Comments on: "Precious" Manipulation

By: Adventures In Cynicism | BoldAsLove.us

Adventures In Cynicism | BoldAsLove.us — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 18:28:09 +0000

[...] a mean woman birthing 11 kids she can’t feed by a useless man she despises — or about an illiterate obese, pregnant teen raped by her father and abused by her mother — other artists create magical, textured stories like the Oscar-nominated Beasts of The [...]

By: Marcus Dalzine

Marcus Dalzine — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:39:31 +0000

all art by its very nature is “manipulation.” it is designed to generate an emotional response. otherwise, why do it? you cannot generate an emotional response without manipulation. the simple act of of putting one color on a canvass instead of another is, you guessed it, manipulation.

By: Eisa Richardson

Eisa Richardson — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:02:39 +0000

what a thoughtful blog post. thanks for elevating the discourse, bridgett!

eisa

By: Valerie

Valerie — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:43:54 +0000

I liked my critique…that is, until I read yours. Well said!

By: Tara Roberts

Tara Roberts — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:54:33 +0000

Powerful critique, Bridgette! Thanks for posting this.

By: bridgett

bridgett — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:50:30 +0000

Hi Claudia,

That’s such a good question you ask. I think the big distinction is that “Native Son” suggested that a racist American society created the murderous Bigger Thomas, whereas “Precious” tells us that the girl’s own mother and father are the culprits. But yes, it’s probably getting a similar reception because both rely on “monstrous” black characters to make their points. Again, ambiguity and complexity be damned.

By: Claudia

Claudia — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:52:12 +0000

Hi Bridgett, I really enjoyed your review of Precious. I may not end up seeing the movie until it comes out on DVD, but I share you concerns about manipulation (not only in the film, but in its marketing). While every filmmaker has an agenda, so to speak, I crave the kind of nuance and complexity that you point out in the representation of black lives.

Also, I wonder: do you think that the public response and controversy over Precious bears strong similarities to the reception of Wright’s Native Son in the 1940s?

By: jamilah

jamilah — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:14:51 +0000

i haven’t seen the film, but i loved this essay… especially in comparison with ishmael reed’s personal attacks.

i had a feeling the manipulation would occur, as it’s hollywood.

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:57:37 +0000

This is one of the most nuanced critiques of the film I’ve read so far because it doesn’t fall into that positive-negative image dichotomy. I think the way Daniels dealt with some horribly graphic “scenes” from the book took a lot of skill and thought as a director. I have, I guess, been on the affirmative end on the critical spectrum for this film but I can’t say I “liked” it. I never wanted to “see” Push on screen and I wondered what would attract a director to that story and what would make him want to visualize something that even as a written text was already so visual and painful to imagine. In any case, I thought the film had some strengths and some problems. It’s a relief for me to read a critique of the film that discusses its affective impact.