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The Shape Of Water Film Analysis: The Monstrosity Of White Privilege

2,038 views · Published 10 February 2018 · 5:33 · Indexed 10 November 2026

Channel: Heavy Spoilers · 2018 · Film & Animation

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The Shape Of Water Film Analysis: The Monstrosity Of White Privilege by Deffinition

Read The Full Article Here: http://deffinition.co.uk/the-shape-of-water-hidden-meaning-the-monster-of-white-privilege/

Music By Homage Beats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTFFpCM1dRM

Production by: https://www.youtube.com/user/IamSteesh

Excerpts Taken From: http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/the-shape-of-water/269399/the-shape-of-water-reveals-the-greatest-movie-monster-is-white-privilege

The Shape Of Water: The Monster Of White Privilege By Deffinition
On the surface The Shape Of Water shares many similarities with it’s name sake. It’s graceful, fragile and seems tangible. However, upon diving through the initial layer, many will discover that depth lurks within it’s vast and current themes. Avoiding the fact I’ve just managed to fit in four water pun there, this movie should be applauded and taken seriously for the severity of it’s thematic choices.

The most noticeable being White Privilege.

The Shape Of Water Metaphor Of Racism and White Privelege

The Shape Of Water – Deeper Meaning
When first watching The Shape Of Water I was instantly hit with the clear metaphor of Black oppression. Our monster represents the struggle that many Black People endured daily under the Slave Trade during it’s prominence mere centuries ago.

Locked in chains, experimented on and viewed as exempt from civil rights even though the creature clearly exerts humanity, one would be amiss for not noticing the glaring similarities to the past of Black People.

http://deffinition.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/slaves.jpg

Looking at our own history, there is no avoiding how closely the movie mirrors the key characteristics of this horrendous period. During the Slave Trade, Black people were viewed as non human, animals, and therefore were excluded from the rights that we all now take for granted. This is similar to the way that the water creature is dissected and discussed by government officials and those deemed as above it. Objectified, Death is all that remains for the creature once it is decided that no use remains for it and there exists a lack of empathy for all that are classed as the other.

The Rise Of Civil Right
However, as we take the perspective of Elisa we follow the open mindedness of those that helped to end the tragic conditions that allowed slavery and racism to thrive.

We learn that the monster is beautiful, majestic and shouldn’t be demonised for being different. As Elisa spends more time with the creature it becomes more human like and perfectly incorporates modern life into it’s own. Elisa is the perfect synonym for the decline of a racist mind-state. Similar to the way that Civil Right’s activists did in the 50s and 60s, she gains her voice and begins to speak out and rebel against her oppressors.

Michael Shannon in The Shape Of Water

Contrasting this, is Michael Shannon’s character. Shannon’s character embodies to a tee the sort of toxic masculinity that is currently dominating our daily news cycles. Quite intentionally too. Echoing the boasts of a then-braggart reality TV star, Strickland muses to his general that even after a minor accident at the lab, he still has his “pussy finger” to do the Lord’s work. And like so many men who’ve felt insulated in their power over women for millennia, Strickland later attempts to corner Elisa in his office at one point, whispering between heavy breaths that “I don’t mind you can’t speak.” This symbolises that he prefers a lack of rebellion or questioning of his actions. Society has placed him at the top of the food chain and he is deaf to anything that may effect that pedestal.

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