Passing is an interesting film. Beautifully made is no detail spared on the sets and the costumes and is set in 1920s Harlem, New York. But the story is intriguing, as it follows the life of Irene (Tessa Thompson) as she reconnects with high school friend Clare (Ruth Negga). Clare has married John (Alexander Skarsgard) and Clare is pretending to be fair skinned, which her husband believes.
This is a very delicate and quiet film, as it allows the actors to take full control of the scenes and lets the dialogue flow. The reality is that this film, Passing, highlights the shame people of color experience and how they pretend to be a difference race. But also the underlying bigotry that is experienced by people of color from society and the shame they feel and the lengths they go to try to hide their background, it is a shocking and sad reality.
Directed by Rebecca Hall, Passing, is a movie that is very much reminiscent of a past era. There is a sense of nostalgia with the film, as you are automatically transported back to when movies were a visual feast, as is with the amazing attention to detail and the stunning performances by all actors.
Written by Rebecca Hall, the story of Passing is about the friendship of two women. Both who have grown into adulthood but through a chance meeting they rekindle their acquaintance but it threatens the current realities that they have carefully constructed for themselves.
Ruth Negga as Clare is a person who lives a very thought-out life where she is cracking behind a facade. You can also feel she is ready to burst out of the restrained and suffocating existence she has created for herself in living this falsehood. Ruth is tremendous in this role.
Alexander Skarsgard as John is a radically ignorant individual. Skarsgard always seems to play the evil personas really well and he excels in this performance.
Tessa Thompson as Irene is a well-executed performance that is hauntingly stilted and reserved, trying to keep up appearances but also someone who is very proud of their existence and the family they have built for themselves and will not entertain anyone’s racial biases. This performance is delicate and a joy to watch on the screen.
Passing was a nice surprise. I was not sure what to expect, but it was a film that didn’t hold back when it came to the underlying theme of racism. Set in the 1920s in Harlem you expect some level of sophistication and a class system in place, but what was interesting was how the rejection or concealing of one’s race due to shame was incredibly sad but a reality that many people at the time did do and still do to this day.
The film Passing is a nice nod to the filmmaking styles of the previous generations and there is something about watching a film that has been entirely shot in black and white, as it does elude a sense of glamor and style.
Passing is currently available on Netflix.
