African-American Identity and Alienation: A Case Study of Spike Lee 's Films

• Main Authors: Wu, Yi-Lin, 吳奕霖
• Other Authors: Liu, Li-Sing
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/6y89r2

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 圖文傳播學系 === 105 === Black actors found it quite difficult to break through in early Hollywood films; they were often portrayed as foolish or uncivilized, taking on roles as gangsters, clowns or country bumpkins among others. Spike Lee’s movies focus mostly on African Americans, as he tries to convey the existential issues and alienation suffered by black people under the yoke of colonial oppression. This study explores the different forms of alienation experienced by black people in Lee’s films, as well as exploring Spike Lee's own personal alienation through the narrative of his films. By making an independent movie, a filmmaker can avoid content control by those funding the movie. Since this research aims to explore the director’s existence and alienation through his films, the study needed to be based on Spike Lee's independently produced films. The decision on which films to include was based on two sets of criteria: first, whether or not they were directed by Spike Lee, and second, whether or not they were independently produced. Then correlation between the films narrative content was considered; finally, three films, “Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X,” and “Red Hook Summer,” became the main objects of the research. This study uses narrative analysis to transform the films into textual narrative “instruments descriptifs” and then adopts a theoretical framework to interpret the narrative content. Screenshots from the films are added into the discussion as "instruments citationnels" to help readers understand the narrative content and arguments within. Also included is content from interviews with Spike Lee, historical information, and findings from relevant studies. These "instruments documentaires" help to further explain the study and make it more complete. The analytical framework is based on Frantz Fanon's research into post-colonialism, and it uses the existentialist and dialectical aspects of his theories to investigate existence and alienation within the black community. This study first explains the conscious behavior of the subject; and this forms a basis for explaining black people’s alienation as a result of colonialism, as well as labor alienation. The study then goes on to clarify Spike Lee’s own form of alienation. The conclusion is that Spike Lee has been long aware of his own alienation, but has chosen to continue in this state of alienation and to continue making movies, with the aim of helping moviegoers to consider how to pursue de-alienation and de-colonization.