The three words that come to mind after watching the “Color of Fear” documentary are color, racism, and America. Color comes to mind because the film is aptly titled “The Color of Fear”. Consequently, color is an important part of the producer’s main message. As soon as the film starts, the presence of people from various races informs viewers that the film is indeed about skin color.
The issue of racism is introduced by the film’s director right from the beginning. The eight characters who are featured in the video discuss nothing but race-related issues throughout the video. Therefore, by the end of the video the issue of race is already embedded in the mind of the viewer. Furthermore, the claim about some of the film’s characters being racist is made constantly.
America comes to mind because racial tensions and discussions are synonymous with America. America as a nation is synonymous with racial diversity. In addition, no other country in the world discusses racial issues as openly as America does. Therefore, when a group of people sits down to discuss race issues, America come to mind.
I was not surprised at my choice of words because the video mostly discusses a single subject. The issue of racism dominates the entire video. Consequently, by the time the video is over, racism and its related matters have dominated the mindset. All of the three words that came to my mind after watching the video were constantly mentioned in the featured discussion.
For example, when victor is confronting David he exclaims that the problem faced by individuals in America is not related to ‘color’. Victor also claims that most of the white people in America equate their skin color with being ‘American’. As the discussion continues, the issues of racism and American citizenship keep coming up. Therefore, it is natural for racism, color, and America to be the three words in my head.
The three words (racism, America, and color) reveal a lot about the intentions and the message of the filmmaker. The maker of this video arranged for a discussion between people from four of the most dominant races in America to take place. The eight individuals represent African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Caucasian races. These four groups are the most dominant ethnic groups in America.
However, the issue of racism is explored from several different angles. When it comes to issues of race, white Americans are mostly considered to be the aggressors. In the video, this theory is confirmed by David Christensen who is seemingly oblivious of the racial tensions that characterize America. However, the other white man in the group has a better understanding of racism but he admits that he needs to adjust his attitude.
Color as seen in the video is a contributor of racism but it is not its indicator. In the video, the people of color act as both victims and perpetuators of racism. For instance, the issue of discrimination and racism between individuals from the same faction is explored. The tensions between the Asian communities as indicated by the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese populations within America are an example of another form of racism.
The issue of color and racism is henceforth viewed from an ‘American’ point of view. The main characters constantly argue whether only white Americans are the natural citizens of the United States. In addition, the issue of minority races being considered as outsiders is reiterated by almost all of the men in the video.