Get Out (2017) and the Perception of Reality
They often say that history is written by those who win. That is to say, truth — what is considered factual is often not as simple as we would like it to be.
Get Out is all about the way that truth is shaped by those in power.
From the very beginning, Jordan Peele’s Get Out makes the audience question the reality of things. Without knowing the remaining plot of the film, the audience questions Rose’s (played by Allison Williams) initial assertion that her parents are indeed not racist. The question about Rose’s parents has an unprecedented salience in today’s political climate, where often the question of being racist or prejudiced is framed by singular attitudes or actions. The historical precedent, however, of marginalized groups often not being taken seriously is the ultimate point that Peele makes throughout Get Out.
That is to say, it wouldn’t be a coincidence for many Black audience members to be suspicious of Rose and her “not racist” parents that she has conveniently neglected to tell that her boyfriend is Black.
The most important scene that signifies Peele’s interest in the phenomenon of truth perception is later when Chris (played by Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose settle in for their first night at the house. Rose cites several incidents that have happened since they arrived, indicating that they are definitely not as progressive as she had thought them to be. Chris’ response is hilariously simple.
“I told you so.”
The statement “I told you so” rings true throughout the remainder of Get Out as a symbol of objective truth through the lens of perceived truth. Ultimately, there’s no such thing as objective truth if no one believes you. This is why, as Chris’ time at the mansion in the woods descends into madness and fear, many might think him paranoid — even if he turns out to be right. Even when his best friend Rod (played by LilRel Howery) attempts to do the right thing and get the authorities involved, nothing can be done because no one believes him.
Ultimately, the lack of belief in their truth-telling leads to a searing parallel about how historically, society has often ignored and disbelieved the abuse that Black people suffered. The most recent example is perhaps police brutality. Culturally, Black community’s distrust of law enforcement may have previously seemed paranoid and unwarranted. However, now with several high profile shootings of unarmed Black men by law enforcement all caught on camera, the truth about police brutality that Black communities have often known about is now considered objective truth by the larger culture.
Get Out’s concerns with the perception of reality are furthermore explored by the choice of making the film a psychological thriller rather than perhaps a straightforward slasher film. In a slasher film, the question of reality goes only as far as investigating who or what might be responsible for murders (often in a small town). Even in a film like Nightmare On Elm Street where the dream state is to be feared — and the audience can’t be certain if what is happening is a dream — doesn’t highlight the internal struggle of not being believed about what is objectively the truth.
In Get Out, Peele also constantly plays with the audience’s perception of reality. Is Rose’s family just ignorant and weird? Or, are they sinister and truly out to get Chris? And if the family is indeed sinister, is Rose apart of it? Or, is she Chris’s only hope of escape? This second layer of investigating objective truth versus perceived truth leads to what is truly remarkable about Get Out’s cultural implications.
It makes audience members ask themselves, would they believe Chris if they knew him, or would they believe him to be as paranoid as others did?
It is arguably impossible to separate truth from perception. After all, even during events in which everyone watches the same scene, many may wind up recalling it differently. This problem of human error in perception of reality reaches to something as simple as an entire generation of people believing that Sinbad starred in a movie as a genie, and something as dire as criminal court cases involving murder. While there may always be a question about what is exactly the truth, it is certain that some groups of people are better able to control the perception of truth.
But perhaps controlling the perception of truth, at least as Get Out’s resolution implies, won’t matter in the face of those who show conviction in the face of shifting perceptions of reality.
