An Analysis of Jordan Peele's Works from a Big Fan
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Jordan Peele has been of my favorite creators of film for a long time. I have been a fan of his dating back to the beginning of his skit-show Key and Peele. The fandom has continued with his development of great horror movies, with Get Out being the best of them in my mind. But what's really interesting, especially with the idea of Peele as an Auteur in mind, is how different these two projects are for Peele. First, Key and Peele is a comedy-skit show, which stars Peele as an actor and writer, and is largely a lighthearted (but well thought out) show full of jokes. Meanwhile, Get Out is a serious horror movie, containing deep themes of race and our justice system, as well as being a well-written and enjoyable scary film. On the surface, it seems the two could be made by two totally different people, but there are actually many similarities upon a deeper look.
Probably the most obvious comparison between the two is Peele's inclusion in each of race and issues with racism in our society even today. Key and Peele takes a more lighthearted approach, often making jokes about racist scenarios and situations within our society. Here is an example of one of the popular skits in the show that tackles racism is a fun and lighthearted way:
Meanwhile, Get Out approaches the same topics in a much more serious manner. The racism in the movie's scenario develops into full blown kidnapping and murder, and the family in the movie is quite literally evil and horrifying. Of particular note though, is the alternate ending of the movie. It shows how Peele's original intention was probably to hit the audience hard, and cause them to feel disturbed by a harsh reality of racism that exists still within the American justice system. In the end, after fighting for his life, Chris is arrested for his "crimes" and is sentenced to jail, which can be seen in the clip here:
While the tone difference between the two pieces of film is interesting, it is clear that Peele puts a similar stamp on each piece, with his inclusions of racial topics being most apparent. I think it shows an important aspect of cinema, which is that the same message can be presented in two totally different ways, yet still have an equally similar effect. In one piece Peele jokes about racism, in another he horrifies, but in the end he accomplishes his goal of getting the audience to talk and think about racism and how it occurs in our daily lives. I think the idea that a message like this one can be presented in totally different ways is a very exciting thing, and proves how cinema is such a wonderful and creative platform to express messages and ideas about our everyday lives.
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