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Chapter And Verse Film Analysis

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At the start of the film, Chapter & Verse, the main character, S. Lance Ingram has spent the last four months attempting to obtain a job. Although Lance has been mistreated during his integration back into society because of his label as an ex-convict, Lance is also at the fate of discrimination because of his race. During one of the first scenes in which he is seen walking around Harlem delivering food from the food pantry to its recipients, Lance overhears a white woman who, based on the context can only be assumed to be a real estate agent, discusses how Harlem is an up and coming area. Lance makes eye contact with the woman and she stares at him, almost frightenedly. One of the reasons why this scene is so important in the context of Lance’s story is because he is able to see the changes to Harlem since he was incarcerated eight years prior. To Lance, he was walking down the streets that he had grown up on. However, the stares from the realtor and then the couple seem to suggest that they are not accustomed to seeing a black man (6:10). One of the difficulties with comparing Lance’s racial experiences due to his criminal past is the lack of white people that can be used to compare Lance’s past. The majority of the cast is colored. The exception is those that hold dominance and act superior to Lance. In the film, Lance’s …show more content…

The man tells Byron that he is the first colored farmer he’s seen around here (33:44). The man then mentions that Byron must be from the city because “if you’re colored and ye ain’t in Africa or Mississippi, you’re from the city” (34:52). Although the man is the first to be upfront with Byron about his race, he is not harsh nor cruel about it. The man provides an eye opener to Byron about his work ethic that no one else affords to him. Again, rather than being cruel about it, the man provides a comedic relief to the tension of the other

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