Storytelling tropes, conventional devices used for plot development and to move the action forward in a drama, are not unique to contemporary society. Tropes in film often prevent audiences from seeing humans as we really are—people made in the moral and rational image of God.
The film industry has long perpetuated tropes for entertainment and profit. But what are filmic tropes, and why are they so problematic?
The Script Lab asserts: “Character tropes are best defined as devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members’ minds and expectations. They work because audiences recognize them and have a predetermined idea of what the purpose is for that type of character.”
Some of the common racialized tropes used in the film industry include:
- The White Savior: a white protagonist who intervenes in the trials of a Black character and saves them from their troubles and woe
- The Damsel in Distress: a helpless woman who must be rescued by her valiant, noble prince
- The Prodigy: often depicted as a Black blues or jazz musician, restricted to one genre and denied complexity beyond natural talent
- The Mandingo (Black Buck): a fierce, hypermasculine Black man portrayed as a threat to white society
The problem with such tropes is that they perpetuate and reinforce cultural stereotypes that provide skewed pictures of women and ethnic minorities.
The Mandingo/Black Buck trope presents Black men as fierce, oversexualized predators who are an inherent danger to society, as seen in films featuring notorious Black “thugs.” White Savior tropes, prevalent in films such as “Amistad” and “Avatar,” present ethnic minorities as vulnerable, weak people who can only be redeemed by a White Savior. Films like “Pretty Woman” and “The Princess Bride” portray beautiful women as weak, foolish damsels who can only be rescued by more intelligent men who possess wealth and power.
Christian scriptures offer an alternative perspective on the beauty and dignity of all human beings. According to Genesis 1, we are all created in the image of God—the Imago Dei. We are elem (Hebrew), physical representations of a royal deity.
We all possess extraordinary potential for moral goodness, virtue and beauty. We cannot be reduced to storytelling tropes that provide skewed and limited views of our character and dignity.
In my twenties, I was stationed at a Royal Air Force base in the Cotswolds, England. It was an idyllic setting with undulating hills and pastoral scenes of picturesque villages featuring honey-colored limestone cottages and manor houses. I formed friendships with numerous locals that I value to this day.
One day, while having dinner with a British couple, they learned I was a professional musician who wrote sacred music. They assumed, because of my African American heritage, that I wrote gospel-style music for worship.
In reality, I grew up playing classical flute and singing opera. My music for worship was a blend of classical traditions, folk and Celtic music. Sadly, they had embraced filmic tropes of African American musicians who write sacred music.
As we navigate the cultural storms of the present moment, let us commit to resisting tired tropes and seeing with new eyes. Our neighbor should not be defined as the Black Buck, the Damsel in Distress or the White Savior of society.
We are all individuals made in the image of God. We share this common humanity.
Let us love God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. Let us see with new eyes.
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Donald E. Williams is a United Methodist pastor and Duke University graduate. He completed his doctorate at Duke University in 2022 and is the author of An Investigation Into the Relationship Between Aristotelian Eudaimonia and Christian Discipleship: A Thomistic Perspective, Wipf and Stock Publishers.
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