Introduction
Society is a highly complex system that is not devoid of flaws and injustices. Evidently, such situations inevitably attract the attention of the people willing to change them through meaningful actions. These activists launch their campaign in a variety of forms, from direct protesting to artistic expression. In the 21st century, the role of television and cinematography has become considerable, as well. This is a powerful medium with a broad coverage, capable of delivering strong messages to the public. Through motion pictures and series, social activists discuss crucial issues that concern most of humanity in a form that is both convenient and convincing. Raoul Peck has selected this method to highlight a long history of racial injustice that has persisted throughout centuries until today.
In his mini-series called Exterminate All the Brutes, Peck takes a social action against historical oppression in an attempt to support the communities of color. The mini-series recounts multiple cases of discrimination, oppression, and even genocide that were performed against non-white population across the globe. However, the power of the series is embodied by the fact that it is not exclusively historical. The issues addressed by Raoul Peck have had a direct impact on the way society shapes itself today.
Overview of the Social Action
The mini-series in question is titled Exterminate All the Brutes and was written, produced, and narrated by the filmmaker Raoul Peck. Having been released by the streaming service HBO Max in the year 2021, this social action addresses racism and “whitening” of history (Peck 2021). These problems rank among the most concerning ones for the contemporary society. In order to explore the foundation of white supremacy as a concept, Raoul Peck delves into the history of oppression that mostly revolves around the past of the United States, as well as the entire Western Civilization. For the convenience of the viewer, this work is divided into four episodes that gradually increase the tension, investigating the historical accounts of colonization, slavery, and genocide. As the filmmaker argues, the last three concept remain integral for the foundation of the Western civilization in several important cases. From the colonization of the Americas to the rise of Nazism in Europe and modern neo-Nazis, ethnic oppression has caused numerous deaths and much suffering throughout the world.
The creator of the mini-series relies on the strong visual medium to broadcast centuries of pain and injustice to the viewers. The beginning of the documentary explores earlier ages of colonization, including multiple indigenous people’s lives that became the price of establishing the colonial presence. Peck specifically addresses the role of European explorers in building the historically inaccurate image of these conquests that has continuously been adopted by historians.
At the same time, the filmmaker argues that an “alternative fact” is a notion that does not make any sense at all. Instead, Peck (2021) attempts to illustrate the actual events that occurred in the past centuries and led to the present. For example, the mistaken attempts to portray the development of weapons that can harm from a long distance as a case of cultural superiority are criticized. Furthermore, the author argues that the genocides of World War II account for the damaging repercussions of historical white supremacy and systemic oppression. The visual support of the medium enhances the effect of the message, making it louder and more convincing.
Context, Significance, and Impact of the Social Action
Evidently, the release of the mini-series has become a powerful social action that has raised a wave of controversy. Raoul Peck addressed a profound problem that has been present within humanity for most of its history. The core of the problem is relatively simple, as it stems from the fact that some people discriminate others on the basis of different origins and appearance (Aouragh 2019). Peck (2021) did not become the first activist to discuss this systemic issue. In fact, the history of controversy around it can be traced back to the previous periods of history. For example, slavery and genocide were among the central themes of the American Civil War.
In addition, the 20th century saw numerous activists who attacked racist ideologies across the globe. The names of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and others are embedded in the annals of history of racial justice activism (Bhattacharyya et al. 2020). However, the list is not limited to them, as the scale of the problem has inspired thousands of people in many countries to rise against the oppression.
Raoul Peck follows in the footsteps of his predecessors, but he does so in a more aggressive, passionate manner. His creation, Exterminate All the Brutes, is filled with the pain of many generations, making the case for the true price of the Western civilization. The mini-series is intentionally graphic and direct to avoid understatements and show the story as it was in reality. As it appears, Peck (2021) is an advocate of the principle that the lessons of the past help the humanity avoid similar mistakes in the future. He does not attempt to cast a shadow on famous personalities and raise his status at their expense. Furthermore, the past cannot be undone, but it should not be altered nor forgotten, either. Instead, Peck offers his viewers an opportunity to look at the history from a more objective point of view. The main idea behind this social action is not to denigrate a certain social group to embellish another one. In fact, this would be the opposite of the message that Peck has tried to deliver.
The context of the social action also plays a role of paramount importance in the discussion. The mini-series was released in 2021 amid the rise of struggle for social justice, especially among black communities in North America and Europe. As it was discussed earlier, the problem is not a recent occurrence. On the contrary, it has persisted through many centuries, but certain facts were neglected by the global community, as illustrated by Peck. Today, the current era is characterized by the increasing importance of social justice in the Western civilization. As the paradigm shift from conservative views to a more prominent role of democratic values occurs, it becomes easier to deliver such messages to wider audiences (Aouragh 2019). As Peck (2021, 4) himself notes in the final episode, “the very existence of this film is a miracle”. There have always been the activists who wanted to speak about the problem, but only now society is actually prepared to listen.
Conclusion
Overall, the release of the mini-series Exterminate All the Brutes by Raoul Peck has become a powerful social action. In a bold and graphic manner, it addressed the age-old problem of systemic oppression and racial discrimination that caused numerous instances of genocide in the past. The filmmaker relies on historical facts to illustrate the harm of the central issue, from the suffering of indigenous colonized people to the terrors of World War II, racial oppression has had a high death toll on Earth. Peck’s work is the culmination of this struggle that appeared amid a surge in the prominence of racial justice movements. In its particular form, this social action made an important contribution by promoting true, objective history within a broader audience.
References
Aouragh, Miriyam. 2019. “‘White Privilege’ and Shortcuts to Anti-Racism”. Race & Class, 61 (2): 3-26. Web.
Bhattacharyya, Gargi, Satnam Virdee, and Aaron Winter. 2020. “Revisiting Histories of Anti-Racist Thought and Activism”. Identities, 27 (1): 1-19. Web.
Exterminate All the Brutes. Directed by Raoul Peck. 2021. New York: HBO Max. Streaming