Wives, mothers, friends, activists: multidimensional portrayals of black women in contemporary American films

Abstract

This thesis examines the representation of Black women in contemporary American cinema, through an analysis of the films The Help (Tate Taylor, 2011), Hidden Figures (Theodore Melfi, 2016), Widows (Steve McQueen, 2018), American Son (Kenny Leon, 2019), Black or White (Mike Binder, 2014), and Miss Virginia (R.J. Daniel Hanna, 2019). The socio-cultural context in which these films are produced, and set is used as a lens through which to understand these films’ portrayal of Black women in the realms of marriage, motherhood, friendship, professional work, agency and advocacy.
This research contributes to ongoing debates in film studies and cultural discourse about the representation of minorities, particularly Black women. The thesis argues that these films both reinforce and subvert stereotypes. These are films where Black women navigate traditional roles as wives and mothers, and are often depicted as nurturing and resilient, while simultaneously being portrayed as independent and assertive professionals. This juxtaposition highlights a critical tension in the portrayal of Black womanhood, where more nuanced and progressive portrayals coexist with the persistence of stereotypical narratives. The analysis challenges binary perceptions of filmic portrayals of Black women as either wholly progressive or regressive, thus advocating for a more nuanced understanding that acknowledges the complexities and contradictions in these cinematic representations.
The aim of this study is to address the significance of a more balanced and nuanced portrayal of Black women in cinema, without resorting to traditional stereotypes. It emphasises the importance of cinematic representations in shaping societal attitudes and advocates for continued progress in portraying Black women in ways that truly reflect the variety of their experiences and identities.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Lynda Lamraoui: orcid.org/0009-0007-0434-3085

ORCID for Shelley Cobb: orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-8482

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