The Dichotomous Assessment of the Historical Inaccuracies, the “White Savior” Trope and the Traces of Black Female Stereotypes in the Flagship Black Feminist Movie Hidden Figures

Abstract

The analysis of Hidden Figures aims to discuss whether this flagship black feminist movie can really help the black feminist attempts by characterizing the events and characters with historical accuracy and without stereotypes. It will be showcased how the white savior trope presented in the film can undermine the successes achieved by black women at NASA while still being a somewhat positive component to the film. It will also be revealed that upon closer examination, the black female stereotypes persist even in this seemingly unprejudiced and flagship black feminist film. To corroborate this theory, the discrepancies of the biographical drama film adaptation and the nonfiction volume it is based on will be highlighted. The actions, diction, and body language of the movie's three protagonists will also be analyzed to demonstrate that they sometimes evoke the conventional black female stereotypes and/or their later variants. It will be concluded that although the criticism made in relation to the film may fall within today's exaggerated PC culture and/or Cancel culture — as the stereotypical traits can be justified in the narrative's context —, it is still important for filmmakers and even actresses to be aware of these stereotypical traces so that they do not perpetuate them, even unconsciously and unintentionally.