I’ve watched “Passing” twice on Netflix in the past two days and am still thinking about it. Set in 1920s New York, it focuses on two childhood friends who meet in a hotel restaurant after several years, both passing for white. This film was either purposely designed to provoke thought or proved thought as a byproduct. I discussed the movie with two others who watched it. Both felt the need to see it twice as I did and both had questions about what they just saw.
The movie begins with Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson) passing as white to be able to cool off and order something to drink in a luxury hotel that would have turned a Black woman away. We see Irene self-conscious about her deception, expecting to be thrown out at any second. She spots Clare Kendry (Ruth Negga) a few tables away who keeps staring at her, refusing to avert her glance. Clare walks over and sits at Irene’s table, recognizing her as a childhood friend she hadn’t seen in several years. Clare is also passing as white with none of the self-consciousness of Irene.
“Passing” is filmed in black and white. My presumption is because neither Tessa Thompson or Ruth Negga could pass for white if filmed in color. I’m going to generalize and say most Black people would identify both women immediately as Black. There are studies suggesting white people might have more of a problem. Once you allow yourself to accept these women could easily pass as white, it doesn’t take anything away from the rest of the film.
Much of the picture isn’t actually about passing. There is a discussion between Irene and a white author who spends his time in the Harlem speakeasies where passing is discussed. Irene asks Clare a couple of times how her husband who is clearly racist would respond if he discovered Clare’s secret. John Kendry (who often traveled on business) had noticed Clare growing darker over the years and had an unsuitable pet name for her. Irene had to endure John’s racism when they met and he thought of her as white. She tried avoiding Clare afterward but soon gave in to Clare’s insistence on friendship.
Passing is as much about unhappy marriages, jealousy, and an ongoing discussion of lynchings as it is about passing. You get a seldom-seen view of well-to-do Black people who socialize, play bridge, and appreciate music. The Harlem Renaissance was more than the few writers and artists we typically hear about and seeing a whole community was a pleasant change.
I won’t say any more about the plot, you should see the movie (at least twice) for yourself. Tessa Thompson gives a stellar performance, completely different from her superheroine performances in Thor and Avengers movies or the girlfriend in Creed films. Most movies I see go into the file and usually don’t merit discussion. The question in my household is when we’ll stop discussing it? Check it out!
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This post was previously published on The AAMBC Journal.
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