Blindspotting: What Do You See?
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Photo by Howie Mapson, Unsplash
Rubin’s Vase: The image is fundamentally ambiguous. People perceive a vase or faces, but not both at the same time.
This idea is where we get the title for this movie: Blindspotting.
“‘Cause it’s all about how you can look at something, and there can be another thing there that you aren’t seeing. So you got a blind spot.” - Valerie, Blindspotting.
This movie is one of, if not, my absolute favourite. Here’s what I see.
Taking place in Oakland, Cal., Blindspotting begins with our protagonist Collin (played by Daveed Diggs) on his last three days of probation. With his childhood friend Miles (played by Rafael Casal) by his side, we watch as our protagonist tries to start anew. However, when Collin witnesses a police officer shoot a black man in the back during a chase, he realizes he needs to prioritize his safety. In doing so, he must challenge his friendship with Miles.
Photo by Howie Mapson, Unsplash
Let’s begin with the culture. Blindspotting starts by showing us a quick peek at everything that is Oakland, from street art to sports to the community. You get a sense of what it’s like there. Plus, we get to watch our protagonists experience the way their home has changed over the years. They’d poke fun at/complain about the hipsters as well as how everything and everyone is now vegan. As comedic as their reactions may be to the change, it’s also, in a way, a little blue. Especially for Collin— he may be more willing to embrace the new Bay Area, but it adds more to his plate. Drinking a strange, “healthy” green juice may be a start, but he’s now a convicted felon. It’s going to take a lot more than that.
Next, we have the rapping. Throughout the film, we get to listen to our protagonists’ freestyle verses while they go on about their day. Whether they’re walking back home or on the job, Collin and Miles create art. Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal, who are also the writers of this film, have said it themselves: people won’t listen unless it sounds good. Using rap to grab our attention was brilliant, adding a nice sprinkle of black culture into the mix. The ending (which I will not spoil— don’t worry) does a splendid job with its use of rap to convey a powerful message about police brutality. With recent events involving the Black Lives Matter movement, Blindspotting can also be informative. We can all learn a thing or two.
Now, for our main characters. Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal did a fantastic job playing Collin and Miles, respectively. Don’t get me wrong: Jasmine Cephas-Jones and Janina Gavankar did incredible jobs portraying Ashley and Valerie (again, respectively). However, I want to focus on our protagonists. These two didn’t fail to make me laugh at the sheer chaos they’d create along with their banters. Watching Miles lose his mind over how the hipsters have taken over Oakland and everything changing from their childhood is plenty entertaining. Collin, while he may be the more grounded one of the duo, is just as comedic as he witnesses Miles’s wildness unfold.
“But, if somebody points out the other picture to you, doesn’t that make it not a blind spot anymore?” - Collin, Blindspotting.
The comedy is what I mostly saw in the first half of the movie. Then you begin to recognize Miles’s spontaneity as recklessness. He alone is the chaos. You no longer snicker when you watch Collin try to calm his best friend down because you know Miles won’t get in trouble. The exhaustion in Collin’s eyes becomes apparent as you notice how others hold him responsible for both Miles’s actions and his own. One second, you’re chuckling as Miles waves around his gun; the next, you hold your breath when you see someone could’ve gotten hurt.
Photo by Howie Mapson, Unsplash
Blindspotting’s wildness made me laugh until tears formed in my eyes, and the dark realities silenced me while it kept the tears flowing. I saw culture, love and truth. Now, watch this film and tell me what you see.
Warning: contains explicit language, sexuality and violence
Shireen Agharazi-Dormani
An artist with strong opinions, a fear of social interactions, and one hell of a sweet tooth. Needs at least 10 hours of sleep and lots of hugs. Handle with care: very sensitive.
