Krin,

One film which may be of interest to you is "The Warriors", 1979, directed

by Walter Hill. This film's use of black radio announcers, not to mention

the camera's extreme close-up of the black 'female' announcers mouth, may

fit in nicely with the nondiegetic use of race.

D. Olson

Dept. of Enlish

Central Wash. University





>From: Krin Gabbard <[log in to unmask]>

>Reply-To: Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>

>To: [log in to unmask]

>Subject: Nondiegetic Racism

>Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 00:53:56 -0400

>

>Once again I ask my friends in the cinema studies community for assistance.

>  I'm

>writing about the interactions between soundtracks and visuals in feature

>films,

>especially where race is involved.  For example, I am fascinated by films

>that

>rely upon (invisible) black voices to add an extra level of romance to the

>interactions of an attractive white couple. Think of Clint Eastwood and

>Donna

>Mills strolling hand in hand in _Play Misty for Me_ while Roberta Flack

>sings

>nondiegetically.  Or Bill Murray and Andie McDowell dancing to the unseen

>Ray

>Charles in _Groundhog Day_.

>

>But there are less benign examples of invisible racial borrowing.  I'm

>specifically thinking of a film I saw some years ago in which an urban

>street

>gang of white youths was made to seem more menacing by the addition of rap

>music

>to the nondiegetic score.  The film may have been something like _Robocop

>3_

>that went straight to pay cable, but I can't find it.  Does anyone know of

>ANY

>film in which white people are made to seem more dangerous through the use

>of

>nondiegetic music associated with African American youths?

>

>Thanks very much for your attention.

>

>Best,

>

>      Krin Gabbard

>

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