How Did Spike Lee Use The Magical Minority In French Cinema?

Davontae Glenn

March 14, 2015

French 250

Final Essay

Using the “Magical Minority” in French Cinema

Filmmaker and director Spike Lee, known for his exuberant personality and fearless attitude, has never shied away from shedding light on issues of controversy. Many of Spike’s films including Do the Right Thing, She’s Gotta Have It, and Jungle Fever present the audience with matters of race relation. It came as no surprise when in 2001 Spike Lee introduced the theory of the “magical negro”. Lee claims the “magical negro” is a supporting character in films that is portrayed as coming to the relief of a film's white, usually male, protagonist. This film character functions as a ploy to help the protagonist get out of trouble, usually by assisting

the white character realize his own wrongdoings to surmount them. Although it is assumed the “magical negro” has special talents, their efforts are only directed toward helping the protagonist and not bettering their own situation to overcome racism or class discrimination. The main argument of Spike Lee is that by accepting these restrained supporting character roles, minorities are submissively disparaged and stereotyped in modern day cinema. Through othering or any action by which an individual or group becomes mentally classified in somebody else’s mind as “not one of us”, the “magical negro” can be applied to all minorities and be referred to as the “magical minority”. In regards to French cinema, it’s imperative to dissect the characters and plots of these films to observe the use of the highly scrutinized “magical minority” character. Examining Philippe le Guay’s Women on the Sixth Floor and Philippe Lioret’s Welcome, one could argue that the “magical minority” character exists in both films and plays an integral role in the storyline of the two movies.
Set in Paris, France during the 1960’s, Women on the Sixth Floor is a romantic comedy that combines the prudery of an upper class French family with the cheerfulness and enthusiasm of Spanish housework ladies who are employed and live in their apartment building. The film revolves around Jean-Louis Jubert, an unadventurous and timid stockbroker who lives his life going about the same daily routine. His wife, Suzanne, demonstrates a similar lifestyle. The two combined lack the spark that one would see from the average married couple as their emotionless and snobby existence takes form due to the collective morals and values shared by aristocracy in France during the 1960’s. The cinematography, mise-en-scene, and editing by Philippe Le Guay in the first couple of scenes accentuates the dull lifestyle of the Jubert family and is differentiated with the livelihood of the Spanish maids living on the sixth floor of the apartment building. As an historic reference in the film, many of the maids emigrated from Spain to France due to the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and the economic poverty that had formed under the fascist rule of the dictator Franco. Even though their living conditions aren’t the greatest on the sixth floor, the maids make the most of their situation by enjoying the presence of one another, each woman unique in their own way.
The plot of the film begins when the Jubert’s veteran maid, Germaine, decides to quit. Suzanne and Jean-Louis quickly realize they cannot do the daily chores performed by a maid and begin their search for a replacement. Suzanne hires Maria, a relatively young woman who has just moved to France to escape her previous dilemma in Spain. As a maid, Maria becomes everything the Jubert’s were searching for and even begins to form a bond with Jean-Louis. An opportunity for the “magical minority” character to appear begins to develop as the audience is introduced to the personality flaws of the film’s protagonist, Jean-Louis. The lack of enjoyment and passion in all aspects of Jean-Louis’ life becomes a problem that the “magical minority” must help to fix. The lives of the Spanish maids, particularly Maria, begin to have a positive effect on the personality of Jean-Louis. The enthusiasm and excitement that Maria possesses begins to rub off on Jean-Louis while she introduces him to the Spanish culture, taking him to church and teaching him Spanish. Even though Maria is a likeable character, one with which the audience can sympathize with, her character never develops larger than Jean-Louis’ as his quest to become a better person out shines the growth of Maria. The character of Maria only exists, in a supporting role, to serve the needs of Jean-Louis while motivating him to be a better person. The movie barely sheds light on the social difficulties with which Maria and the maids are dealing with, such as living in poverty and the class discrimination they endure. The film also puts to use the “happy slave” trope with Maria and the other Spanish maids. Even though Maria and the maids work as a legal slaves, doing all the cooking, cleaning, and duties around the household, the film makes them seem happy with their current social and economic situation as they teach the white protagonist, Jean Louis, the Spanish culture. Spike Lee would argue that if Maria and the Spanish maids possessed the special power to change the personality and well-being of people, then they would have used it to benefit themselves and better their conditions, instead of improving the lives of those already privileged such as Jean-Louis. As the film comes to an end, it becomes evident that Maria’s “magical minority” character succeeds in transforming the protagonist, Jean-Louis, into a passionate, exciting, and livelier persona that his character lacked at the beginning of the movie. Jean-Louis leaves his wife, quits his job, and no longer identifies with the boring aristocracy lifestyle. Lastly, Mr. Jubert steals the spotlight of the film, culminating his new personality by moving into the sixth floor and confessing his love for Maria.
The same theme is illustrated in the critically acclaimed and controversial film Welcome.

Director Philippe Lioret creates a storyline that the audience can sympathize with emotionally to garner exposure in the unfair immigration laws that encourage exclusion of certain groups of people. Welcome sheds light on the controversial immigration policies of European countries and the determination of refugees to cross borders at any means possible to be granted access into the metaphorical “Fortress of Europe”. The film depicts the dangerous and sometimes deadly attempts of migration for many refugees. The movie tells the story of Simon Calmat and Bilal Kayani. Simon Calmat, a French swimming coach at the local pool in Calais, is in the process of divorcing his wife Marion at her request. Bilal Kayani, an Iraqi-Kurdish immigrant, has settled in France with hopes to migrate to the United Kingdom to be reconciled with his girlfriend Mina. After a failed attempt at crossing the English Channel on a truck bound for a ferry, Bilal derives an idea to swim the 30 miles across the English Channel. Signing up for swimming lessons in preparation for this nearly impossible mission, Bilal meets Simon who agrees to give him lessons. Bilal shows relentless determination for crossing into the United Kingdom, when Simon realizes the reason for Bilal’s swimming lessons, he becomes just as invested in Bilal’s preparations for the treacherous waters of the English Channel. The relationship between the two characters becomes a major aspect of the film. Slowly but surely, a change in Simon’s character is presented as he goes from careless towards the policies of immigration to sympathetic and willing to harbor refugees such as Bilal and his friend. As in most of the movies that a “magical minority” character exists, the film’s protagonist starts off faulty is someway. In the case of Welcome, Simon goes about his life with an unsympathetic attitude towards Calais’ ever-increasing population

of refugees and turns a cheek toward the discrimination of immigrants. While in a grocery store with Marion, Simon encounters two immigrants that are refused entry into the market. Marion argues with the store manager over the discrimination and refusal of service towards the immigrants while Simon quietly observes then pleads for Marion to ignore the issue. This incident illustrates that Simon lacks the bravery or courage to stand up or fight for things he believes in, including his soon to be ex-wife who has fallen in love with another man. Upon meeting Bilal and giving him swimming lessons, Simon becomes a new man as he is suddenly concerned with the well being of refugees and the cruel immigration policies put in place to exclude them from Europe. Bilal’s “magical minority” character is responsible for the change in Simon’s character, infusing the traits in which Simon lacked and needed. One could also argue that Bilal was used to serve Simon’s need of repairing his relationship with Marion. As the “magical minority” character, Bilal’s purpose is to better the situation of Simon, the film’s protagonist. It’s hard to ignore the fact that Simon decided to harbor Bilal and his friend only after realizing how passionate Marion was on the issue concerning refugees and immigrants. It can be inferred by the audience that Simon only chose to shelter Bilal in the first place to impress Marion and prove to her that he could be passionate towards the same interests as her. Simon even lies to Marion and tells her that Bilal and his friend had been staying at his home for three of four days when they truthfully had only been there for one night. In the end, Bilal’s journey and determination in attempting to cross the English Channel to reunite with the love of his life is downplayed by the personality progression we see in Simon’s character and his relationship with Marion. It becomes evident Bilal is only a supporting “magical minority” character when the script of the film decides he will not be successful in crossing the English Channel but will instead drown and die. By choosing death as Bilal’s faith, director Philippe Lioret brings even more attention to Simon’s character as his journey heroically continues but Bilal’s tragically ends.
Philippe le Guay’s Women on the Sixth Floor and Philippe Lioret’s Welcome would be entirely different movies without the use of the two “magical minority” characters Maria and Bilal. Maria’s character works to transform Jean-Louis from the boring and snobby aristocrat, to the exuberant and lively man with an appreciation for different cultures. Bilal’s character serves to instill the courage and awareness of unjust immigration policies that Simon previously lacked, helping him repair his relationship with Marion. What if Maria used her outgoing personality to explore a more lucrative career in teaching, as opposed to being a maid? What if Bilal used his athletic ability to pursue a soccer career as a means of crossing the United Kingdom border? In alternate situations were the “magical minority” characters decide to use their presumed talents or powers to better their own life, the mere existence of the protagonist in each film is eliminated. Depreciated as supporting characters, neither Maria nor Bilal were able to use their powers to overcome issues of racism or class discrimination, but their roles as facilitators in altering the personality of the protagonist in each film were integral to the storyline of both movies.