Looking Through A New Lens

Today in class, we learned about looking through a political and social lens, which can be used to analyze a narrative. A lens is the way in which people see. Lenses can point out specific things (specifically in a film) to make a viewer see it clearly. First, a social lens is about community values, or different groups of people. For example, different social lenses are class, race, gender, and country. Next, a political lens focuses on power (Who has the power? How does power shift?). Additionally, political lenses focus on world events.

There are four main types of lenses:
Cinematic lens - links between product and craft
Environmental lens - links between product and environment
Social lens - links between product and society
Political lens - links between product and politics

While each lens is important, the class will be focusing on social and politcal lenses while reading Ready Player One: Level Two and watching Get Out directed by Jordan Peele, which we started watching in class today. Get Out is a primal example of a film that can be viewed through political and social lenses because the main topic is racism. Director Jordan Peele said himself that the film is meant to point out how racism is ignored by people who are not minorities. The film centers on the main character, who is black, going to meet his girlfriend's parents for the first time. In the beginning scene, he is anxious to meet them because they do not know he is black. This is the first allusion to the fear that black men have in America. In the following scene, a police officer asks for the main character's license after the couple gets into an accident. This subtle racism show how police officers treat people of color differently.

It is important to know how to view film and other forms of media through different lenses. Filmmakers are able to critique society and politics to their audiences. Get Out is able to show viewers the level of racism that still exists in the United States to this day. Although things have gotten better for minorities over time, it is far from equal. Viewing movies like Get Out not only brings awareness to audiences, but it inspires a need for change.