Illusions
A film review
One of my favorite short films is Illusions, by the monumental black female filmmaker, Julie Dash. This film takes place in the 1940s, following a white-passing black woman by the name of Mignon. Illusions has managed to recreate classical Hollywood cinema but with a black female lead who’s character isn’t based around a stereotype. One could perceive Mignon as the Tragic Mulatto, where her white counterparts aren’t aware of her blackness, and she’s able to evade the racism that comes with it. However, unlike the tragic mulatto, Mignon isn’t ashamed of her blackness, nor is the central conflict keeping it a secret. Mignon is dating a black man, thwarting the advances of a white military officer; he has a good relationship with her mother. Which is often the contrary of the tragic mulatto (think imitation of life), and she wants to further the advancements of black people in Hollywood. This film takes a perpetuated narrative of anti-blackness and self-rejection and flips it on its head.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t speak about the editing of this film. The lighting was reminiscent of that you would see in the 1940s film. The editing was choppy, having jumped in scene cuts. Dash even compromised the integrity of her sound to create some historical authenticity. She made a 40s film. This is almost reminiscent of Cheryl Dunye’s Watermelon Woman, where we see black filmmakers creating their own black female narratives to place themselves inside film history.
