Just watched Sinners
Can anyone enlighten me on why they picked on Irish immigrants? Did blues get coopted by Irish historically?
I don’t get it
I can’t speak to why the Irish instead of some other group. But generally, they’re an example of a historically subjugated people who experienced hardship and discrimination when arriving in the US, but were eventually (more or less) accepted and brought into the fold as “white”. Meanwhile, black people, on whose backs the US was literally built, many of whose lineage in the US stretches back hundreds of years further than many white people, still face some of the worst treatment and outcomes of any minority group in the US. So my read is that while they had a common plight, the relative leg up the Irish had would render attempts to form community between the two groups fraught. And Remmick is clearly trying to exploit that common cause for his own purposes, and isn’t too concerned with actual liberation, as demonstrated by his first recruits being Klan members.
Why do you think the film “picked on” Irish immigrants? If anything, it was actually sympathetic towards Irish Catholics because it acknowledged the discrimination they have faced. That was the whole point of the allegorical connection between vampirism and cultural assimilation.
But then he should be British, not Irish.
What they are referring to is what Remmick said to Preacherboy that the prayer they were reciting was passed down to him from his father who got it from the people who stole his land. I’m not well versed in the history of those parts, but I’m guessing the English vs Irish. He’s implying that he too was once upon a time a victim of oppression as well.
You’ll need to explain that further. You also haven’t answered my question.
I’m guessing by demonization you’re referring to the head vampire being Irish?
I’m guessing the idea was to have someone “lower class” based on how Irish immigrants were treated in that era, e.g. poorly.
When the head vampire and the couple first try to enter the building by playing music they are sent away.
If the head vampire had been black there might have been less suspicion and he would have been invited in, which would change the film.
If the head vampire had been white/non-Irish there might have been more suspicion. Why is this group coming here instead of somewhere else in the town, something the film even brings up.
They are however just the right level of “lower class” that Halie Steinfeld’s makes an effort to get to know them and possibly invite them in. That moment is key to the films plot, and an Irish immigrant fits the role well.
Other immigrants or “lower class” might have worked, but then you have the musical aspect. The Irish have a rich musical history. The preacher’s son is being sought out for his musical abilities. It fits well.
Also, something to consider, while turning into a vampire is often viewed as a negative, within the film they make an argument that it isn’t that bad. Stack and Halie Steinfeld live a nice life as vampires, even inviting the preacher’s son to join them in his old age. Sure a vampire kills you, but maybe it’s not that bad.
I haven’t seen the movie, but the Irish were viewed pretty poorly throughout American history, so that might be something that was played up in the movie. Again, I haven’t seen it, though, so I don’t know for sure.
Seems kinda fucked up, punching down on the Irish like that
Yes, it WAS fucked up. That’s how it was back in those days.
There was all kinds of stupid racism back in those days, and “science” (but actually pseudoscience) was used as an excuse for it, like Calvin Candie in Django Unchained going on about skull dimples.
Well, I say “back in those days” but really it’s alive and well in the present, too. Have you ever read what modern racists believe? It’s still nuts.
The interesting thing is that “Remmick” isn’t an Irish surname. It’s of German origin, derived from “Roemmich”.
It’s also worth noting that Remmick doesn’t start using an Irish accent nor singing Irish songs until AFTER pretending to be a poor southern blues singer has failed.
There was an article written about that very thing when the movie first came out.
https://www.thewrap.com/sinners-irish-vampire-meaning-history-explained/
Racism, religious discrimination, classism, take your pick of bigotry.
You’re suggesting the writer and director of this film is racist?
What? No. It’s set in the 1930s when Irish immigrants were seen as less than other western European immigrants because of a mix of types of bigotry. The movie just uses historical reality.
Aside from the main vampire doing an Irish jig, in what way did they
A) Indicate he was Irish
and
B) Pick on him for being Irish?
A. He said he was Irish
B. They literally made him a blood sucking daemon trying to kill everyone
I should preface this by saying I am not Irish nor black nor brown so take anything I say about race and disparaged people groups with that in mind (read: I have no authority to speak on this).
From my perspective it seemed like the fact that the vampire was Irish was purely a vehicle to make the point that while Irish people have historically been oppressed, there’s still a stark difference between life for the Irish in America, and life for black people in America. I think that point was clearly made during the introduction to the vampire when he was being chased by natives who already knew that he was a vampire, but even so the klansmen trusted the vampire over the non-white people and didn’t turn him over.
I also don’t think they were punching down on Irish people by writing one character as both a vampire and an Irishman. I don’t think that fits into any pre-existing stereotypes. I think it would be a slightly different story if he were an alcoholic or something like that. Furthermore, it didn’t seem like anything about him being Irish was demonized. He did an Irish jig but to me that seemed like it was just the way that he would’ve known to dance when he was excited.
I dunno, that’s just my thoughts that are probably worth nothing. I thought the entire movie was about the development of American popular music, and how white people would act like leeches (blood suckers) around black culture in order to make money off of them.
