Skin Movie Review Assignment: Identity and Belonging Theme

Skin Movie Review
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Skin Movie Review
Main Theme: Identity and Belonging
Skin is a movie that told the story of Sandra Laing: a colored girl born to white parents. Laing’s case was special and considering the fact that she was born during the apartheid regime, made things even more interesting. During the 50s and 60s, South Africa was engrossed in a deep racist agenda which mainly sought to elevate the status of the white people while demeaning that of the colored ones. The government made sure that being born black or colored was almost a crime and therefore, people were secluded within the confines of their color. Sandra’s story was special and almost unbelievable because people did not understand how a colored girl could be born to a family of white people. As she was growing up, everything was fine and life was just as any white kid would find it. However, the moment she went to school, her life completely changed because it was revealed to her that she was different and apparently did not fit into the white category. While at home, Sandra lived as her father’s angel and therefore, her life was comfortable. No sooner had she left for school than her life took a quick turn and unfortunately for her, it was for the worst. Her story attracted a lot of attention all over South Africa as her father fought to have her classified as white. Even though he won the case, Sandra’s identity and belonging were already thrown off balance. She was confused and did not understand why “her people” did not want her.
The main theme of this movie is identity and belonging. For Sandra, life was about to take her for a ride she would never forget and have her lose everything she valued and cared for. For a minute, she knew exactly who she was and even fit comfortably in the white Afrikaans category. However, in the next instance, she is confused about who she is and does not even know where she belongs and both sides, whites and colored, seem to have a problem accommodating her (Roger, 2009). First of all, Sandra notices how she is attracting a lot of attention from her peers at school because of the constant stares. While life at home seemed normal, at school she is made to feel inferior and out of place which further batters her self-esteem and confidence. Parents, students, and teachers all seem to have a problem having her at the school and the audience is introduced to Sandra’s confusion when she asks her father a simple question: “What did I do wrong?” This question is the highlight of her identity crisis and slowly she gets to understand how and why she is attracting a lot of attention (Byrnes, 2010). Apparently, the color of her skin was a mark of difference and also meant that she was not what or who she thought she was. Having grown up as white and getting to the point where the white community distances itself from her crushed her inner being. However, as she would soon come to realize, even the colored community had problems absorbing her into their fold.
Slowly, Sandra becomes the object of ridicule and contempt and is made to realize how different she is. During the apartheid regime, life for the colored was hard and due to the segregation that existed at the time, people could only visit places where their “kind” were allowed. For the white people, life was good and comfortable because they could be allowed to all the posh places. It was crime to infringe or to visit an area where one’s “kind” was not allowed in. To Sandra’s dad, winning the case was a big achievement, however, he was unware of the scorn and contempt that came his daughter’s way. At every turn, Sandra was reminded that she did not belong and that her life and color were different (Dargis, 2009). Her fellow students would abuse her, the parents of other children were always complaining, the teachers would punish and humiliate her, and no one seemed to want to be associated with her. The whites back then believed they were superior and that any contact with the colored only served to undermine their superiority and purity. These things were confusing to the young Sandra who did not understand why she was a target in the first place. However, as she grows old, she gets to understand why it mattered who or how she looked. She got to understand why the ridicule kept coming and why her father fought hard for her to be classified as white. However, her identity was already in shambles and with the colored also determined to seclude her, she felt alone and in a world of her own.
Fiction or non-fiction depiction of society/world as you know it/perceive it.
One of the non-fiction depiction of the society in the movie is the attitude the whites had towards the colored and blacks. During the apartheid regime, the whites saw themselves as the superior race and even passed laws that privileged them more than other people. From the restaurants to the schools, each race had its own because of the segregations rules. No one was allowed to cross from one side to the other and there were repercussions for those who tried. Sandra found herself between a rock and hard place because she was born in a white family but exhibited the qualities of a colored person. As per the apartheid rules, she was not supposed to have the privileges the whites had and she gets to experience this harsh reality when she is driven to school. No one sought to know the truth or even seek answers from her parents because her color said it all. She immediately found herself in the wrong side of society and unfortunately for her, her parents insisted she was white. Therefore, she had to experience all the ridicule and contempt.
Another non-fiction depiction of society is the fact that her parents seemed oblivious to the fact that she was not as white as them. Parents are always protective of their children and it is instinctive how they come to their children’s defense regardless of the ci...