Watching “One Battle After Another” so soon after the death of Black liberation activist Assata Shakur raises questions about how white male filmmakers portray revolutionary Black women on screen. Much has been said about the strengths of Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film—some even call it a masterpiece—including a glowing five-star review in the Guardian. The film’s thrilling pace, the unforgettable car chase, and Benicio del Toro’s effortlessly cool Sensei Sergio have all earned well-deserved praise. Let’s take that as a given.
But if a film is worth watching, it’s worth examining critically. In this case, that means asking: Paul Thomas Anderson, what’s your issue with Black women? We know Anderson intentionally added a racial element to the story. In Thomas Pynchon’s original 1990 novel Vineland, the character played by Teyana Taylor, Perfidia Beverly Hills, is white with bright blue eyes. Her daughter, played by mixed-race Chase Infiniti, is also white. While the race of Deandra, played by Regina Hall, isn’t specified in the book, she’s typically assumed to be white.
Sometimes filmmakers take the opposite approach with historical stories, which can be problematic too. When Sofia Coppola adapted The Beguiled in 2017, she removed all the Black and mixed-race female characters from Thomas P. Cullinan’s Civil War novel, creating a fantasy of Southern life that ignores the harsh realities of slavery.
In this light, there’s much to appreciate about Anderson’s direction. The actors give powerful, engaging performances, and though Regina Hall is underused, it’s always a pleasure to see her impressive range (check out her in 2018’s Support the Girls for more). The film also feels timely—perhaps overdue—in its depiction of a paramilitary border force harassing teens at a school dance and raiding the “little Latino Harriet Tubman situation” at Sensei Sergio’s place, a scene both absurd and frightening.
Anderson boldly tackles a pivotal moment in American history that demands courage from artists. Unfortunately, when it comes to race and gender, he seems to have taken on more than he can handle. This starts with Perfidia, who is overly sexualized beyond what you’d expect from the excitement of setting off fireworks with Leonardo DiCaprio. She prioritizes pleasure over escaping a bomb and abandons her family because she resents competing with her own newborn for her partner’s attention.
A more believable reason might have been her dedication to the revolution—the same excuse male revolutionaries have used for centuries to neglect their families. But Anderson chose extreme lust instead. This is a deliberate choice, like naming another Black female revolutionary character “Junglepussy,” a sexualized twist on the racist slur “jungle bunny.” Or having Perfidia declare her defiance with the line, “this pussy don’t pop for you.” (A note to white male screenwriters: not every Black woman talks like Cardi B, and even Cardi B doesn’t always sound like her records.)
These choices suggest Anderson is unaware of the racist Jezebel stereotype, which emerged from the sexual exploitation of enslaved women.American pop culture has continued to keep this idea alive in different forms ever since. Alternatively, he might be showing a Tarantino-like overconfidence in his power to completely reshape offensive language and imagery that has never targeted him personally.
In Teyana Taylor’s interview “I’m a hustler, a grinder” about music, motherhood, and her project “One Battle After Another,” she echoes this sentiment.
Similarly, the film’s portrayal of interracial relationships feels Tarantino-inspired, and not in a positive way. The most uncomfortable example is between Perfidia and Colonel Lockjaw, a white supremacist caricature played by Sean Penn as a leering figure in uniform. In one scene, Lockjaw approaches Bob (DiCaprio) and murmurs, “Do you like Black girls? I love them.” This is meant to highlight his repulsiveness, but it loses impact because earlier, the likable Bob expressed his attraction to Perfidia in almost identical words. Or consider Avon Barksdale from The Wire (actor Wood Harris) affectionately calling his girlfriend Alana Haim “an ordinary, working white girl.” In the world of OBAA, it seems all interracial relationships are based on a racial fetish, with real emotional connection merely an afterthought. (Yes, PTA is in a relationship with Maya Rudolph, who is Black or mixed-race, but that doesn’t excuse a filmmaker from addressing these issues.)
I apologize if this complicates your enjoyment of your new favorite film. I realize that pointing this out might upset devoted fans who can’t tolerate any criticism of their favorite director. To them, I say: don’t worry too much about Anderson’s feelings. He’s a grown man; he can handle it. And remember the film’s title, which reflects the revolutionary belief that change is a long struggle, unlikely to happen in our lifetime, but we must persist nonetheless: the revolution goes on, one battle after another. Perhaps we’ll do better next time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the stereotyping of Black women in media and culture framed in a natural conversational tone
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What does it mean to say Black women are reduced to stereotypes
It means that instead of being seen as complex unique individuals Black women are often forced into oversimplified and negative categories like the angry Black woman or the Jezebel
2 What is the Jezebel stereotype
The Jezebel is an old harmful stereotype that portrays Black women as hypersexual promiscuous and seductive It was historically used to justify abuse and exploitation
3 What is a racial fetish
A racial fetish is when someone is sexually attracted to a person not for their individuality but primarily because of their race They reduce the entire person to a set of stereotypical traits associated with that race
4 How is a celebrity like Cardi B used as an example in this conversation
Cardi B is often cited because her public persona is sometimes used to reinforce the Jezebel stereotype for a modern audience Critics argue that while she exercises her agency the media and public often latch onto the most hypersexualized aspects of her image using her to represent all Black women
5 Why is this stereotyping harmful
Its harmful because it denies Black women their full humanity affects their mental health limits opportunities in careers and relationships and can even put their physical safety at risk
AdvancedLevel Questions
6 Where did these stereotypes originally come from
They have deep roots in the history of slavery and colonialism Stereotypes like the Jezebel were created to justify the rape and sexual exploitation of enslaved Black women by portraying them as inherently sinful and insatiable
7 Isnt it empowering for Black women to express their sexuality like Cardi B does
This is a complex debate Many argue that a woman owning and profiting from her sexuality can be a form of empowerment and agency The problem arises when that one expression is taken as the only valid expression for all Black women thus reinforcing the very same narrow box the stereotype creates
8 Whats the difference between appreciation and fetishization
Appreciation values a person for their whole self including their race and culture as one
