Research Investigation Sample B

An analysis of the representation of race in film as portrayed by Denzel Washington

Representing race is a contentious and controversial issue, this study explores how representation

and stereotypes have changed using various theories such as the constructionist model1 using

textual analysis of two main texts; Man on Fire (2004)2, and Training Day (2001)3 I believe that

despite many social developments and shift in cultural hegemony African-Americans continue to be

restrained in the number of roles they portray and the representation of African-American

characters remains generic.

Until 1903 African-American characters in film were unheard of, the creation of ‘Uncle Tom’ in Edwin

S. Porter’s twelve minute movie ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’, Donald Bogle said the great paradox was that

in actuality Tom was not black at all. Instead he was portrayed by a nameless white actor made up in

blackface4. This distortion of reality was part of the cultural hegemony used in all art forms of that

time, the practice of using a white actor for a black role was common on stage and film. The arrival

of black characters into film added an element in character creation and during film’s early years

black characters were seen as narrative or character devices, ‘a white actor walked by, selected a

box, and used it as a base for a very square rigidly defined performance.’5 Black characters didn’t

seem to be allowed to give a self fulfilling performance and instead were placed into one of five

preset character types that derived from ‘Porter’s Tom’; the Coon, the Mammie, the Tragic Mulatto

and the Brutal Buck6.

These stereotypical character types were used for the next half century, limiting the diversity of

black characters and restricted their contributions to be little more than a device. ‘Porters Tom

character was the first in a long line of socially acceptable good negro characters’7. The ‘good negro’

character types were regularly used in early motion pictures, an example of this character type being

used is in Joseph A. Golden’s 1911 motion picture ‘For Massa’s Sake’8. When black characters started

to be cast to African-American actors the cultural hegemony was still profound and lead to

limitations being placed upon the creative opportunities of the actors, as Bogle said ‘the types were

to prove deadly for some actors’9. African-American actors needed a breakthrough star to emerge

who could break the stranglehold that ancient stereotypes had Sidney Poitier signified the

1 Image And Representation: Key Concepts In Media Studies (second edition), Nick Lacey, 20092 http://www.boxofficeguru.com/m.htm Man on Fire, Dir. Tony Scott (2004)3 http://www.boxofficeguru.com/t2.htm Training Day, Dir. Antoine Fuqua (2001)4 Toms, Coons, Mulatoes, Mammies and Bucks: An interpretive history of blacks in films, Donald Bogle, 19735 Toms, Coons, Mulatoes, Mammies and Bucks: An interpretive history of blacks in films, Donald Bogle, 19736 Toms, Coons, Mulatoes, Mammies and Bucks: An interpretive history of blacks in films, Donald Bogle, 19737 Toms, Coons, Mulatoes, Mammies and Bucks: An interpretive history of blacks in films, Donald Bogle, 19738 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0135423/9 Toms, Coons, Mulatoes, Mammies and Bucks: An interpretive history of blacks in films, Donald Bogle, 1973

Research Investigation Sample B

emergence of that star. He was the first African-American actor to win an Oscar for a leading role in

a motion picture. He was branded by many Black Americans as an ‘Uncle Tom’ potentially trying to

diminish his achievements by implying he is ‘nothing special’. During an interview with Oprah

Winfrey he said ‘it is difficult to be your own man. But by focusing on the big picture—the breadth of

who he is as a man, not confined by colour—he has indeed embraced the fullness of his humanity.’10

Poitier’s reference to the stereotypical black character types gives us an indication of how the

cultural hegemony that had limited the development of African-American actors in the past was still

rife during his early career; however his extremely successful career reached its pinnacle with the

award of an Oscar for Best Actor in 1963. Oprah Winfrey, a successful black female said during an

interview "In my spirit I knew that because you had won the Oscar, I too could do something special

—and I didn't even know what it was," I say. "I thought, 'If he can be that, I wonder what I can be.'"11

This admiration shows a shift in the ideologies of the mainstream audience, an African-American

actor being acclaimed to the highest level in acting was unheard of. An actor following Poitiers lead

was Denzel Washington. A political actor who rose to fame starring as Steve Biko12 in Richard

Attenborough’s Cry Freedom (1987)13, Washington’s performance was acclaimed as he was

nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (1988)14. Eleven years later Washington

starred as the Black Nationalist leader Malcolm X in the biopic of the same name (1999). The

representation of race depicted from Washington’s performances in both texts are contrasting,

however both can be characterised by using the African-American character types. Washington’s

performance as Malcolm X can be categorised as a ‘Pure Coon’, he is brash, outspoken and often

instigates either violence or confrontation. However as Julian Roman of movienet.com asserted on

‘The Biography channel’15 ‘Denzel personalised Malcolm X, people had heard or read about Malcolm

X but few knew who he actually was’. The shift in cultural hegemony that Washington influenced

had reached a point where an African-American actor could bring a role in which they played a

person who lived; to life. An African-American playing the leading roles in these texts and the very

creation of these texts shows a shift in cultural hegemony, ironically both films portray the turn of

events which caused this cultural shift. During filming Malcolm X, Washington collaborated with the

‘maverick Spike Lee’16. At the time Lee was a breakthrough black director and Washington was a

breakthrough African-American actor, throughout Washington’s career Lee would have a major

impact and helped Washington to become one of the greatest actors of his generation. Their

10 http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Oprah-Interviews-Sidney-Poitier/111 http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Oprah-Interviews-Sidney-Poitier/112 http://africanhistory.about.com/od/stevebiko/a/bio-Biko.htm13 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092804/14 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092804/awards15 http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/denzel-washington.html16 http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/denzel-washington.html

Research Investigation Sample B

collaborations include Mo better Blues (1990)17, the story of a struggling jazz musician. The film

summed up everything about black culture18. This project guaranteed any further collaboration

between Lee and Washington would be viewed by a loyal fan base, the latest project for the

Washington Lee coalition was the critically acclaimed heist movie Inside Man (2006)19.

Washington’s performance in the 2001 Antoine Fuqua film Training Day, is the story of a rookie cop

working with a rogue detective who is not who he appears to be.20 One of the main narrative devices

for Training Day is the generic Black drug dealers being pursued by the naive white cop Jake Hoyt

(Ethan Hawke) around the mean streets of Los Angeles. However the introduction of Detective

Alonzo Harris adds new themes to this text, the complexity of Alonzo’s character means he has been

able to rise to Detective as a Narcotics officer whilst maintaining a relationship with local drug

dealers, we are left to assume that a bribery system is in place. When Jake and Alonzo first enter the

projects together, Hoyt is framed from a high angle and is intercut with shots of African-American

gangsters framed from a low angle, Hoyt is clearly uncomfortable, and Washington strides into the

projects standing tall. The mise en scene and the character’s actions can have similarities drawn to

them from a zoo keeper entering the lion’s enclosure with a member of the public with them. The

lions are signified by the gangsters remain tame towards the keeper signified by Alonzo as long as

they have respect for him. This scene is completely juxtaposed with one of the final scenes of the

film, after Alonzo and Jake’s ‘final fight’ they are back in the middle of the projects surrounded by

African-American gangsters, however there has been a total role reversal, Alonzo is on the ground

and badly beaten, prostrate, cowering from Jake who is armed with a pistol and stands tall. After a

verbal exchange and a single gunshot to Alonzo’s backside Jake turns and walks away ‘leaving the

Lions to attack the zoo keeper’ as it were. It seems that the events of Hoyt’s ‘training day’ has

completely dishevelled the once all dominating charismatic powerhouse that was Detective Alonzo

Harris, by watching Alonzo’s ‘final speech’21 we see a hybrid of the ‘coon’ and ‘buck’ characters from

Bogle’s theory22. The ‘coon’ is dim witted and cowardly, and the ‘buck’ is irrational and hypersexual23.

Alonzo portrays these traits as he has a crazed look in his eye with literally blood, sweat and tears on

his face, his torn clothes and stance all signify the actions of a cornered animal, he verbally assaults

the surrounding gangsters and Hoyt as a final desperate attempt to reinstate his alpha male status.

Racial slurs and the infamous ‘King Kong aint got shit on me!’ exclamation are those of a modern

17 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100168/18 http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/denzel-washington.html19 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454848/20 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139654/21 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih9C2Pn0zwQ22 Toms, Coons, Mulatoes, Mammies and Bucks: An interpretive history of blacks in films, Donald Bogle, 197323 Toms, Coons, Mulatoes, Mammies and Bucks: An interpretive history of blacks in films, Donald Bogle, 1973

Research Investigation Sample B

multi-media stereotypical African-American, from Alonzo’s final speech we see both ancient and

modern stereotypical representations of African-Americans.

The connotation of black characters being somewhat animalistic can be carried over into

Washington’s performance as John Creasy in Tony Scott’s Man on Fire (2004). The platinum haired

daughter of wealthy white parents that Creasy has been hired to serve as nine year old Pita Ramos’

bodyguard. Pita’s nickname for her protector; ‘Creasy Bear’ is our first signifier of Creasy’s stature in

the slave role undertaken; Creasy is devoted to his ‘master’ Pita24. The connotation of Creasy being a

bear is signified not only by Pita’s childish nickname but also by Creasy’s dominance over all

characters, he radiates testosterone and takes the role as the alpha male with no competition.

During the torture scene of one of the La Hermandad25 member Creasy does not show any emotion

as he cuts off fingers. Creasy is in control of the scene as he quizzes the gang member and forces out

the truth about Pita’s kidnapping. The loud Latin music coming from the cars stereo adds to the

madness of Creasy’s character as he maintains a sullen expression whilst he mutilates the screaming

man. This Creasy is totally juxtaposed to the kind, considerate ‘Creasy Bear’ seen bonding with Pita

and the budgie from his room. This portrayal of a ‘good’ character that has an extreme dark side is a

hybrid of two of Donald Bogle’s original African-American character types, sharing the characteristics

of the violent, disruptive pure coon but also being subservient to white employers26, as a puppet for

Pita’s parents and completes parental tasks like helping Pita to swim. Washington’s ability to portray

conflicting personalities within a role is unlike anything that Porters Tom could’ve been capable of.

We can see that as cultural hegemony in film has evolved, so have the actors that may have been

bound by the restrictions of ancient stereotypes. However some African-American communities still

feel that the stereotypes remain, after Washington won the Oscar for Best Actor for portraying a

villain in Training Day (2001). Some African-Americans were angered that Washington’s previous

unsuccessful nominations occurred when playing ‘good’ characters, and when his portrayal of a

villain wins the Oscar. However it is widely believed that Training Day was Washington’s best

performance as an actor.27 Washington has been an incredible ambassador for all African-Americans,

along with the work of Sidney Poitier KBE they have portrayed all of Donald Bogle’s ancient

stereotypical character types28 and those of modern day multi-media stereotypes, ultimately giving

both positive and negative representations of their race as Tessa Perkins wrote that stereotypes

reflect an ‘inferior judgemental process’29 meaning that all individuals are capable to make their own

24 Racists Ideologies And The Media, Stuart Hall, 198125 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzyGxZA03TI&feature=related26 Toms, Coons, Mulatoes, Mammies and Bucks: An interpretive history of blacks in films, Donald Bogle, 197327 http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/denzel-washington.html28 Toms, Coons, Mulatoes, Mammies and Bucks: An interpretive history of blacks in films, Donald Bogle, 197329 Rethinking Stereotypes, Tessa Perkins, 1997

Research Investigation Sample B

representations and should not be ‘pigeon holed’ as it were. Using the constructionist model30; it is

the responsibility of the encoders (production) and decoders (consumption) to form a

representation. It is clear that African-Americans have been subjects of inferential racism, the racists

basis for their argument is never questioned which enables racist statements to be formulated31.

Despite the sacrifices of equal rights activists, people of a minority have always been represented as

pariahs due to the stereotypes that were formed years ago. However people of minorities are being

recognised for their personal talents more often in modern cinema, the role of Detective Keith

Frazier in Lee’s Inside Man32 could’ve been played by any actor of any racial descent, however

Washington incorporates aspect of being a black man so that even if we somehow could not disclose

Washington’s race we would know that Frazier was a black man. This shows how modern script

writing now allows a role to be played in theory at least by anyone.

30 Image And Representation: Key Concepts In Media Studies (second edition), Nick Lacey, 200931 Racists Ideologies And The Media, Stuart Hall, 198132 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454848/