Us
by Jordan Peele (2019)
Adelaide returns with her husband and children to her childhood home for summer vacation. Four masked strangers knock on the door.
Quote.
“They look exactly like us, think like us, know where we are. They won’t stop until they kill us or we kill them.”
We Are Americans.
This is the phrase with which the mother of the “invaders” responds to the question, “Who are you?” And everything revolves around this and what it means. Because *Us*, as the original title suggests (the first two letters of USA), is a film that speaks primarily about America. And its contradictions. The land of freedom that hides its ugliness under the rug. In fact, underground, as far away from the light as possible. Thus, the Doppelgänger people who live in that darkness become a symbol and metaphor for a nation with a very dark soul. A nation that guarantees well-being to a few and, to do so, discriminates, enslaves, imprisons, and marginalizes many.
Considerations.
Jordan Peele returns, two years after his stunning debut (*Get Out*), with an even more ambitious project.
Us does not limit itself to speaking only about racism and its aberrations, but expands the discussion in a more universal way. It addresses all the oppressed, all those who, for one reason or another, find themselves denied or robbed of their own identity. Peele suggests to us from the beginning that many are in this condition.
The film opens with a beautiful backward tracking shot that starts from a close-up of a rabbit’s eye and reaches a medium shot of cages filled with identical rabbits. So many cages, therefore, so many prisoners. But the beginning is not only this; it is also and above all the presentation of a stunning location enhanced by truly remarkable photography. The atmosphere that prevails in this first part of the film remains, to this day, in my opinion, the best that this director has done in his entire career.
It is in the central part that, unfortunately, the film’s particularities fade and the excellent premises deflate, in favor of a perhaps more tried-and-true solution, but certainly less original. We suddenly find ourselves facing a classic home invasion. Shot and directed very well, with the staging of some particularly “spectacular” deaths, but the déjà vu effect reigns supreme, as in most slasher films. This somewhat undermines that very particular and psychological initial part.
Us returns to being a great auteur film in the concluding part, when the conveyed message resurfaces powerfully. And the discourse becomes universal, as it involves the entire community, leading to deep reflections on what the word “humanity” means. In this regard, the final scene is particularly strong and illustrative, even just for its visual power.
Conclusions.
*Us* is known for its unsettling atmosphere and powerful imagery, along with a profound social message. It is a pity that it does not fully convince in its entirety, but it can still elevate itself above the average of other contemporary productions. The performance of the actors, particularly Lupita Nyong’o, has been highly praised.
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