Get Out (2017) Advanced NCEA Level 3 Film Study

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the critical analysis, film techniques, themes, historical contexts, and narrative devices of Jordan Peele's Get Out.

Central Concern of Get Out

The persistence of racial oppression beneath the appearance of modern social progress.

Interpersonal Racism (Layer 1)

Racism expressed through everyday comments, assumptions, and interactions, such as Dean's remarks and conversations at the garden party.

Cultural Racism (Layer 2)

Racial stereotypes and societal assumptions about the characteristics of different racial groups, seen in the guests' fixation on Chris' physical attributes.

Institutional Racism (Layer 3)

Organised, coordinated structures that enable discrimination and exploitation, exemplified by the Armitage family's Coagula operation.

Historical Racism (Layer 4)

The ongoing continuation of power dynamics rooted in slavery and racial hierarchy, reflected through the silent auction and cotton imagery.

Psychological Oppression (Layer 5)

The systematic removal of an individual's control over their identity, body, and voice, visually embodied by the Sunken Place.

Racial Fetishisation

The practice of reducing people to perceived racial characteristics, focusing on physical attributes, and desiring possession while maintaining an unequal power imbalance.

Genuine Acceptance

An attitude that values individuality, respects autonomy, recognises humanity, honours personality and identity, and supports equality.

Post-Racial Illusion

The flawed belief following the 2008 election of Barack Obama that symbolic political milestones indicate society has moved past systemic racial divisions.

Performative Allyship

The display of superficial, supportive behaviour towards a marginalised group that conceals an underlying participation in oppressive systems, exemplified by Rose Armitage.

The Sunken Place

A visual metaphor for racial marginalisation and systemic oppression, illustrating how victims can retain consciousness and awareness while being completely stripped of agency.

The Coagula Procedure

A fictional surgical procedure presented by Roman Armitage that transplants another person's consciousness into a Black victim's body, serving as an allegory for scientific racism and bodily exploitation.

Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga

The Swahili opening song meaning 'listen to your ancestors', which establishes an ominous warning and ties the narrative to collective Black cultural memory.

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

A real-world medical study conducted from 1932 to 1972 where Black men were deceived and denied treatment, contextualising the film's critique of scientific racism and medical exploitation.

Microcosm of Society

A smaller representative system mirroring a larger structure; the Armitage household functions as one through its wealth, polite respectability, hierarchy, and hidden exploitation.

Commodification of Black Excellence

A conditional admiration where society celebrates the talents or physical attributes of Black individuals only when they can be extracted and separated from the person's humanity.

Cotton Symbolism

A motif linked to the historical forced labour of enslaved African Americans that undergoes an ironic reversal when Chris uses chair stuffing to resist hypnosis and escape.

The Deer Motif

A symbol introduced as a vulnerable, struck animal that demonstrates symbolic circularity when its mounted head is transformed into Chris' weapon of resistance against Dean.

Silent Auction

A garden party event where wealthy white guests bid on Chris using his photograph, creating a direct parallel to historical slave markets.

Audience Positioning

The camera framing and narrative techniques used by a director to guide viewers into sharing a character's perspective, emotional journey, and critical understanding.

Diegetic Sound

Sound that originates within the world of the film, such as Missy's spoon rhythmically tapping against her teacup.

Non-Diegetic Sound

Sound added outside the film's world for the audience's benefit, such as the musical score used to generate suspense.

Mise-en-Scène

The arrangement of visual elements within the frame—such as set design, decor, costume, and lighting—that creates meaning and communicates themes.

Static Framing

A fixed cinematography technique that creates tension or underscores physical and psychological confinement, seen when Chris is restrained in the basement.

Retrospective Reinterpretation

A narrative device where subsequent revelations fundamentally change the audience's understanding of earlier, apparently harmless scenes and character actions.