This review is going to be a bit tough, as I both run the risk of speaking for or about a group of people that I’m not a part of, and because the ending of the film is a big part of its overall statement and I try to avoid spoilers. I’m going to do the best that I can on both of these fronts, so bear with me. As for the film itself, I thought it was a very good and a sad reminder of the ever-present racial superiority and prejudice that exists in the western world. It’s a film that shows that even though a certain era in history might be ending or changing, in this case colonialism, the attitudes and power dynamics of said era will still carry on and continue to do damage to the people they’ve affected. I’ll summarize the plot, then we can get into the nitty-gritty.
The film follows Diouana, a Senegalese woman, who is chosen by an upper-class French couple to be their assistant worker. Initially, she was working for them when they were on business in Senegal, mainly to take care of their children. The work arrangements seem favorable, as the couple generally seem to treat her well, and Diouana even gives them a cultural mask as thanks for the opportunity. Eventually, the couple have to go back to France, so Diouana goes with them to continue her job. At first, she’s excited about the move, as she thinks that she’ll be able to experience a whole new country to the fullest. Sadly, once she arrives, she finds that the couple basically expect her to be a live-in maid who never really leaves the apartment, completely eschewing the original idea of her looking after the kids. The lady of the couple, or “Madame,” treats her very poorly, and forbids her from wearing anything beyond a maid uniform, even though she has a nicer dress. To add insult to injury, she’s often used as little more than a presentational novelty for the couple’s friends, with one of them even asking to kiss her since he’s “never kissed a black girl before.” Diouana begins to realize the true nature of her situation, that she’s little more than a slave to these people and has lost all her freedom. Things start coming to a head after this, but if I go any further, I’ll get into spoiler territory, so I’m cutting it off here.
This film is definitely an uncomfortable and necessary reminder of not only the effects of colonialism, but also the racist dynamics that still exist to this day. Even though Senegal had regained independence from France six years earlier, the French couple treat Diouana not much better than their parents would have treated hers. Even worse is that they were disingenuous with communicating what they wanted her to do, or were just ignorant enough to assume that she would naturally accept what they pushed her into, though those actions are also not much different than their forefathers, are they? The tribal mask that Diouana gives the couple relates to this idea, and it ends up symbolizing different aspects of it as the film goes on. When she first gives them the mask while they’re staying in Senegal, there is an air of positivity to it, acting as a genuine cultural exchange that the couple are appreciative of, but when they move back to France, the mask becomes a lone decoration on their wall, almost like any old curio, and on an all-white wall no less, not unlike what a certain someone is seen as by the French people. Near the climax, Diouana ends up fighting with Madame over it, an attempt at reclamation of her culture, and by extension herself. Post-climax, the mask seems to come to symbolize the lingering reminder of what the couple put Diouana through, and of course, what France put its African colonies through as well. It’s really hard to discuss the context of what it means by the end, as doing so would spoil the ending. On the note of how it ends, I do want to say that I legitimately did not see it coming. By that moment, I had had my brain set on it going one direction, and then it blindsided me with another, which I definitely have to give credit for. Admittedly, I am not African or African-descended, I’m a typical white American, so I haven’t experienced the racial discrimination and colonial subjugation that Diouana and her people have experienced, but I think the film did a good job in getting across the weight of that pain and the turmoil of the dynamic. I very much felt for Diouana, especially when the couple tried to pull the “you should be grateful for the opportunity we gave you” stuff or when they tried to guilt-trip her with “her mother’s letter” (at one point, they read her a supposed letter they received from her mother, in which she tells Diouana to be thankful for this position and that she should be making this money for the family and not just herself, but Diouana sees through it and tears the letter up). I’m not sure how a film like this would play to someone entrenched in racist worldviews, like if they would just legitimately see Diouana as “ungrateful” or something like that, but I think films like this are still important, as they give a voice to those who have been disaffected by years upon years of ongoing oppression, and I think they can sway those that are on the fence about racial situations in our societies, if no one else.
This is a shorter review than normal, but that’s partially due to the fact that the film itself is short. It’s just barely an hour, which kind of threw me for a loop, since most of the films I’ve covered have been at least ninety minutes (not counting shorts). Short runtime or no, this is still a well-done film and I recommend you check it out, though keep in mind that the ending might be uncomfortable for some folks (really wish I could tell you without spoiling it). Though racial power structures might have changed somewhat for the better over time, many of the old beliefs and systems are still very much alive and will continue to hurt those that suffered from them, until we can actually reach a point where everyone can be on the same page without giving up their culture. Sometimes I wonder if that concept is truly achievable or not, but until then, films like Black Girl will continue to be relevant.