This film should definitely be read through a historical critical lenses. The characters in these movies represents how harsh slavery on African Americans was. The ghost in the movie symbolizes the past of slavery haunting African Americans even after it ended, this is specifically shown when the ghost torments her mother and everyone she comes in contact with. The Family in the movie represents three different generations of slavery; Sethe’s mother and grandmother who most likely spend their lives enslaved, Seth who escaped from slavery, and her children who where born after but have had to suffer the consequences of slavery. Beloved, as the ghost and symbolic character, offers a chance to dig up and make peace with her past as well as the supernatural rebirth of her child that was killed because of Sethe’s fear that her children would have to go through the same struggles as her. I believe another purpose that the killing of her child serves is to show that the pain and suffering during slavery was so extreme that she will willing to take their lives.
During the movie we see the struggles of Sethe, a now free slave and her family dealing with the ghost of her past. In history, slaves who had made it to freedom were hunted down by their slave owners and recaptured. Through flashbacks we learned that Sethe tried to kill her children to prevent they from being returned to slavery. She only succeeds in killing one child, which is the poltergeist at the beginning of the film before arriving as Beloved. In the film the black community was not excepting of this choice to end a child’s life to prevent them rom living as slaves. It seemed as if Sethe was accepting of the poltergeist because its like she got all of her children out and that she is afraid of her own memories more than the ghost. The ghost is represented by red lights, things being thrown around, loud sounds. Spirituality and supernatural happenings are related to African American culture. The people in the town knew exactly who the poltergeist was because of Sethe’s past, this is shown when the old women were sitting in the hen house gossiping. The fact that Sethe escaped slavery, made it out with most of her children and owns a house on her own is a milestone that was a great accomplishment in those times. I believe the ghost in this film represents slavery. Sethe should be living a very happy life but because of this ghost from what she did, her family is outcasts in their community, he house is in constant disarray and her two sons ended up running away. This can be seen as a representation of how the actions during slavery has left a ghost behind on many African American Families.
The ghost in the beginning of the movie is a violent poltergeist who torments the home. The ghosts presence is represented with red lights, a babies cry, and even babies handprints appear in a cake in the house. The dog is thrown against the wall and Sethe calmly pops its eye back into place without a second thought. This scene alone can be used to categorize beloved as a horror film, not to mention the unpleasant candor of Beloved. She speaks and walks with a possessed presence and seems to have the mind of very small child. When Paul D first enters the home he sees red lights and flashes of the flashback scene at the shed where Sethe tries to kill her children, the images disappear before we are able to see what is happening, but will be revealed to the viewer and him later. This scene is used to convey the house as being haunted by the energy given off in that shed when her child died. I believe this scene is important because he wasn’t there when that event took place and it shows that the trauma of slavery can affect those who did not directly experience it.
Beloved being a horror film goes against the established Hollywood horror classification. Usually ghost films have a frightening nature in which they will try to scare or shock the viewer with supernatural entities. This film is sending the same bewildering message without focusing on the hauntings of a ghost, but focusing on the nature and creation of this poltergeist. Most horror films play of fears from social taboos that usually don’t relate to African Americans or ignore them unless there are racial stereotypes aspects of voodoo involved. This film Used the emotions of the real struggles of a large group of people to build the eeriness of the ghost in this film. When the group of older women are discussing beloved towards the end of the film, they express that the thing that was draining the life out of Sethe was her sins coming back to haunt her. This is a relatable aspect because this is how older women would speak on the matter, stating that she is reaping what she sows, but at that same time no one deserves to live a life of unrest because of the undead.
It is believed that we can channel and feel the presence memories, or energy of our ancestors, this is known as blood memories. Looking at the film from this approach helps you see it as more than a ghost film, and more than a film about slavery. When you start to realize that Paul D and Denver not just affected by the presence of the memories of the people who died in the film but that they are seeing these memories; Paul D when he enters the house and when Sethe, Denver and Beloved visit Baby Suggs Grave site. It seems as if they are watching her preach to the newly freed slaves while everyone is filled with happiness and emotion. The scene ends with Baby Suggs waving at them and them waving back. To me, this depicts the strength between African American families and their ancestors.