What I found interesting was how the black males of the film were always complaining about racism and the white man, but were so quick to celebrate the white mans woman… very true to today as well.

@wildsiempre3716

2 жыл бұрын

2021 black men do it today

@kmc1994

2 жыл бұрын

That’s why I felt like this movie was disingenuous with ulterior motives. Not feeling it at all.

@wildsiempre3716

2 жыл бұрын

@@kmc1994 many don't know the writer she trying to say she black or the black community saying she is black when she is not she is way more white when her dad I think is biracial and mom white which is more white, or her mom biracial and dad is white which is still more white smh ...the writer made the movie to make black bucks

@Okay__And

2 жыл бұрын

@@kmc1994 I agree completely. This movie was completely disingenuous. They knew the topic would draw in views but didn’t even try with the story, imo. And the part when she asked her husband if Clare (the girl who was supposed to be passing) was attractive and he replied, “I like my woman DARK” ……… dark? DARK WHERE? I wish they would’ve talked more about the women both being mixed and racism defaulting them to black, when they are both mixed not black, and why being white is survival but it’s more fun to occupy black spaces and be celebrated for your whiteness.

@Okay__And

2 жыл бұрын

@@wildsiempre3716 exactly!! And it makes sense that this was written by a white woman because it was super out of touch and so many holes ….

I like the subtle choices made in this movie.. Irene voice. It's a voice and accent that was very prevalent among upper class black women in the north. They actually were taught to speak that way at HBCU. Also her marriage. Darker Successful black men were expected to wed light skinned women and they were expected to fullfil their place in society. In ways that often beneath their educations. Her husband is just a little color struck. I also love that the actresses are cast so that the audience can tell they are black, but the white people around them can't. We are seeing them with a black gaze. It's also a time when black professionals were leaving America for Europe and south America. I'm glad they showed that

@ogagablessing9905

2 жыл бұрын

wow! this is such a great and educated comment! learned a lot, thank you!

@creolito9600

2 жыл бұрын

I now I understand cause when I was watching I was like « who are they fooling I can smell the black blood through the screen » but yeah now that you put it this way

@sugarwells20

2 жыл бұрын

Wow thank u for this information! I can’t wait to watch it again.

@froggybug

2 жыл бұрын

@@creolito9600 not smell it🤣🤣🤣

@ladileelee1

2 жыл бұрын

As seeing there was much backlash about this, you said it best!!!

They’re both bad people and both passing. Clare was living a lie externally but she was honest with herself. She knew she was an immoral person who would “hurt anyone to get what she wants.” Irene seemed honest on the surface, but was lying to herself about her sexuality - and she was colorist toward other black people and using her privilege to pass occasionally - but judging Clare for doing it permanently.

@ExposedRoot

2 жыл бұрын

Why were they bad people? 🤔

@4GoodandEvil

Жыл бұрын

How are they bad ppl?

My favorite part is when Tessa was laughing at the husband saying his wife was getting dark.

@Debbiediamond0310

2 жыл бұрын

I laugh hard too when he said he starts call her Nig. Lol 😂 the joke was on him

@Blackdove0421

2 жыл бұрын

@@Debbiediamond0310 sure was lol.

@missprissyrainbow

2 жыл бұрын

It also seemed that Irene tried to prevent Claire from tanning in the sun when Irene laid a blanket over Claire in the backyard.

@lavvy2585

2 жыл бұрын

LOL, the joke was on him!

@CarryTheThree

2 жыл бұрын

@@missprissyrainbow wow i just caught that, i was more focused on the relationship between her and her Maid,.. it seemed odd, like a white lady who had a slave or something, but the maid's more receptive to Claire, it was an interesting Dichotomy

There was a crack in ceiling that Irene and her husband would stare at while lying down, while Irene watched this crack in the ceiling spread, which is reference of the way she viewed her life since Claire entered her life... My opinion!!🤔

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Great observation 💕

@DMovieman

2 жыл бұрын

Love this! Very insightful. 👌👌👌

@legoqueen2445

2 жыл бұрын

Yyaaaassss!!! And early in the film when Irene tells hubby about Clare, he says to avoid Clare because she's the type if you give her an inch she'll take a mile. So from the start their instincts were that Clare would just try to take over if they let her into their lives.

When Irene dropped the "ugly" heirloom, while staring at Clare, and said she realized she could only rid herself of it by breaking it, I knew Clare was doomed. It was a push.

@tiairrascott7993

2 жыл бұрын

Wow! That’s good! There was so much foreshadowing in this movie

@tdperrychatham

Жыл бұрын

Noooo- I just watch the movie again. You think Irene deliberately killed Clare?

@hairbytyger6916

Жыл бұрын

@@tdperrychatham absolutely. I almost thought the husband was falling for her. Clare was trying to take her life

@Speake5rboxx

Жыл бұрын

It was her arm over there when Clair fell

@nicolegilbert6339

Жыл бұрын

I agree, I think she pushed her as well. The woman was taking over her life.

I think that it was intentional for Clair to look washed out and unnatural so that the audience never has the opportunity to forget that she is passing.

@kcole8797

2 жыл бұрын

My impression of the black and white was that the white people never see features cause they are so fixated on skin color only. Thats why Claire's African features are not addressed, they only see the color of skin and hair.

The 15 seconds before the fall Claire and Irene look at each other almost like signals of "Girl this is it. You know what to do" It was almost as if they were saying goodbye through their eyes.

@tdperrychatham

Жыл бұрын

I agree!! They knew the end had come to an end. I think Irene were protecting Clare by removing her from this life.

@hairbytyger6916

Жыл бұрын

@@tdperrychatham really. I thought it was out of jealousy because of her husband.

I never got a lovers vibe from Irene or Claire. It was more of a low key envy or want to be like the other, but not admitting it to themselves as individuals (at least not for Irene). I don't think they were lusting for one another in a sexual way. They were secretly, and desperately, longing for the lives they each led. It was all an internal struggle.

@thehoneyeffect

2 жыл бұрын

It can be both things at the same time

@raineyj560

2 жыл бұрын

That hand grab tho

@TonyTurner

2 жыл бұрын

Hand grab revealed a lot tho

@Anna-vl2ni

2 жыл бұрын

And claire was looking at Irene's lips alot 🤣

@staciewade694

2 жыл бұрын

exactly

I don’t know how these two women could pass, they looked liked Black women with light complexions. How Claire’s husband thought she was white is beyond me. If I pass these two women on the street I would have never thought they were white and that in itself threw me off. I think this movie did a great job of the constant inner turmoil bi-racial people must experience. Inner turmoil of two bi-racial women, a play on “Imitation Of Life”.

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Neither of them could pass 😂 I just decided to let it go because they were pushing so hard!

@josmith8233

2 жыл бұрын

Most people passed back then as not black

@BRKS627

2 жыл бұрын

True

@theTruthSeekerishere

2 жыл бұрын

I made a similar comment on another video, in reality neither of them could've actually passed for white in that time period. Technically someone who could pass is Rashida Jones...she might even have been more believable in the role of Claire in my opinion.

@MauriceRivers415

2 жыл бұрын

@@StruggleReviewzTV Way too hard. The blond wig didn't make it any better. 🤣

I think Irene was passing because there were certain things that stood out to me in this movie. 1)The camera never left Irene, it only followed her and we got only her perspective as a victim of Claire, victim of racism, victim of mysogny. 2)Her maid was a dark skin black woman. For many dark skin black women in those times, marrying a physician and having servants would have been far out of reach. Interesting her husband chose her and found himself enamored in Claire a women who seemed even closer to whiteness than his wife. I remember the comment Claire made to her about where she was able to find the maid and Irene said ‘it’s not like that…’ like was this dark skin black woman a slave or a former slave? As a light skin black woman Irene got a lot of privileges that dark skin black women were not allowed to have. 3)Irene was able to shift blame of the “fall” onto Claire. She fell. Idk if she was a dark skinned black woman they would have taken her account of events. She was able to tell the police the course of events and they automatically believed her…hmm…interesting movie. Also, I think her husband always knew Claire was passing. He just wanted the farce to keep up. Because the way he told Claire to her face what he would do if she were black. It’s like as long as they both did not acknowledge it…her blackness did not exist. I think in a twisted way he loved her still. Because when she died the man was devastated. I think he was more angry that she was mingling with black men and was cheating on him. Claire was a suffocated woman who had been passing for so long. Her life with a white husband and white child was not enough. When she reconnected with Irene it was life and breath to her. She was resolved to face the consequences of her actions. She knew she hurt her husband but her being able to breath was more important in the moment. I enjoyed the old school Film Noir style.

@jessicat2304

2 жыл бұрын

Great comment. I’d like to respond to your comments as I have some opinions. The reason why I think Brian was attracted to Clare is because BM always want to have proximity to power WM have. In society. They cannot have that power because even though they are males, they are black. So to relish in that power they will pair off with women who are closest to white proximity as possible even though they are pro black.

@everythingdivine

2 жыл бұрын

It was ALOT of well to do black men in Harlem during that time period

@kimmethajohnson1358

2 жыл бұрын

I agree the husband knew and believe other whites knew or know in real life as well. At least some know. You have to understand they know The people who are passing are part white. Maybe they feel they are more white or that it is society that is making people have to choose. Also some blacks can’t tell who is passing. Simple. Stop making it so racial. My own son came home in 6th grade and asked if we were black. He then asked one by one what each of his friends were. Race is taught. Stop saying people just know because it’s not true at all.

@quinypooh1999

2 жыл бұрын

Ooo that point about the husband 👏🏼

@nachelleairgina337

2 жыл бұрын

I agree with your last statement. Claire even mentioned how she had no morals like Irene and would do anything to get what she wants.

The book leans more towards her jumping vs being pushed by either person... After the fall (what is said in the book), Claire had a slight smile, showing a sign of relief on her face when she was on the ground... She didn't scream on the way down... She made a choice to exit... Irene was stuck because she was kinda relishing in the fact of her "issue" actually being gone for a split second before it actually kicked in; she is dead, then she reacted...

I thought Tessa did well too. I didn’t get any sexual tension btwn the women (until you pointed it out). I felt like they had “girl crushes” on each other; a deep admiration, borderline envy of each other’s “happiness” although they both were just passing for happy.

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

I was getting Boo I’ve Misses Youuuuu! 😂 That letter, the way Claire caressed her, gently kisses her, the way Irene grabbed her hand, covered her legs up when she was sitting with the maid! It always looked like they were a step away from a throwdown! 😂The constant jealousy from Irene 👀 Then again it could go your route also?! MAYBE We need to read the the book😭

@KeishaCharmaine

2 жыл бұрын

@@StruggleReviewzTV I’m thinking you’re right!

@TanieBaker

2 жыл бұрын

Yes I agree

@v.a.l.5165

2 жыл бұрын

Haven't seen the film but the question seems to be there in the book. Or if the attraction was simply a feeling of wanting to be one another.

@kathleenking47

2 жыл бұрын

I know of junior high girls foing this, but growing out of it

I think Irene was more “modern “ than her times and her husband,children,maid, others couldn’t respect that. Everyone just kind down played anything she tried to say or do. I think Irene got along so well with the white friend because he was passing too( as straight man) and actually respected Irene. They have very deep relationship, whereas as the husband kind of view her more as “trophy” that didn’t have any thoughts and feelings. He didn’t value her thoughts on how to raised the children, he questioned her about what she knows about Sweden in very a mean way, that even her friend had to checked him. I think he just want a wife who would play the role and make him look good and Irene was ok with it at first but as time with on she she hated her life. Then there’s Claire a women who was welling and able to play any role. She was very appealing because she was able to turn off her better judgment and feelings , in order to live a good life. She is a good example of securing the 💰 by any means.😂😂😂😂

I feel like Rene was passing for straight and she was in love with Clare but she couldn’t act on her feelings because they were both married with families of their own. And Clare was passing for a white woman for the luxury but she later wished she could just pass for black because that’s were she felt most at home. They both were infatuated with each other’s lives and that’s probably what sparked their little flirtatious romance. Later on in the movie though Rene became jealous of Clare because she saw how easy it was for her to pass so freely between the white and black community and it also became unbearable for her to see Clare be flirtatious with anyone other than herself. She was obsessed in a way. And that’s what I believe led her to unconsciously push Clare out of the window because in her mind her life would be easier without Clare in it.

@Debbiediamond0310

2 жыл бұрын

You did a great breakdown. The word “passing” stood for more than color. Let’s watch it again and look for the different kind of “passing “

@ElijahehGee

2 жыл бұрын

@@Debbiediamond0310 Thank you. I recently picked up the novel as well so I can’t wait to read it and see how it defers from the film.

@deej5608

2 жыл бұрын

I think the obsession with working both ways. Claire's letter sounded like one of the old lover and when she talked about how she kept going back to the post office to the point where people thought she was a woman who got ditched by her lover. That was very telling

@pasoph2011

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed, but I think Clare jumped. No screaming, and knew she would do something extreme if found out, and I think Irene knew John was coming.

@ElijahehGee

2 жыл бұрын

@Blue Plumbob Definitely he was in the closet.

She most definitely pushed her and planned it. A couple of minutes before the murder watch how Irene flicks her cigarette out the window and watches it fall to the ground below. It's a subtle way for the director to let us know what she was planning. Also Irene seemed more the one who was interested in passing. Claire had been there and knew it wasn't the move to make. Claire wanted to be back amongst her people. If Irene was so comfortable with who she was then why even go to that hotel and have her day of passing? I've watched it at least four times and get something deeper each time I've watched it. And Irene's husband was cheating with Claire. There was one scene where Claire left a party early and Irene's husband had to work late. They were fooling around. Very deep movie! Also, CLAIRE KNEW IRENE TOLD HER HUSBAND. Look at how Claire looked at Irene when her husband was entering the party. She was really saying "You told him" because remember Irene asked Claire "What would you do if your husband ever found out?" And Claire said "Move to Harlem with you." Irene couldn't stand the thought of that so Claire had to go!

@tiairrascott7993

2 жыл бұрын

This is what makes the most sense to me. Thank you! The cigarette part, the way she looks at Claire when she sees her with her husband, everything you said! I saw someone else point out when Irene was hosting the party and she dropped the heirloom on the floor and she said something like “the only way to get rid of the ugly thing was to break it” while looking directly at Claire as she stood closely to Brian! I’m sorry there are way too many breadcrumbs to ignore!

Great review! My opinions: 1. I think Irene was jealous of Clare while Clare just wanted to have it all ( be rich, be black, but able to do what she wanted) 2. I think Irene regrets not choosing to pass 3. I don’t think Brian and Clare were having an affair I think Irene was just loosing her mind and Clare is flirting with everyone 4. I think Irene wanted Clare out of her life by any means but I don’t think she intentionally pushed her out the window. I believe it was an accident and that Irene was trying to move Clare away from John but also Clare was accepting her “fate “ and let herself fall.

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank You !

@jackid1234

2 жыл бұрын

1q

@reimourrpower9357

Жыл бұрын

I agree though I sense Irene wanted Claire's white access to class and luxury while Claire wanted Irene's access to the vibrant Black Harlem she left years ago for white privilege and security. Mutual jealousy society.

Claire never screamed. That suggests to me the fall was under Claire’s volition. If either Irene or Claire’s husband had pushed her Claire would have screamed. I also thought that Irene was sexually attracted to Claire and could not consciously accept or act upon the attraction so she lashed out (reaction formation) or attempted to break contact with Claire in hopes of suppressing her desires. I felt like both Claire and Irene were living “passing” lives for different reasons. Very good review, btw, and I agree with you on just about everything especially that it was very powerful to leave so much unresolved. Tessa and Ruth get big props from me on performances. Had to come back because I forgot about the brother: Andre, Andre, Andre. Been a fan of his acting since The Nick. Very thorough and equally underrated actor. Solid performance as well. Would love to see him and my home boy, Jeffrey Wright go head to head in something deep and substantive some day.

@sheliamaxwell2569

2 жыл бұрын

You have given me food for thought as it relates to Claire not screaming as she fell. You make a very valid point.

@deej5608

2 жыл бұрын

DAMN POINT WELL MADE. You are so right if she was pushed intentionally she would have screamed anyone would cuz it's unexpected

@deborahpetty4873

2 жыл бұрын

Well said!

@pasoph2011

2 жыл бұрын

Clare jumped and knew she was going to do something extreme "if found out". Irene asked her what would you do if you were found out?, I think Irene set her up though, she made sure her husband would find out.

@JGlass-os5th

2 жыл бұрын

Outstanding commentary! Much appreciated sir!

*Clare fell out of the Window when she stepped back.* Safety was NOT a priority when they designed that building. *The Window was as Tall & Wide as a Doorway.* All she did was step back and she fell. *NO ONE PUSHED CLARE.* Some of you think that because you saw Irene's hand from when she tried to BLOCK Clare's husband _(protect Clare)_ from getting to her during his Fury, like the other lady was. He was already warned that there were more of them than him in there so back off. *Who knew the poor thing would step back* from Fear when *_her Husband lunged at her causing her to Fall._* Irene had NOTHING to do with that. She was still in total shock; crying while being consoled by her Husband. It all happened so fast and left her frozen in shock, fear, and disbelief just like in the beginning of the Movie when she saw that Guy passed out lying on the Sidewalk receiving help and she Froze in Fear & looked Traumatized. _I wish a back story about her was added that could've told us why she reacts this way initially when something traumatic happens to someone._

@prettycyber8332

2 жыл бұрын

This is 💯.

I think when John lunged for Claire, Irene threw her hand out to appear to protect Claire from John but subconsciously pushed her to end her's and Claire's sufferings and at that moment Claire knew her life was over anyway, therefore, accepting the fall.

I would have been done with Claire when she said, she would do anything to get what she wants. That conversation would have ended my relationship with Claire

@kmc1994

2 жыл бұрын

Same! Lol that was SO strange to me.

@lasharaz

2 жыл бұрын

That part!! 🙅🏾‍♀️ I was thinking she was about to take her life/husband/family!

@brittneyharmon6647

2 жыл бұрын

Never could I hear someone say that and not immediately start side eyeing them.

@vanitychardae3119

2 жыл бұрын

I think that’s why she pushed her

@kimmethajohnson1358

2 жыл бұрын

I was so relieved at the end. Claire had to go!

I have to watch the movie again. I thought Claire just committed suicide. She knew her husband knew the truth, and she did not want to deal with the consequences. Claire was married to a racist, so she knew he would probably kill her and disown their daughter.

when claire said "im dangerous, i'll do anything to get what i want" or something like that, that worried me and Irene... that made me think she was sleeping with Irenes husband. I dont think she pushed her but i think claire moved over by the window because she planned to jump. Her face looked like, the jig is up girl im out. I do however think Irene was happy and sad that she's gone.

I need to go back and finish this....when she gave her hubby the go head for them to go out alone... I was done. I could see a train wreck coming. lol

Both ladies were passing. Rene passively passed when she was shopping & at the restaurant where as Claire actively and intentionally passed. Their level of passing also mirrored their approach in life & personalities well. Rene was like the wallflower while Claire was the "life of the party".

@anbonner17

2 жыл бұрын

Yessss! I so agree!

I did get a romance vibe from Claire and Irene. I feel like Irene was not only jealous of Claire but fell in love with the same things she hated her for. She envied how brave, courageous, enchanting, and soulful Claire was. She wanted to be like Claire, who was a seductress who could capture and fool a rich white man for years. No matter how unsafe, Claire was brave enough to do it. But while she envied Claire, she also found herself falling for her charm, just the same as black/white men. Which just made it worse. I also think the dude she hung out with was gay and was jealous of Claire too. That's why they were both talking about her at the function.

@kaiacane3354

2 жыл бұрын

You are right. The white character was based on a white guy from that time period who was very much in the Harlem world, married, but gay and had a string of male black lovers....

@mizoreroxy5139

2 жыл бұрын

@@kaiacane3354 damn. I thought it was weird that he was so judgemental of claire unlike every man who met her and were captivated.

There are a lot of layers to this movie. But if you pay close attention to what is said at a discreet and unnoticed conversation between certain characters at times you can put the pieces together. Irene was certainly a Caucasian woman passing for Negro. Remember when she had the conversation with the Caucasian male friend and she stated to him that it was much harder for a Caucasian to pass as a Negro than the other way around. Irene was much more concerned than Claire was of being found out. Claire being truly Negro had flair, life and color to the life of many. But Irene didn't have that spice because her true essence couldn't create it. Claire committed suicide. Earlier she told Irene that she would rather die than to have to go back to feeling unsafe and living in such an unsafe environment. She missed being who she truly was and that was being free to be herself.

@karladizz

2 жыл бұрын

That is exactly what I thought about Irene really being white passing as white. However, they went to school together so I felt that would have known then...maybe..?? But I definitely thought that after during her conversation with Hugh

Honestly I think Claire made her realize things that bothered her for awhile and she's basically having a breakdown.

I don't think that she pushed her. I think that she tried to save Claire. I think Claire committed suicide.

Irene was blocking Clair from the charging of her husband and she fell, lost her balance. I don’t think it was intentional. Clair’s doesn’t talk much about her daughter that was in boarding school.

@sheliamaxwell2569

2 жыл бұрын

I agree that she was trying to protect her from her husband. However, in the end, I got the impression that Clair's husband was grief struck by her fall that resulted in her death. His response as she fell was to call out her name as a man that loved her. I believe in that split second as he saw her fall, he forgot she was black and just reacted as someone that loved her.

@thesmokingglassliterarybar3006

2 жыл бұрын

If we examine closer we will see that she pulled her in front of the window... not away from the window!

@Debbiediamond0310

2 жыл бұрын

@@thesmokingglassliterarybar3006 actually she move her behind her as you would when you protecting someone.

everyone had a motive at that window. Clare's husband; Irene and Clare herself. the push was a trifecta. The husband had been hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amuck. his lunge toward her at the window prompted Irene to make a protective move and Clare - knowing the consequences of her actions - was not going to endure what was to come. All 3 played a part. anyway imo.

@happymama2793

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I also think it was her motherly instinct to protect that they were showing throughout the movie come to play again

I think there was an implied degree of same sex attraction from Irene towards Claire. Otherwise why would she have said “isn’t everyone passing”? When she was talking to the guy at the party and basically told him that Claire wasn’t white and he asked her why she wouldn’t pass herself. What could Irene be passing for other than straight? She was already married to and had children with a black man and she didn’t seem to be into him romantically.

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

My thoughts exactly!

@glowlight69

2 жыл бұрын

I saw an interview with the cast that stated the white man at the table was actually gay and Rene knew. That's why she felt comfortable to tell Claire's secret, because she knew it wouldn't go far. You see how the white man was talking about the attractiveness of the darker skin males. He too was passing with a wife for a beard.

@deej5608

2 жыл бұрын

@@glowlight69 WOW THANK YOU FOR THAT

@buddahstar8

2 жыл бұрын

@@glowlight69 oh wow really interesting. He didnt want to dance with any of the women at the party. I thought maybe he was a lil racist but that makes so much sence he was Gay. Which is why he was ok with his wife being with other black men. Nice

@4GoodandEvil

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, the way she grabbed Claire’s hand & when someone walked up Rene dropped Claire’s hand & pulled away. I think Rene was heavily attracted to Clare until she began to envy her.

I would encourage everyone to read the book …

I think there was… something or used to be something between Irene and Claire. In the beginning in the hotel room, Claire asked Irene to help with her dress. If you remember, when Irene unbuttoned or unzipped her dress there was a pause. She was looking at her back and neck. My husband also noticed it right away and questioned if they used to be together. I think they were friends who had an attraction butfelt like they couldn’t take it beyond that at the time.

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! There were a lot of subtle moments here but I feel like they had history.

@SWEET-mu9rt

2 жыл бұрын

I thought so too but there was a scene where they talked about how they wished they were more close when young as if they were never good friends in the past. But i mean you don't have to be good friends with a person to long for them

I enjoyed your analysis of the movie. I think Clare jumped. Besides her being too calm, the look on face appeared unafraid & certain, as if she already knew what she was going to happen. I noticed that Claire didn't scream or gasp once she fell over. Most people who are unaware that they're going to fall usually make some sort of sound out of surprise. Also Clare landed on her stomach. This would mean she fell facing forward. Most people who fall backwards land either on their backs or their sides. I'm sure Irene contemplated multiple times on how to "get rid of Clare" but I don't think she pushed her.

I also think Irene could comfortably living in her bubble (with avoiding race) because she was light skin and her husband and kids couldn’t because they’re dark skin. I loved that element of the film. I loved your video💕

Omg that long scary insane stare Claire gave Irene in the restaurant 😱

Rene was passing for somethih she was not. She lied to herself as a human being as far as her real personality was concerned. She married a black man it is true but she was still into classisism, elitism and had a black female maid she exploited as she reproduced the white scheme into her black sphere. In her hypocrisy she acted like Claire committed the worst part because she crossed the racial line and passed for white. However, Claire doesn't hide who she really is and has no problem blending in with the black community and including Renes maid. So, the Claire was eventually much less hypocritical than Rene

@Anna-vl2ni

2 жыл бұрын

Great points !

@remynyc149

2 жыл бұрын

What other type of maid would she have in nyc of the 1920’s. No white Wonsan even an immigrant would work for them. They where educated and finically well off do of course classism was present

@tiairrascott7993

2 жыл бұрын

@@remynyc149 no maid at all, I think that’s what she’s saying. A black maid just made it worse but that’s supposed to be symbolic

@legoqueen2445

2 жыл бұрын

Out of all the comments I think yours is spot on!! Rene is trying to pass as a proper black woman when deep down she's racist, classiest etc. She's a phony and is jealous of Clare coz deep down she wants to be Clare.

I enjoyed the movie and the fact that it explored different layers of passing which was also articulated in the book. I lean into well written slow burn dramas. Especially ones with a historical bend which this was. As for the casting the Director said that she chose actresses that looked black enough that the audience could see their blackness even though the white world they existed in did not. As for Claire, I thought she was trying to high jack Irene's life and Irene was struggling with what her definition of happiness is. Like one of the other commentors said. Everybody was passing. Another note on the dynamic between Irene and Claire. In the book Claire came from a good stable family and Claire came from a unstable home where were mother died when she was younf and her father was an alcoholic. Irene is a year or two older than Claire. Claire seems to look up to her and what she has and the fact that she doesn't have to hide her identity. When they reunited Irene's life as a black woman has continued whereas Claire had to "give up" her blackness when she got married. I believe that is why she "thought " about Irene over the years. She and her family represented one aspect of the happiest she craved. By the time the story begins I since that Claire is tired of the facade and is looking at an exot strategy. The ending had me confused as well both in the film and the book. The book also made it seem that she may have allowed herself to fall out of the window because she was tired of the facade. May have read too much into it but, for me, sometimes good book and movie allows you to leave with your own interpretation of the ending. Great discussion will be hitting like and subscribe.

@v.a.l.5165

2 жыл бұрын

I agree about the ending. I think the book was purposefully ambiguous about the fall which I think was just right. None of the characters probably even know what was true in that moment.

Am I the only one who thought Irene may have been struggling with depression? Prior to running into Clare. She was sleeping a lot during the day, sleeping enough that her kids assumed she would just go back to sleep during the day and she had a bottle of weird medicine next to her one day when she kind of was in and out of it.

@ltgemini1599

2 жыл бұрын

This is what I said! Some manic displays.

The whole film was passing lol

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣

@thesmokingglassliterarybar3006

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly! Found this movie very disturbing and far from realness and actuality!

@toshiadillard3910

2 жыл бұрын

Yeeeees😩 omg

@brittyh428

2 жыл бұрын

😂

@MauriceRivers415

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, passing off fantasies and foolishness for what they thought was reality. Ain't no way! 🤣🤣🤣🥴🥴🥴

I love your review. I read the book earlier this year and loved it (Tessa Thompson narrated the audiobook beautifully), so I was out of my seat excited to see the movie. I think the answer to your question is ALL of the above. Irene's feelings are so complicated that she doesn't even understand them herself. The movie is true to the book in that all of the complexities are in subtext. The only thing that comes through obviously is that Irene is widely jealous of Clare, her vivacious personality, the fact that she might be having an affair with Irene's husband (and is therefore a threat to Irene's domestic security, whether Irene is in love with her husband or not), the fact that she's walking this dangerous line between two worlds, seemingly without a care. I don't think they had a romance in the past--Irene as a child was rather obsessed with how popular and pretty Clare was, and now has some level of attraction to her, whether it's sexual, or a platonic girl-crush. I can easily identify with that jealousy to the point of obsession. I also got a sense from the book and movie that Irene herself didn't know for sure whether she'd pushed Clare. I think it's likely a combination of all three happened--Irene's arm hit Clare in a half-formed desire to push her, Clare flinched back from her husband, and Clare, who was deeply unhappy despite her lively front, didn't care whether she lived or died, just let herself fall. As for whether the two women could really pass, as a white woman, I suspect a lot of us are rather oblivious to things like that (I know things are different now, but when I was growing up, a "color blind" society was what I was taught we were aiming for). I didn't know Ruth Negga's ethnicity until she was cast in Loving. I saw her in World War Z (where she uses a standard British accent) and thought she was Middle Eastern or maybe even Welsh. I would imagine that the sheltered northern white population in 1920s was even more oblivious. Particularly Clare's husband, since he admitted he didn't know any people of color. His knowledge was probably based on awful caricatures like the original Jim Crow and Zip Coon that aren't based at all on reality.

@kimmethajohnson1358

2 жыл бұрын

I agree when I went in the military in 1990 someone was asking if the light skinned females in our squadron were black. She had not been around actual light black people and barely any blacks people at all in her town and genuinely did not know. So imagine 1920.

This was an excellent review and I've enjoyed your review the best out of others I've seen on KZread. 🎉 *Disclaimer: Claire isn't perfect at all. I'm just speaking from my interpretation of her side. This movie was triggering to me because I'm often seen as "Claire" in my friendships. I'm often the charismatic life of the party that attracts lots of people to me. I've been selling cosmetics for almost 20 years. As a result, I am all about glamor in my everyday life and I take pride in always looking my very best. In a way, it looks like I'm "passing" as perfection. I don't mind it because my looks comes with a lot of "privilege". I often befriended "Irene" who seemed to have it all (loving spouse, kids, house, money, ect.), but couldn't see their own blessings. I admired their freedom of not having to live up to their brand everyday. Like Claire, it was refreshing to live in their world. Unfortunately, they often placed me on a pedestal and had a strange love/hate feeling towards me. "Irene" wants me around, but hates that her family and friends enjoy my company. Claire looked up to Irene as I have my friends in the past. Irene had the freedom that Claire didn't have, but Irene was too much in her head that she couldn't be present for her spouse, children, & friends. She was so busy watching Claire dance the night away & make connections with people that Irene didn't stop to enjoy herself. Irene failed to water her own grass but marveled at how green Claire's grass seemed. No amount of love from Claire could change that. It was tragic that Claire died because she was the chosen scapegoat for Irene's insecurities. My former friends felt the need to "break my heart" to fix their lives. Through therapy, I've learned that "life of the party" personality types like Claire should only befriend truly content individuals. Someone who truly love themselves will appreciate having a close bond with a high-vibrational individual. Fast-forward; I have healthy friendships now and I'm so grateful for them. This movie showed me how much I've grown. Claire should've stayed away after not receiving a letter back from Irene & that reminds me to not force myself in spaces where I'm not welcomed.

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you ! 🥰 And I’m glad you identified that much with this story😮 it hard out here to be a Claire!

@britte.9271

2 жыл бұрын

😳🤔 WOW!!! Your review and self reflection of incorporating your life with this movie is sooo deep and thoughtful!!! Girl your comment really got me thinking if I’ve been a Claire or an Irene myself. Thank you for your transparency!! I’m glad you have healthy friendships now and can view this movie as a lesson for your life. This was one of the best comments I’ve read.💯

@AlisonRyce

2 жыл бұрын

@@britte.9271 thank you! I appreciate your kind words and I'm glad that you've found my comment beneficial. 🤗

Lmfaoo “was everybody passing”😂🤦🏾‍♀️

I agree with everything you said about a bisexual/lovers vibe from the ladies. I also picked up on that the husband was jealous of Irene working for nothing for Hugh and that they may have had a relationship. I also picked up on that their relationship could have been so close because Hugh was also a closet gay.

The finest film of 2021, beautifully acted. The directing and cinematography reinvented how b/w medium can impact storytelling in film.

I think the scene of Irene being bumped by Hugh and breaking the tea pot at the house party is foreshadowing. She mentioned that she despised the tea pot and wanted to get rid of it but didn't know how. I think that's the same way she began to despise Clare, secretly loathing, wanting her out of her life. Just like Hugh's accidental bump was the perfect way for her to "innocently" destroy this tea pot ridding her of it, so was Clare's husband's surprise appearance at the party. Irene is passive aggressive and spiteful, as we see in many of her personal interactions. Always wanting to keep up appearances. I don't think she forceable pushed her but she didn't grab for her either to secure her, nor did she attempt to push/get the husband away from Clare, though she knew she was vulnerable. She put her arm up and allowed someone else to use it to destroy.

I'm here from Just My Opinion reviews, and the intro you did for this review had me rolling!

I'm basically the equivalent of Clare's child. My mom passes and was taught to pass by her parents who moved from Texas to Massachusetts in the same way Irene's husband wanted to move to Europe. My dad is not as extreme as Clare's husband but often insists that my mother could only ever be a "very tan White woman" and gets upset at the idea of anything else. So being in that position this movie was very intense. The ways being biracial but White passing causes you to have to make conscious choices. Like at some point you kinda have to choose one or the other it feels. There's a pressure. There is also pressure on who you will marry. If I marry a White man does that mean that I'm rejecting half of myself? I also have stresses about what my children will look like and how safe the world will be for them vs cultural and community belonging. Similar to being pansexual and the choice of who to be with. But just like with my sexuality I'm still mixed race no matter how I dress/act or who I date. I think there's also the story line of the certain types of entitlement and freedom that very White passing people get. Clare can put down her Blackness any time she wants, she's got an incredible amount of privilege. And honestly I think a woman, especially a Black woman wanting things and working hard to get what she wants is already something we judge so harshly, so I don't judge her choices, but it's also true at the same time that she has a lot more privilege and power in many ways. But I also feel like this movie was a good rejection of the promises that White supremacy offers. And I think there is the narrative of people who choose to/can't help passing being exiles of a sort. Betrayers even. What's also interesting is the idea that the one-drop rule and Native American blood quantum are both ideas created by the federal government, intentionally contradictory, because the US needed the unending subjugation of one and the eradication of another. When people do clock me and think I'm Black or Asian it's never ever a question of "how much" it's always about culture or whatever but when I correct them and say I'm Choctaw it immediately flips to be "well how Indian are you really, hmmm?" even when I'm out with my brothers/cousins who also have White fathers and are very dark skinned and can't pass. It's so wild.

But for real, you could say that Irene was jealous of her. She wants to be white and not deal with the horrors of being black. It angers her that Clare can go between worlds. She wanted Clares husband to catch her. When Clare said she’d give up her white life to black it up full time, Irene snapped and Clare took that tumble. But honestly I think this is the story about a flirt and a confused lesbian

@kaiacane3354

2 жыл бұрын

Your last part 😭

@Zikomo7

2 жыл бұрын

@@kaiacane3354 I'm sorry but Irene def wanted to chew the cat. I'm clocking it. Apparently the lesbian undertones are a lot more explicit in the book too

@kaiacane3354

2 жыл бұрын

@@Zikomo7 😂....I read the book utterly boring....but your response funny af

@micheleogina5378

2 жыл бұрын

Irene is not confused. She's just dishonest and lacks the courage of Claire, the very thing she was falling for

I just seen Passing.& checked out a lots of reviews of this film. you really brought up the nuances of this film like the other reviews missed.. Great observations ...! !

Neither one of them in real life could pass for White!

Excellent breakdown. I saw the possible lesbian “passing” theme, as well as the color passing theme. I plan to watch this movie again to see if there are things I missed. You always get a deeper understanding the second time around. I read the book a few years ago and now I see that I need to reread it. The author was truly gifted and wrote a complex novel that I didn’t fully understand the first time around. Kudos to the movie director who was also the screenwriter. Rebecca Hall did an excellent job on both fronts. This movie deserves to win some awards. 👏🏽💕💕💕

I finally watched this. Like you, so many many questions! So many that I have to watch it AGAIN and read the book! I thought it was a gorgeously filmed piece. Much love to NYC!

Both women looked Black…only one with blonde wig. Casting was poor, search for women that could actually would have made film better.

@maryjohnson7121

2 жыл бұрын

The casting was on purpose the director of this film said race was never addressed in her house but her mother looked like a black woman to her, her father is white

@realSimoneCherie

2 жыл бұрын

@@maryjohnson7121 did she look black to everyone else? Cause Ruth looks black to everyone.

@BellesView

2 жыл бұрын

I think Clare was well casted. It was hard to believe Tessa could pass.

The relationship between Irene and her husband was weird and strained. At one point st one of her parties she said something to her elderly white friend like, "Aren't we all passing?" Also the way that she looked at Claire sometimes was almost like she was in awe of her or sexually attracted to her. I have do many questions about this film.

Your opening questions were my EXACT QUESTIONS🤣

Your Intro monologue was everything! Here for the review! I think Clare and Irene had a very imitate fondness of each other growing up... the attraction was there. " wild desire"~~~

I felt that Clair initially wanted to be around Irene so badly because Irene reminded her of her past, she missed being black. She wanted to feel free to be black for the first time in so long.

I got suicidal vibes from Claire in harlem in the middle of the street so I was jaw dropped about the window..

You came up in the algorithm for me. I love review/commentary channels. Their don’t seem to be many Black femmes but slowly YT is recommending y’all.

This was the best review I've seen so far! I love how you went into depth and I haven't heard such good analysis about Irene until now. I didn't understand when I watched the movie for the first time why something seemed off about Irene, but you explained it so well. I agree, I think she took things too personally/ over thought which made her depressed and we can see that expressed through things like the pov and camera angles in small moments like her children being sad that Claire wasn't coming. I wish there was more about Claire and Irene's somewhat sexual relationship, I was so sad when Claire started showing interest in Irene's husband.

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank You So Much! ❤️💕

That was a good review. I’d say your analysis was pretty spot on. Great movie! Really gets us thinking

I don’t think she pushed her she gave Rene a look and had made up her mind what she planned to do in that moment. I do think she knew Clare would destroy her life after Clare gave her that speech about hurting anyone to get what she wanted. I don’t think her husband was having an affair with Clare, but it could have led to because Clare did want her life,as she missed being around black people and tired of having to pretend. Rene did want the aspect of Clare’s where race wasn’t an issue as she always wanted to play down the reality of life as a black person in America. I plan on reading the book as well.

@lorraineioannou

2 жыл бұрын

The book makes things clearer - you’ll probably change your perspective on a few things.

@deej5608

2 жыл бұрын

@@lorraineioannou like what?

@theresaconner

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting. I think Irene pushed that small part of her that was (or was not) Claire, out of the window as easily as she repeatedly pulled her own hat down to have a cup of tea. Irene's hiding a lot from herself and Claire seems very aware of what's at risk. The film makes it look as Claire even passes better than Irene but doesn't delve into the complexities of why Irene is low key passing. I plan to read the book too.

I think Rene suffered from depression or some other form of mental illness because she was constantly self-medicating. I think she was trying her best to hold her life together and pass for normal. Clare's presence threatened that. I believe that Rene thought that there was a possibility for her to rekindle a previous relationship with Clare, but that she felt that Clare instead wanted her husband (and that her whole family preferred Clare) which added to her perception of Clare as a threat to her life. I think that Rene meant to push Clair, but I don't think she thought Clare would die or at least she didn't think that through. Then the consequences of her action hit her at once and I think she was genuinely upset.

@brklynrox

2 жыл бұрын

It’s obvious that Rene was self medicating/ a secret alcoholic. Twice we see her asleep/ passed out in her chair being jarred awake in the late afternoon by the grandfather clock, just in time for the kids to come home.

I think she was also sad because Clare was getting the privileges that only Irene usually gets in her area. Because Clare seemed whiter than her so I think maybe Irene kinda was able to feel what it’s like to be a darker person for once as well.

Great review! I think Irene was okay with her life until she ran in to Claire and began comparing what she had to what she might have had. Claire, on the other hand, wanted it all and seemed to be the type of person who was willing to do whatever she had to to live the way she wanted to live. Irene envied Claire. Claire used Irene to enter black society. As the film progressed, Irene became more and more unhappy as Claire seduced her husband, children, friends, and even the housekeeper. Was Irene upset enough to kill? I don’t think so, but the way it was filmed you really can’t tell what happened. I think I have discussed this film with more people than any movie I have seen in years. I don’t believe the two women were sexually involved with each other.

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank You ! ❤️

So glad you reviewed this so I didn't have to even attempt to watch it . Too many movies these days leave me mentally exhausted.🙁

I just stumbled on your channel. Great content and break down. I’m definitely subscribing.👍🏿

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank You ! 💕💕❤️

So we not going to talk about Hugh and how he clocked Clare and knew what she was up to? Foreshadowing.. when Rene broke the teapot and Hugh helped her pick it up. When Clare asked Hugh to dance and he was like nah I’m good. He was never a fan of her . Perhaps they planned it together to have John find out

@Anna-vl2ni

2 жыл бұрын

I couldn't figure out why he didnt like her . But I thought she was definitely the typical kwhite woman. She was loving all the attention she was getting. I feel like maybe she wanted to be a kwhite passing woman in a blk world. Huhh who enjoyed the attention of being in a blk world sensed that in her..Maybe they were too alike

YES, The gay subtext I'm SO GLAD others caught onto that vibe too!! I've never had so many questions after watching something, and I like that it leaves a lot up in the air, leaving the interpretation up to the individual. I love the artistic choice to leave it black and white, to really transport you to 100 years ago. There was so much subtext from silence, facial expressions, and frame shots in this film, and I was initially worried it wouldn't make the storyline very full or clear, but I honestly think that's what made it work so well. I didn't expect to enjoy and understand the story so much, despite not having ever lived this experience myself. I do think because Claire never screamed, that she may have let herself fall on her own volition. She didn't want to go back to that life if she was ever found out, and I think she saw an opportunity and took it. Unfortunately to the outside, it left both her husband and Irene with clear survivor's guilt, as they both felt partially responsible for letting the situation get to where it did. This was a REALLY good well rounded film.

I want to check out this film soon. Thanks for reviewing

I Love the way you tell stories well explain your opinion on this particular story hahaa!! I totally agree with your assumptions of this film...Irene was struggling with her friendship to Claire that it scared her on so many levels,, she totally submitted to Claire!! Her mouth couldn't say no to woman even if she wanted,,,and here go Claire, just being her charming self effortlessly "Passing " , just happy to be there and amongst the colored! All the distress was because Irene's actions or lack there of!! In the final act when Claire dies its really hard to say what happens!! In the book Nelly Larsen kept it very ambiguous without telling who was at fault!! So it's anyone's guess and in your words I didn't mind that , lol!! Again LOVE the review and the way you articulate yourself 💙

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much ! 💕❤️

I'm laughing so hard at the intro. 🤣🤣🤣 I asked myself all those questions throughout the whole movie.

Everyone in the movie was passing for something...even the kids lol

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Not the babies ! 🤣

@jigglejello

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah remember when David said to the older son ..seems we can't talk about lynching and such without upsetting the women in our family ...and looked over at Irene and the other son( that loved Clare because she looked like a princess ) I was like who is the other...and then I was like awwww okay! Lol

This video has been playing for 10 seconds... I'm already loving it! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank You 😂

I saw this video pop up on my KZread homepage despite never seeing the movie. I decided to watch it within the first minute of this review (I am NOT a movie person a rarely watch Netflix). You did a great Breakdown and this was a great movie. Thank you!

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank You so much! ❤️🥰

Excellent breakdown sis! I've seen a few reviews that were surface level at best, yours is by far, the best one I've seen. ♥️✌🏽✊🏽

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much ! 🥰❤️

Finally watched Passing & was looking for a thorough review. Great vid & I’m definitely going to have to follow !

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank You!

Girl ..I fell off the bed and died laughing. It was the intro for me🤣🤣🤣

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Oh my I live for that this was a very relaxed review you should definitely check out some of my other videos😂❤️

Excellent review. Very layered movie. I am going to watch it again. I can’t imagine being in that kind of pain.

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you 🥰

There’s a book set in Harlem in the 1930’s about 3 sisters ( one who “passed “ )called ‘No Easy Place to be’ it was a better story.

@eaqua56

2 жыл бұрын

I'll check the book out. Thanks.

@robynr3130

2 жыл бұрын

@Michelle Crisp YES, YES this book is excellent! I read it in one sitting! You will be on edge by the end of the book waiting for the climax!

Your intro is hella funny and relatable..Hunnee, the first time I read the book in college I found it so boring I got cliff notes so I really forgot all about it but uh..I was watching it by myself at first...and I seriously started to give the wall in front of me the siDe 👀.....

Sis came in with all the same questions as me right away. Had to like and sub with the quickness

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

♥️♥️♥️

This film hit me SO hard. I think one of the misconceptions about people like us (ethnic people who can “pass”) is the idea that we have it easier in life because we have the choice and that’s just not true. Yes, I have a choice. My choice is to either ‘pass’ and be socially accepted which makes me a traitor to my people (as some have made abundantly clear to me), OR choose not to pass and be dismissed by my own people anyway for “trying to benefit from the black community” (as some have also made abundantly clear to me). It is not easier being racially ambiguous, it’s just difficult in a different way. I’m never truly accepted anywhere I go. I’m not black enough for the black community and I’m not white enough for the white community. There really is no hard line community for “passers”.

You opened with all the questions I had after watching the movie. I’m commenting before watching your entire review because I appreciate you letting me know it wasn’t just me. I was confused 😳

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

😂❤️

Great review darling....I love your insights 🤎🖤,keep it up!

@StruggleReviewzTV

2 жыл бұрын

Thank You ❤️

I’d love to see a film get into the intersectionality of race. Meaning what happens when a woman light enough to pass marries a darker skinned man. That’s a deep topic we don’t dig into.

Tyra Tanae26, thank you for your review. Opening with all those questions, (the same questions that were rolling around my head at films end) reinforced and helped clarify my reactions tot the film, the.questions that were often barely acknowledged or utterly skirted by other reviewers writing about the film (though in fairness some of them might've not wanted to spoil things for their readers who hadn't yet seen the film). Here, I'm focusing on Irene. She's the POV character, and her internal emotions are the stage where the drama and the conflicts of the story plays out. I've been reading a lot of buddhist literature these past few years. A key element of buddhist psychology, the buddhist idea of how the mind works, is the idea that our existence is defined in many ways by the prevalence of clinging, of wanting things to be other than they are. This leads to all sorts of neurotic suffering, including an all-pervasive fear. Not wanting to feel or acknowledge these painful, even threatening feelings, one resorts to ego defenses of one sort or another, often resulting. in a sense of separation between the roiling emotions that exist under the surface and a kind of false self one presents to the world. And frankly, an undercurrent of fear is one of the defining aspects o life for black people in America. (Hell, all people of color, in varying degrees, depending on the degree to which we're hated or used as scapegoats for the long simmering miseries of others.). People will respond to that dilemma in different ways. One such ego defense is denial. I think that despite Irene's outward appearances, she is defined by that fear and denial. On an intellectual level, she knows that she can't run away from the ever present threat of racism, but she suppresses it, imagining that she can create a bubble of sorts, where she and her children are safe, and lead a good, respectable, fulfilling life, despite the dangers that she lives with. And for a brief while she is able to, having come of age during that brief twenty year period historians call the "Harlem Renaissance," (roughly 1910 to 1935) that would come to an end with the Great Depression of 1929 (which killed the brief period of limited black prosperity of that era), the end of Prohibition in 1933 (which meant that white patrons no longer ventured to Harlem for the music and the arts of the Harlem club scene) and the 1935 Race Riots (triggered by the arrest of a young shoplifter, that left three dead, hundreds injured and millions of dollars in property damage). As it is, at the start of the story, Irene is barely holding on. We see it in the fear she evinces in the hotel restaurant at the start of the film. We see it in subtle but growing distance between her and her loving husband. We see it in the way she throws herself into her volunteer work for the Negro Welfare League, it seems to the exclusion of returning her husbands attentions, giving attention to one of her two sons (preferring to focus on the one that is easier to deal with) and relating to her maid. We see it in her arguments with her husband over leaving the US (which really seemed like a good idea to me - he's a doctor after all, and would have an easier time of getting a visa for him and his family than most) and over what to tell the kinds about lynchings and other forms of racist violence. We see it in the way she 'checks out' and escapes the discontent underlying her sense of reality, by taking long (and as the films goes on, possibly chemically assisted) midday naps. Clara re-enters Irene's life and throws all that to hell. Clara represents an audacity (if not a recklessness) that allows her to enjoy elements of privilege that Clara might want, at some deep level, but denies herself (sanely one would think, for her time period, but it takes a toll all the same). And then there are the hints that Irene and Clara's relationship in the past had a strong element of homoerotic attraction (Clara's letters to Irene, Irene's occasional clinging to Clara despite all Irene's efforts to push Clara away.). Closeted gay people live with a lot of pain and frustration, compounding anything they might already be feeling because they are "othered" in American society as it is. And as Genesis JaNae reminds us, there was that confession that Clara conveys to Irene, along the lines of Irene being a better person that Clara, because Clara simply goes after what she wants, without regard to consequences. Given how brittle and fragile Irene is below the surface, I can't imagine some part of her didn't take that as a warning, one exacerbated the warmer Clara's interactions with Dr. Renfield, the kids and the maid become as the story goes on, and Irene continues to withdraw. At some level this must have threatened Irene. First Clara re-enters her life, and upsets her (internal) world. Then it looks like Clara is about to take it away from her. And all the time, Clara seems trapped by indecision. She doesn't know how to fight back. To me it looked like it was only a matter of time before she blew up or imploded. At the very least, some part of her wanted Clara (the source of her problems, at least in her mind) to go away. So for me, it wasn't hard to believe that, at the moment Clara's husband barges into the sixth floor party (artful how they used the long climb up the stairs to set up for the ending) and charges Clara, Irene's move to initially push Clara out of harms way, might've have easily gone another way. Irene is clearly stunned, even shell shocked at the end of the story. She may not be fully able to acknowledge, much less clearly parse out, all of the conflicting energies that led to that moment when she pressed her hand against Clara's stomach. She might never see what happened clearly. It's possible she might just try to push it out of her mind, as she seems does in response to so many other unhappy realities.

Just the into alone made me thumbs up..All the questions you had are the same ones I had lol

I read the book and Irene is not content because she really can’t stand Clare and feels like she losing control of her life (husband, kids, popularity) but at the same time, she is enamored with her!

There were many layers to this film. It was definitely poetry in movement.

I got Irene in a acting and having a white woman's way..maid, charity work..the way she talked..the maid was sort of her wake up call at moments

I read this story and stumbled on the movie on Netflix and debated whether to watch it..this very video popped up, therefore im definitely should watch it! The fact you're reaching back to the classics and giving breakdowns....SIGN ME UP!

That intro beat is 🔥🔥🔥

Very well broken down and explained!!!

❤Awesome review!!! Love ur take!!🎉👍🏾

@StruggleReviewzTV

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Thank You! 💕❤️

I think the reason we don’t know what exactly was bothering Irene is because she as a character did not fully know either. It seemed as if she was breaking down without even realizing. Her life was falling apart, but she couldn’t even stand up for herself or articulate to anyone what she felt.

My first thought...she was pushed. But then there was no scream. No attempt to catch herself or regain any footing. Irene naturally put her arm up for defense of Claire as a barrier. Claire's death was a shock & relief to Irene. Remember Irene told the white man at the charity event when he commented she could pass & asked if she has ever passed. She said we all our passing. She was right and she wasn't referring to the white passing either.