First Advisor

Kiara Hill

Date of Award

Spring 6-13-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Art Practice and University Honors

Department

Art

Language

English

Subjects

Intersectionality, Black Feminism, Passing, Gazes, Black Cinema, Women's Cinema

DOI

10.15760/honors.1704

Abstract

This paper reads Julie Dash's 1982 film Illusions as an activist text, which challenges dominant cinematic and historical narratives through its Black feminist perspective. It explores the cinematic and narrative devices that Dash uses--including the weaving of fantasy and history, the strategic use of period aesthetics, and masking--to expose and subvert the mechanisms of white supremacist and patriarchal hegemony within Hollywood. Drawing on intersectional feminist theory from scholars like Kimberlé Crenshaw, Patricia Hill Collins, and bell hooks, alongside cinematic theory, this analysis demonstrates how Illusions critiques the historical erasure of people of color from United States cinema and history. By foregrounding the experiences of its white-passing Black protagonist, Mignon Dupree, the film compels viewers to interrogate their own gaze, revealing the labor and systemic marginalization that underpin idealized on-screen representations.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43810

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