NCJ Number
68138
Date Published
1976
Length
0 pages
Annotation
THIS FILM, NARRATED BY ED ASNER, DEMONSTRATES THE NATURE OF PREJUDICE BY DISPLAYING SYMBOLS AND EVENTS AIMED AT REVEALING VIEWER RESPONSES THAT ARE COLORED BY PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS.
Abstract
DESIGNED FOR GENERAL AUDIENCES OR SPECIFIC PROFESSIONS SUCH AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, THE FILM AIDS ANYONE WHOSE BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES MUST MEET WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAM GOALS AND STANDARDS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. IT POINTS OUT THE PITFALLS OF PREJUDGMENT, FREQUENTLY SO INGRAINED IN THE PROCESS OF PERCEIVING, THAT IT IS NOT RECOGNIZED AS THE NEGATIVE ACT OF PREJUDICE. WHILE THE NARRATIVE COMMENTARY URGES REFLECTION AND AN OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT IS SEEN, THE FILM SHOWS A BROAD SOCIOECONOMIC CROSS-SECTION OF PEOPLE DECLARING THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT OTHERS IN TERMS OF THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF A PERSON'S RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, ETHNIC ORIGIN, SEX AND OCCUPATION. NOT ONLY PEOPLE, BUT WORDS, ISOLATED OBJECTS, PLACES, AND SYMBOLS ELICIT DIFFERENT REACTIONS FROM DIFFERENT PERCEIVERS, DEPENDING UPON THEIR BUILTIN PRECONCEPTIONS. THIS IS ILLUSTRATED BY A BARRAGE OF IMAGES ON THE SCREEN: FROM BABIES TO POLICE OFFICERS; FROM THE TAJ MAHAL TO THE U.S. CAPITOL; FROM THE STAR OF DAVID AND THE AMERICAN FLAG TO THE SWASTIKA AND THE HAMMER AND SICKLE. THE SOUND TRACK PROVIDES AN ACCOMPANYING LITANY OF FOLK-BELIEFS ABOUT OTHER'S RELIGIONS, LIFE-STYLES, AND MOTIVATIONS. THIS APPROACH INCLUDES ANGLO-SAXON IMAGES AS OBJECTS OF MINORITY PREJUDICE. POLICE RELATIONSHIPS TO PREJUDICE ARE DISPLAYED FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES. SEVERAL CITIZENS OBSERVING POLICE OFFICERS AT WORK, MAKING ARRESTS, PATROLLING A NEIGHBORHOOD, OR MERELY DISPLAYING THEIR INSIGNIA, UNIFORMS, AND WEAPONS. ON THE OTHER HAND, OFFICERS' OWN PERCEPTIONS INFLUENCING THEIR PERFORMANCE OF DUTY ARE ALSO REVEALED. A CENTRAL, PIVOTAL SCENE IN THE FILM SHOWS A BLACK YOUTH RUNNING DOWN THE STREET AND PRESENTS INTERPRETIVE COMMENTS ON THIS ACTION FROM HIS MOTHER AND GIRLFRIEND, SHOPKEEPERS AND PASSERS-BY OF OTHER RACES AND AGES, AND FINALLY FROM TWO OFFICERS, WHOSE COMMENTS BETRAY SUSPICION OF THE YOUTH. THE SAME SCENE WITH A WHITE BOY ELICITS BENEVOLENT LAXITY IN THE OFFICER'S ATTITUDES. (MRK)