The Cinematic Trope Of White Savior In The Film The Blind Side

The cinematic trope of white savior in film represents the sociology of race and ethnic relations by placing certain concepts like morality as characteristics of white people. A white savior is portrayed by a white character that rescues people of color from their predicament. This is a big theme in the Oscar-nominate film The Blind Side (2009). It is a film based on the true story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), an African-American pro-football player for the Baltimore Ravens. He is a son of a drug addicted mother and an absent father, and is an orphan who has to survive on his own. Then comes into the picture, Leigh Ann Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), a white socialite who finds him drenched in the rain one night and brings him to her home and practically makes him part of her family. Her generosity does not stop there as Leigh Ann enrolls him to

Michael does not even question anything that the Tuohy’s do for him because he is taught that white people are always right. They do not even give Michael any power in deciding what he wants to do until towards the end of the movie. The fact that Michael is uncomfortable tackling his teammates during football practice makes one wonder if he even wanted to be a football player. He says though, as he is accepted to the college that he wants to go there because his family went there. Leigh Ann conforms her values and family traditions to Michael throughout the film. It is also worth noting that throughout the two-hour film, Michael did not say much. He is supposed to be the most important character of this movie and yet Leigh Ann makes the decisions for his life. She used their influence as white people to get him into a good school and a football program which suggests that black people have to rise against their color in order to even have a taste of