Film Analysis- Save the Last Dance PDF

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Save the Last Dance Film Analysis...

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Watson, 0567187 1 Megan Watson WMST-CUST 2210H Film Reflection 8 October 2015

Hegemonic Conformity and Counter-Hegemonic Behaviour in Save the Last Dance The film Save the Last Dance complicates hegemonic ideals of cultural stereotypes by making one of the main characters embody both stereotypes of black and white masculinity. The film takes place in Chicago in an urban city with a mostly black population. One of the main characters Derek is a black male who has grown up in the city. Derek is an interesting character, as he displays stereotypes of both black and white masculinity throughout the film. Derek appears to follow counter-hegemonic ideals, more in tune with the stereotypical white male behaviour in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Derek is a very hardworking and intelligent student, who is ambitious and driven in his education. His first interaction with Sara is in a classroom setting where they have an intellectual debate. In the film Derek has applied to Georgetown to be a doctor, and later we find out he has also been accepted. Derek’s educational ambition goes against hegemonic ideals for young black males, as they are stereotypically portrayed to be unintelligent and lazy. After an altercation in the club STEPPS, Derek offers to walk Sara home, and when she tries to decline he insists. At this time in the film Derek and Sara are merely

Watson, 0567187 2 acquaintances, therefore it is hard to believe that Derek does this with any motive other than her safety. Black males are portrayed as uncivilized people who treat women poorly, so this completely goes against the stereotypical expectations of a black male. Derek is close with and present in his young nephew’s life (more so than Christopher’s father is), which goes against the ‘deadbeat’ black father stereotype. Throughout Derek and Sara’s relationship, Derek is a patient and caring gentleman, again going against black male stereotypes. He takes Sara on a date to the ballet, and encourages her to pursue her dreams of dance again. He is also very honest and emotionally open with Sara in their relationship, which is counter-hegemonic to both black and white masculinity traits. Derek repeatedly goes against stereotypical black male norms in the film, as black males usually want a woman who will serve them in the home, care for the home, and care for the children. Derek and Sara’s entire relationship is also counterhegemonic, as it was (and still less commonly is) frowned upon to be in an interracial relationship. Throughout the film Derek constantly displays behaviour fitting both white and black masculinity stereotypes and expectations. While Derek strongly displays characteristics of white masculinity in the film, he also embodies black masculinity traits. Though Derek has a good head on his shoulders and strong ambitions for himself and his life, he falls victim to stereotypical black male behaviour due to the pressures of his surroundings, his city, and his friends. His displays of stereotypical black male behaviour typically occur around his black friends; his friend Malakai in particular. Early in the film while at STEPPS, Malakai gets into a physical fight with another male, and in Derek’s attempt to stop it he responds by also getting involved in the fight. After the fight, Derek helps Malakai flee from the police.

Watson, 0567187 3 Derek’s loyalty to Malakai gets him into stereotypical black male trouble. Derek is involved in physical fights, robberies, and gang rivalries within the town. These poor choices strongly affect Derek. If Derek were ever caught committing these acts by the police, he could potentially lose his chance to attend Georgetown and become a doctor. This could lead to Derek never gaining the ability to escape his city and achieve a better standard of living. Malakai also keeps Derek returning to this poor behaviour, as he holds the fact that he went to jail and didn’t ‘rat him out’ for their robbery over his head. Black males are stereotypically known for being aggressive, violent, acting uncivilized, partaking in criminal behaviour, and being horrible to women. This behaviour is displayed at times in the film by Derek (though he is never truly bad to Sara) and by his friends through their speech and their actions. Derek goes back and forth between white and black displays of masculinity and hegemonic and counter-hegemonic ideals and stereotypes, and he will always embody parts of both. Ultimately Derek chooses Sara and the counter-hegemonic ideals over Malakai and his other friends. At points throughout the film he makes this choice by briefly distancing himself from some of his friends, physically hurting Malakai when he talks degradingly and disrespectfully to Sara, and finally by telling Malakai off before his planned drive-by shooting. After this it is inferred that Derek no longer associates with those friends and is on a better path. Derek chooses to follow and behave in ways more closely aligned with counter-hegemonic white male ideals, though he will always display and embody both black and white masculinity traits. Derek’s hegemonic black male behaviour comes from his surroundings and his upbringing, which also inspires his counter-hegemonic behaviour....