by Lexi Mahari
December 27, 2021
The Netflix Original Movie Passing, starring Tessa Thompson as Irene Redfield and Ruth Negga as Clare Kendry, is a story that addresses the controversy of an African American woman who decided to use her fair skin to pass as a white woman. After using her complexion to seek refuge from a warm day via a cab ride to a restaurant, Irene bumps into an old friend in the restaurant. Initially, she does not recognize her white complexion and well-to-do presence among the restaurant’s patrons. After breathing a sigh of relief that her color had not been the draw of Clare but a pre-existing relationship, Irene accepts Clare’s invitation back to her hotel room to talk privately.
Clare Kendry
Clare Kendry informs us that she is married to a white man who has no idea she is white. He only seems to know that the hue of her skin tone has slightly darkened. Clare and John have a daughter attending boarding school in Europe, and she has purposefully elected not to have another child for fear of producing a child with darker skin.
Early on in the film, it becomes evident that Clare is exhausted from being white and unable to be with the people like her and of her Black heritage.
Clare’s husband, John, shows up, and we rapidly learn that he views Black people in the stereotypical light of crimes, killings, and stabbings. He tells us about Clare’s intentional refusal to have Black maids working for them. Additionally, he shares a vulgar nickname that he has bestowed upon Clare due to her “once Lilly white skin” growing darker. Although Clare introduces Irene as an old, school friend, John does not sense anything off about that, which lets us know as viewers that Irene’s skin is fair enough that John has no suspicions.
Inflammed and insulted by John’s nickname for Clare, Irene politely excuses herself with clearly no intent to engage with her old friend again if she can help it.
Irene Redfield
Irene, or Rene, as Clare calls her, returns home to share the incident with her husband. She shares that she feels some degree of pity, but she has no intention of engaging with her again. Irene is married to a physician, Brian Redfield, and lives in Harlem. While their lifestyles may be better than the average African American family, they struggle. For one, they live in a 1920s world where they have to deal with lynchings and other violence against Black men and women. Brian Redfield tries to entice his wife to move the family to South America to escape their world, but Irene has no desire to leave.
Clare and Irene
Interestingly enough, Clare proves that she has other plans about establishing a relationship with Irene. Irene receives multiple letters, inquiring about when they can meet again, and when the letter goes unanswered, she arrives on Irene’s doorstep. Clare seems clear that Irene does not want anything to do with her. However, this former schoolmate somehow convinces Irene to let her into this world. Irene invites Clare to a dance she is organizing.
What one thinks would serve as a meeting by chance turns into a long-term intrusion of sorts into Rene’s life. It seems to force her to question how happy she is in all she is doing. The movie gives us insight into the paths both of these women chose. Ironically, Rene has a black maid (her cousin), a black physician husband (who does well for himself) but implied limitations in what she can do and is relatively condescending at times.
Clare has this life of convenience and privilege but is not free to be who she is or wants to be. She has to sneak to Harlem to be around the people of her culture or eat the foods she loves to eat. In her own words, Clare “longs to be around Negroes” again. Yet, though she longs to have a son, she cannot do so for fear of reproducing a mahogany hue son.
Many unstated interactions happen between Clare and Brian, Rene’s husband who leaves us to question if there is an affair or inappropriate flirting happening between Clare and Brian. Nonetheless, Rene seems to ask, without saying a word, what she is seeing and perhaps, despite knowing Clare should be leaving for Europe soon, looks for a way to get this woman out of her life.
A Moment of Truth
By chance, she bumps into John, Clare’s husband, on the street while shopping with her darker-skin-toned friend. The chance meeting triggers a revelation for John, who clearly will likely confront his wife about his findings. However, Rene does not warn Clare of the meeting. Instead, later at a party, she asks Clare what she will do if John finds out she is Black. Clare informs Rene that she will move to Harlem to live with Brian. That answer seems to seal her fate, and Rene does not warn Clare that John knows about her.
John arrives at the party, and as he lunges for his wife, Rene places an arm around Clare’s waist. As John continues his effort to reach her, Clare falls out of the window. Before the fatal fall, there was a look shared between Clare and Rene. As a viewer, I could not decide if Rene pushed her or Clare fell at her own volition.
5 Basic Takeaways from the Movie Passing
The Netflix Original Movie Passing gives us 5 Basic Tips for Life (or reinforced). Check out my YouTube Video Review of the Netflix Movie Passing for the 5 Life Lessons Passing gave us.
In closing, the Netflix Original Movie Passing is worth your time. It’s a simple movie that gently nudges its viewers to examine freedoms and quality of life. It challenges us to examine the compromise we sometimes must make when we gain access to money and conveniences. Finally, it raises the question of what one is willing to do when faced with a threat to the life they have.