Simone's Oasis

About a year ago I made a post about a film entitled Pariah, a movie written and directed by African-American filmmaker Dee Rees. It was my first post under the “Minority Report” category of the blog – a section that focuses on film work by African-American women.

Recently a friend and I went to see Pariah at a local art house theater. What a movie! It looked promising from the look of the trailer and definitely met expectations. I was struck at how informed and personal the movie was, and was impressed with its casting – the performances were remarkably effective and full of integrity. Pariah seemed to be a labor of love for all involved in the film.

Kim Wayans, though not necessarily the film’s heroine, is the star of the film to me. Her performance was excellent. I’ve always had respect for her as a comedian, but this role showcased her as quite a talented artist with strong empathy and conviction. Charles Parnell, who plays her husband, was superbly cast as the father who does not interfere with our heroine’s progression toward becoming herself and affirming the self-journey she chooses (important verb in this film) to pursue. Whereas the film makes it evident how our heroine’s mother (played by Kim Wayans) feels about her daughter’s chosen journey, the father’s position seems to be neither judgmental nor accepting. Though he does not necessarily interfere with his daughter’s self-development (much to the dismay of his wife), he seems aware of the suggestions and implications of her self-journey and chooses to accept those dynamics while not foregrounding commentary.

Did I mention Adepero Oduye? She portrays the film’s protagonist Alike. Oduye simply carried the role. I was interested in Alike’s self. She felt palpable. She felt real.

All the actors – no matter how major or how small their roles – brought something special to this film. It’s hard to pinpoint what that “something” was, but all I can call it is passion. Not all films that are great have passion – this film is great, to me, because it does.

Alike (not pronounced like the adjective “alike”, but with its own unique pronunciation) is the name of Pariah’s heroine. I can’t help but notice that, obviously, her name is a homograph with “alike” meaning “similar,” and I wonder if this name choice is related to our protagonist’s attraction to what is “alike” from a gender standpoint. Perhaps such a suggestion trivializes something important about this character and her desires, but I did find her name fascinating.

Alike writes poetry, so that was particularly cool to me! Whenever I see films where young black women use writing as part of the denotation or creation of their selves, I always think of The Color Purple and Celie. I’m not saying Pariah signifies on that story or on Celie’s role as mad diarist, but I’m reminded of the unique, purposeful place of writing oneself in the world of black womanhood. (I also think of the films Precious and Poetic Justice.)

I have to mention the film ends with a poem that is beautifully performed and written by our heroine, excerpted in the below trailer.

I encourage you to see Pariah. I don’t think the movie is about sexuality or gender performance. I simply think this film is about “choosing” as Alike says. As her poem in the closing scenes indicate, Pariah is about being broken and open and seeing the light shine through.