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Reconnecting with childhood friends can sometimes be an eye-opening experience—to see the different choices you’ve made and the different directions your lives have taken you. But in Passing, two old friends reunite and find that their decisions in life have taken them in strikingly different directions.
Passing tells the story of two former friends who chose very different paths for their lives. While both are lighter-skinned bi-racial women, Irene (Tessa Thompson) is happy living in Harlem with her family, while Clare (Ruth Negga), who was raised by white aunts after her father’s death, has chosen to “pass” as white, marrying a racist white man who has no idea about her ancestry. When the two reconnect, Clare begins spending more and more time in Harlem—though Irene fears what could happen if Clare’s husband finds out.
Together, these two old friends enjoy time on the streets, in the homes, and in the dance halls of 1920s Harlem—and though their story may be filmed in crisp black and white, it often feels bright and lively and vibrant. First-time director Rebecca Hall does an excellent job of capturing the style and the energy of the time period—yet so much of the style and energy comes from the characters themselves and the stars’ captivating performances.
Both of these women are strong and proud in their own way. Irene is elegant—almost regal—a highly respected resident of Harlem. But she prefers the comfort of her own community, keeping her head down when she’s in the white parts of the city—and she doesn’t want her sons hearing about the harsh realities of racism. Clare, on the other hand, is bold and outspoken and larger than life. She’s confident and dramatic—and it seems as though she’s the center of everyone’s attention. She’s learned that she doesn’t need to hide her face in any company, but she’s spent her life hiding who she is—and, in Harlem, she can be truly free.
There are so many stories and issues and emotions just beneath the surface here—issues of race and identity but also jealousy and suspicion. Instead of bringing them out and facing them head-on, though, Hall leaves them there, beneath the surface, enduring in ambiguity—so close to powerful but not quite there.
These women and their stories are beautiful and thought-provoking, but it feels as though Hall holds back just a little too much. There’s so much at play here—but the message pales in comparison to the music and drama and the stunning city streets.
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