note that both fiction and non fiction films engaged in perpetuating racist stereotypes, also explaining how the voyeristic approach to viewing the black community through this conduit enhanced “curiosity and anxiety of racially marked ‘others.'”(p.68) Fiction works portrayed comedic representations and nonfiction presented blacks as always doing some kind of manual labor. All of this displays a perception of inferiority.
Another main issue with these early films and portrayal of blacks was the propagation of being worry of any interracial intimacy. In many of these films it was important that black characters be kept in places of servitude and always show a loyalty to their white employers. There is also many instances where white characters mistake some black characters for other black characters and it is a way of grouping all as the same. There is also a display of racial bias in any kind of intimate relation, blacks who try to form any sort of personal relationship with a white character are always portrayed in a negative light, usually through attempted rape or murder. Thus this idea of keeping within your own race is heightened.
In conclusion, the chapter wraps up by restating how the stereotypes of society were continually perpetuated by film. Much of the film of the era demonstrated how blacks should be separate and/or lesser than whites. Clearly seeing these movies must have influenced public opinion, thus continuing the ideas of racism of the time.