Abstract:

After the Supreme Court reinstituted the death penalty in 1976, films about capital punishment were written and directed almost entirely by white men. The protagonists and those sentenced to death were largely white and, to avoid antagonizing audiences who might be offended if the films took positions on larger issues, the stories told were those of individuals rather than institutions. The 2019 films Just Mercy and Clemency featured actors, directors, and screenwriters of color. This article asks whether this made a substantive difference in the content of these films and what the likelihood of significant change in the future will be.

摘要：

最高法院在1976年恢复死刑之后，有关死刑的影片几乎全部由白人撰写和导演。主角和那些被判处死刑的人基本上都是白人，为了避免激怒观众，如果电影在更大的问题上采取立场，他们可能会被冒犯，所讲的故事是针对个人而不是机构的。2019年的电影Just Mercy和Clemency推荐了彩色演员，导演和编剧。本文问这是否对这些电影的内容产生了实质性的影响，以及未来发生重大变化的可能性是什么。