Supremacy with a Smile WHITE SAVIOUR COMPLEX IN THE BLIND SIDE

According to sociologist Hernán Vera and film critic Andrew Gordon, the ‘white saviour’ is defined as ‘the redeemer of the weak, the great leader who saves blacks from slavery or oppression [and] rescues people of color from poverty and disease’. Though this theme existed well before the 1960s, scholars have attributed its prevalence in film to an American post–civil rights climate in which African-Americans were expected to attain racial equality and whites were expected to be colourblind.

In film, specifically, narratives about white saviours have several characteristics. Although they often include African-American characters and may seem to tell diverse stories, white saviour films are told from white characters’ perspectives, oftentimes marginalising diverse points of view. These characters are initially unaware of societal or structural racism, and eventually develop into anti-racist heroes by saving African-American characters. Also central to the white saviour’s journey is the process of growing into an advocate while battling white racists. Finally, in what some deem to be a post-racial America, white saviour films demonstrate that it is possible for white people to be colourblind.

(John Lee Hancock, 2009), a sports-related film, exemplifies traits of the white saviour trope. Based on actual events, the narrative tells the story of how Michael Oher (played in the film by Quinton Aaron) became a professional American football player; however, the film is centred on the wealthy white woman who saved him, Leigh Anne Tuohy (played here by Sandra Bullock). Leigh Anne finds Michael, a homeless and illiterate black teenager, and adopts him. Though her family supports Michael by teaching him to read and to achieve at school, as is common in many white saviour films, the main character, Leigh