The cinematic world has seen many bizarre movies over the years, but none as disturbing as these racist as these ones. As you may already know, African-Americans and Jews weren’t the most beloved people a couple of decades back, and the irrational hate for them has fueled quite a few movies. Nevertheless, one would think that the line would be drawn somewhere. It was not the case with the following movies. Let’s take a look at the 5 most racist movies of all time.
1. The Passion of Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a perfect example of history depiction gone wrong. There is a common misconception that somehow Jews have caused the death of Christ, and this is exactly what transpires from the movie. Of course, Mel Gibson’s over anti-semitism doesn’t help, but the fact that people actually believe that the Jews are somehow connected to our Savior’s death has lead to many unfortunate deaths throghout the years. In the movie, antagonists which force Pontius Pilate’s hand are depicted as evil schemers, thirsty for the blood of Christ, and the Jews who are not part of the group are seen as uneducated, stupid people who can’t accept Christ as their Messiah.
2. The Little Rebel
The idea of the movie doesn’t sound so bad: Shirley Temple plays the role of Virginia, a young daughter from a plantation-owning family during the civil war. In the meantime her father becomes a scout for the Confederate and she remains with Uncle Billy (one of the slaves) and her mother, at the plantation. Her father is arrested so she struggles to talk to President Abraham Lincoln about the story. Her father is later pardoned. Sounds innocent, doesn’t it? The movie has two fatal flaws. First of all, Uncle Billy is actually an Uncle Tom because he is the kind of slave that doesn’t really mind being a slave, and will happily submit to his master’s wishes. Secondly, the other slaves in the movie are afraid of the Union soldiers and reluctant to leave slavery behind.
3. Gone With the Wind
Recommended Read: Interesting Facts About Gone With the Wind
As much as I loved this movie (and not a year goes by without re-watching it), it would be hypocrisy not to point out the racism found in it. Gone with the Wind is basically a romanticized portrayal of the war between the South and the North, so it also shows how black people, slaves or free, were treated. The image of African-Americans is very narrow. Take Mammy for example (who has played an excellent role). She simply cannot function without her white masters. Also, most of the slaves in the movie are very happy with their situation, while the “bad” blacks are seen as mindless apes who would attack anyone in sight.
4. Goodbye Uncle Tom
If you’ve seen Goodbye Uncle Tom, then you must know why we are putting it at the top of the list. The film is so racist and depraved that it was slammed by almost every critic. Producers stated that it is a documentary about slavery, but in reality it was a racist farce about how black people are horrible monsters that deserve what they got. In addition to this, the movie was actually pornographic, and the funny thing is that the producers were actually real-life racists. What would you expect? Although the depiction of slavery is 80% accurate, the racist views of the directors can be seen easily.
5. The Birth of a Nation
You may or may not know about this movie, but it it was the highest-grossing film until Gone with the Wind Came Along. The story is about the Civil War and the reconstruction after it. It is basically a portrayal of racism in the highest form. Black people were actually played by white men with masks (and seen as brutal savages), and the movie also talks about (and actually romanticizes) the origins of the Ku Klux Klan.