Us: From Laughter To Horror, Without Forgetting The Criticism

In this article, we will try not to reveal the plot of Jordan Peele’s latest film: Us. The filmmaker, having only two feature films to his credit, has already proven himself to be a master knowing how to combine terror and comedy. and socio-political criticism. Without further ado, we are therefore going to present to you one of the most interesting cinematographic proposals of the year.

Us is Jordan Peele’s latest perversion. We do not use the word “perversion” in its strict sense, but in its critical sense, that of breaking the established order.

Terror and comedy are intertwined, they are linked to create a film which is sometimes absurd, but which also shows great ingenuity. It is an almost carnivalesque and satirical massacre which becomes a critique of capitalism and consequently, a critique of the world as we know it.

The force of the images, the recourse to doppelgänger , to humor in critical moments and the use of metaphor are based on a political criticism which is initially imperceptible to us. If in his first film Get out , Jordan Peele adopted the critique of racism in American society, in Us , he takes a completely different approach.

Synopsis

A North American family, led by a mother suffering from deep trauma from the past, will face a very strange success. The action takes place overnight. The characters will discover a strange family at the gates of their vacation home. These characters will be a physical reflection of themselves. However, they do not come with a desire for peace.

The title of the original version, Us (“Nous”, in French), is also a play on words that refers to the US (United States). This is materialized in a key moment in the film in which one of the double protagonists claims “We are Americans”. And if they are Americans, it means that they have the same nationality as the protagonists of the basic family, but they are the price to pay for “the American dream”.

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Us: the subject of the double

The subject of the double, or doppelgänger, is one of the most explored resources in the artistic world, especially in literature. It is a question very related to the question of duality, the dark and the evil. Over time, the idea of the double acquired different connotations. We do not find the same approach in Dostoievsky’s double and in Stevenson’s Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde double .

The double can also manifest itself in different ways, more or less explicit. He can be portrayed through mirrors, reflections, shadows or through an evil twin. If we think of the mythological character of Narcissus, we will realize that this was one of the first manifestations of the approach with the use of the reflection.

Technique employed

Joran Peele is nourished by this tradition but he does not reinvent it, he applies it to the present. The first clue we have about the presence of the double protagonist is in a room of mirrors. It is a deceptive place which makes us lose the thread of reality but also supposes an element of truth. Over there, in the middle of the mirrors, a little girl finds herself facing her double, but not facing her reflection as such. This little girl is exactly the same as her.

Is it an evil double? This is what Peele will claim to make us understand in the course of his history. The tracks are numerous and they make us see that nothing resembles what one imagines and that in Us , nothing is the object of the chance. The duality will be present throughout the film. We will discover a “real” world in the face of a copy or a parody of this truth.

In addition to an ingenious use of tradition and the question of the double, the film employs other metaphors very cleverly. Eventually this leads us to a sort of contemporary William Wilson where we end up stabbing ourselves.

A game of metaphors

Biblical reference

What does this message, which is repeated over and over again: “Jeremiah 11:11”, mean ? As we might expect, this is a direct reference to the Bible which says, “Behold, I bring upon them an evil that they cannot come out of, and they will cry out to me, and I will not listen to them. ”.

This sentence simply explains that in this film, there is no judge who can judge Man. There are only men who have played at being gods. We are faced with a terrible truth and a form of persecution that leaves little room for hope. The quote fits like a sort of synopsis. It’s like a hidden truth that we won’t find out until the end.

Cinematographic reference

In Us , there are scenes of terror that can make one think of Alice in Wonderland . But instead of falling into a hole or walking through a mirror (once again), we discover a terrible truth. The appearance of the rabbits in the film has a much stronger meaning. This is the path to the fantasy underworld that Alice visited and which in Us is kind of a parody of our world.

Societal reference

On the other hand, we can find allusions to the recent past. In the 1980s, a campaign was carried out. Its name was Hands Across America, and its purpose was to form a human chain and raise money for those in need. The campaign was a real failure and the company preferred to stay glued to its television set. This event is materialized in the film. But here, the act will not be something peaceful and unimportant; it will be a real bloodbath.

Us : between socio-political criticism, satire and terror

Us is a film based on the principles of horror film. He also uses the traditional doppelgänger to ultimately lead a sharp critique of capitalism. Peele’s nimble and skillful pace allows the film to sometimes stray from the genre it is based on.

Peele becomes a true conductor capable of making the drum ring in an intense and dramatic moment, of making silence reign in a critical and shattering moment. Amidst the horror, he finds room for humor. Through jokes, Us awakens horror in us, breathes new life into us and relieves our anguish. The film is therefore aimed at both horror film lovers and those who are more afraid.

Few movies scare me and I have to admit that the movie Us managed to make me tremble. And as soon as I reached this feeling of fear, laughter interrupted it, while at the same time hiding the political charge. Ultimately, criticism is the key to Us .

Criticism of racism

Peele criticizes racism again. He assigns the roles to black actors which, far from being the result of chance, turns into a real rebellion.

While the cinema systematically employs the image of white men, Peele claims the image of those who, for years, have been left out. They pitted them against a wealthy white family to show us that even today there are many inequalities. He mentions the fascination with whites, the innocent admiration that hides a historical past associated with racism.

Critique of capitalism

They do not stop there; it would be like following in the footsteps of Get out . Peele was determined to tell something more. In fact, the capitalist world will take little interest in your origins as long as you have money in your pockets. If you can afford hobbies and spend money on material goods, you have your place. Peele makes a critique of materialism, of our era. He puts words on the absurdity of our daily actions.

They offer a caricatured vision of reality, of capitalism and of our hypocrisy towards the problems of others. It’s a film that is capable of maintaining the suspense and making us laugh even at the most terrible moment.

This is undoubtedly one of the great proposals of the year 2019. It is a real lesson in comedy in the middle of an apocalypse in which we can, in a way, see our reflection.