More often than not, a film that deals with racism towards African Americans is shown from the perspective of adults who have faced numerous hardships. However, in tackling similar issues but instead through the lives of children, Ntozake Shange's Whitewash manages to pull just enough heartstrings to keep a lasting impact. Being one of the more mature works in the late Michael Sporn's filmography of low budget animated gems, presented to HBO no less, this flick has gone through critical acclaim while maintaining an obscure presence in the media. In terms of dealing with heavy handed topics, this featurette surely delivered.
Inspired by true events, Whitewash tells the story of Helene Angel Calloway, a young black girl living in New York. After being attacked by a racist group of white bullies that paint her face white with shoe polish, Helene Angel secludes herself from both the trauma and the media attention that ensues. From that premise alone, the biggest strength within the feature is its honest portrayal of the horrible effects such horror can lead to someone so young and innocent. The support Helene Angel gets in the film comes mostly from her fully experienced grandmother (Ruby Dee) and her classmates that could never imagine such tragedies occurring further. While the film does tend to flip flop from different perspectives and can also drag the pace on, including the classroom scenes at the beginning and middle, the main message of overcoming trauma remains intact throughout the film's 25 minute runtime. In today's current world of racism still affecting the lives of even the most average civilians, pieces like this are healthy reminders to hold on to those who care instead of those who hate.
The art direction by Bridget Thorne showcases a lot of rich New York city palettes by looking like an animated children's book, giving the film the impression that it really does take place in a child's point of view. Although the character animation may be limited, the posing and gestures work wonderfully to let the cast emote powerfully when needed. In addition, having a lot of the cast consist of actual children gives off the proper authenticity to how the youth might react in reality to not only a horrible occurrence but in their day to day lives. One notable highlight is during the middle when the children vent their concerns about Helene Angel's racist assault, making the scene more real than it ever could have been with professional actors. Ed Askinazi's sound design and Caleb Sampson's music add a lot of depth to the more dramatic moments, including the grandmother's own experiences with prejudice and Helene Angel's psychological turbulence. Outside of some outdated rap passages, the soundtrack is what truly breathes life in an already heart wrenching drama.
While Whitewash may only tackle its subject matter on a bare bones level due to budget and runtime restrictions, its gently introspective treatment of such important issues keeps it strong all throughout. As black history month is still going strong, this film is a must watch for any history buffs, film or animation. With the media of today sensationalizing racial attacks more than ever, as the film dramatized already, it's always refreshing to view a work of art that has as much respect and prowess as any social rights activist. Made for children or not, Whitewash stands strong as an anti-oppression PSA.
