With the release of the new version of this story, a lot has been written comparing the book with the movie versions. I waited nearly 30 years to watch the original version because just thinking about Pennywise terrified me (and I'm a fan of horror movies.) Needless to say, I have not seen the new version. This analysis will be about the original, 1990 version.
Starting out easily enough, how does this movie represent minorities? Not very well. For starters, its main characters are white boys/men with one lone female, a token black kid, and a Jewish boy who had to hit every stereotype to drive the point home that he was different. Even as an adult, Stanley becomes a "successful accountant," one of the more stereotypical Jewish jobs. Even the townspeople are all white. Mike, the only person of color in the movie, is terrorized by the town bullies and marginalized as an adult. When the film opens and Mike is trying to tell police that the new murders are just like what had happened in Derry when he was a kid, he's basically told to go back to the library
Speaking of what they become as adults... The boys (except Mike) all leave Derry and have successful careers. Beverly too is outwardly successful, as a fashion designer, but is still being used as the "damsel in distress." She is the girl who is sexually assaulted by bullies while neighbors turn away, and possibly her father, (although the made for Tv version of the movie does not make that clear. She is definitely physically abused by him.) She is the helpless female who escapes to the comfort of the (male-dominated) Loser's Club. As an adult, she is a woman in an abusive relationship where she once again has to escape to the Loser's Club.
Much like we saw in the episode of Master of None, the motivation seems to be to make a movie with "universal appeal". We can't have too many minority characters defeating the monster, because....then it would be an (insert minority here) movie. The idea is that a "white" movie is universal. Everyone can relate to the group of white men/boys defeating the monster. Right?
Like I've said before, media reflects society, reflects media. We see the images we believe because we believe the images we see. Women need the protection of men, and minorities are often dismissed. Given that this movie was made in the early 90's and was set in the 50's it can be easy to give it some leeway. I am now even more interested in seeing how the newer version handles this inequality of characters, but from what I've read, I'm not sure it bothers.
Great analysis, and good articles. Thanks for the links. I hadn't even thought of the representation of Stanley's Jewishness until reading this, but you're right. I think Jewishness is usually so invisible that we don't even notice its representation, stereotypical as it may be. Of course, that's why it's invisible, because it's stereotypical and normal to us. Need to go back and watch the old one again, and read the book! Thanks for motivation.
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