Deeps > Contemporary Film and the Black Atlantic > Sentimentality and Love

What makes movies in the twenty-first century successful today?  Riveting story lines, talented acting, and advanced cinematic techniques are likely answers.  Another possible response is that movies today – regardless of their subject matter – adhere to certain filmic standards that resonate with viewers because they are continually invoked and therefore, familiar.  This two-part blog series considers how directors, Quentin Tarantino and Steve McQueen, depict sentimentality and love in Django Unchained and 12 Years a Slave respectively.  How do they construct love?  What do they do differently from other filmmakers at the time?  Does the sentimental help or hinder their cause?  Must history remain intact for their filmic projects to fair well in popular culture are some of the questions these posts will answer.

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Part One: Negotiating Romance and Sentimentality in Django Unchained 

Part Two: (Re)Writing Love in 12 Years a Slave

How to cite this project: Sasha Panaram, Hannah Rogers, Thayne Stoddard. “Contemporary Film and the Black Atlantic.” Deeps, (Accessed on Date) http://sites.duke.edu/blackatlantic/