How many times have you heard someone say, “They always kill a brotha first.” “Well, you know who’s gonna die next; they always kill off niccas first.” Blah blah blah.
I have heard this many times. No doubt, you have too. I’ve repeated it dozens of times, myself.
But is it true?
Do black men die first more than whites? Is this a justifiable complaint or is this just our perception? Is there a disproportionate representation of black males being killed off first, relative to their white counterparts?
I don’t know. But I wonder.
In film, often people have to die. Somehow, some way and seemingly all too often, for no obvious cinematic reason, a “choice” is made by someone.
A choice is made by someone. A choice is made by someone.
And so it is... the boss has spoken... the rules will be enforced... the law laid down... for It has been determined… and it will be done... the black man is to die first.
I’ve seen the black man die first many times but never took note of the frequency of this occurrence.
Immediately, The Perfect Storm (2000) comes to mind. The black fisherman was the first fisherman to die. And if I remember correctly, in Apocalypse Now (1979), Larry Fishburne was the first soldier to go.
Can anyone think of films in which the black guy dies first?
Of course, sometimes there is a cogent cinematic purpose for the black guy to die first, but I’m talking about when the choice to kill the black man first is an arbitrary choice –- and when the story points don’t necessitate this, and when the white guy could have easily died first without affecting the story.
Who is our modern day mammy?
Recent Comments