Protest Watch: Blind People Offended by Blindness

Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 2, 2008

Julianne Moore in Blindness

I have to start by saying that I have great respect for people who work past disabilities and afflictions to lead healthy, rewarding lives. I have nothing against blind people, just ignorant people. So I apologize early if I offend any of our blind readers out there – wait, can blind people read?

News has hit that the National Federation of the Blind plans to protest Miramax and director Fernando Meirelles’s film Blindness. The film is set to release October 3rd in a limited run of about 75 screens across the country. The film is based on Jose Saramago’s 1995 novel of the same title. The film is about a mysterious epidemic that causes blindness, and consequently hysteria and chaos. So what’s the problem? It would seem that someone who actually saw the film, told the NFB what the film is about. Apparently the NFB doesn’t appreciate the depiction of blind people in the film. The quarantined blind are kept in a mental institution and travel to several extremes such as trading sex for food and fighting each other for survival.

I will take this one as delicately as possible. It isn’t the NFB’s fault for not being able to see… that this is simply a metaphor. Some people just cant see beyond their reach. This is a movie. Movies are meant to do a few things such as entertain, inform and explore. Some films do all of these, some do none. Some films explore the present political and social climate of the world, and become a powerful allegory for people to relate with. Some films inform viewers, and provide a mostly factual view of a subject matter. So why is it that some people are just too blind to see the line between fact and metaphor?

Blindness is simply a metaphor for a chaotic breakdown in communication and basic societal behaviors. the metaphor is not a vehicle that has not been seen in cinema. Everyone knows that James Cameron’s Titanic wasn’t about a sinking ship, it was a metaphor for the looming economic crisis to be expected at the turn of the century. It is a well known fact, in many circles, that I Am Legend was a brilliant social commentary on the energy and fuel crisis. So enough bragging about my film knowledge. Let’s get back on point and turn to a statement from Miramax regarding the protest, “We are saddened to learn that the National Federation of the Blind plans to protest the film Blindness.’”

You know what saddens me? The fact that the National Federation of the Blind, can not see their own ignorance. You didn’t see people running around and caging apes after the release of Planet of the Apes out of paranoia that we would be overthrown by primates. No, we used them as butlers. Little monkey butlers. We didn’t see everyone running out and caring about the environment because of that crazy Gore flick An Inconvenient Truth now did we? We don’t actually think that blind people are chaotic and void of common sense of order. I’m not sure about the whole soiling themselves, and trading sex for food thing though. I better google that.

What do you think of the National Federation of the Blind’s outrage over Blindness?


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  • The NFB are reacting defensively and without thought to something they perceive on the surface to be offensive. If the bothered to read the book they would find the truth, like you said in the article, that the blindness is a lens through which we watch the breakdown of society and the near instantaneous depravity people can drop to. These characters are not blind from birth, they have not had the time and training to learn to live as proud citizens with this affliction. They turn blind instantly in the middle of traffic, the middle of sex, the middle of a thought, and then they are tossed into a condemned building with little assistance or support. In all truth, the people in the story could have had full use of their sight and the depravity would have still happened, just not as quickly.
  • “I’m very surprised. The film is not about blind people, it’s about human nature, about people who have just gone blind with no time for any adaptation. The only character who’s really blind (Maury Chaykin) is completely adapted and so efficient that he’s able to control all the others. I never even thought that the film could hurt blind people, because that’s not what it is about. I know some artists, scientists or businessmen that are blind and brilliant in their jobs. We all know that.”

    - Director of Blindness, Fernando Meirelles.

    Blindness is an amazing film, a real shame someone would want to protest against it.
  • Ugh - if they're bothered by the movie, they shouldn't go see it.

    Oh, shit...
  • I love my little monkey butler, I don't give a damn what anyone says.

    Can somebody put a ban on political correctness? This film is not offensive in any way to members of the blind community. You know what? Fuck it. I am starting a protest against Attack of the Killer Tomatoes because it promotes a negative stereotype against vegetables. Take that!
  • Meepo
    Its just as stupid as the Tropic Thunder protests.

    Blind people can't even see the movie, why complain?
  • Mikey
    "So why is it that some people are just too blind to see the line between fact and metaphor?"

    Duh, it's because they can't see
  • James
    The blindness is a disease in the movie and it spreads like one from person to person. It also isn't normal blindness where you don't see anything... you see nothing but bright white. And there are many religious undertones throughout the novel as well if you read it.
  • Chuck
    I am legally blind and feel the book and film are outrageous.

    Most people do not know a blind person, and you would be amazed how many stupid questions people ask us about "How do you do..." this or that. Blind parents even hear people tell their kids "You take good care of your Daddy, don't you." and other similar outrageous and stupid statements. We also face an unemployment rate greater than 60%, not because we are not qualified or don't want to work, but because employers harbor the same myths and misconceptions as the rest of society.

    Blindness is simply the inability to perceive things with the eyes. Whether a person is born blind or becomes blind as a child or adult doesn't matter. They still have equal capabilities to learn alternate methods of doing the same routine things we all do every day. Just because someone goes blind does not make them suddenly lose the ability to dress themselves or do other simple tasks.

    If a movie were to be made in which people’s hair suddenly turned blonde and all of the characters with blonde hair were vapid idiots, then people with blonde hair would rightly be outraged. In today’s society, it should likewise be unacceptable for blindness to be used as a stand-in for depravity, incompetence, and lack of understanding. This movie will further entrench myths and misunderstanding about blindness and blind people and will contribute to the barriers to equal participation in society that we face.

    A group of NFB members and staff were allowed to pre-screen the movie, and other members have read the book, so we know what we're talking about.

    Earlier tonight I joined hundreds of my fellow blind brothers and sisters across America in the largest protest the NFB has organized in its 68-year history. Hundreds of blind people and people who support us gathered at more than 75 cinemas across 38 states.
  • Paul
    I am also a Blind American. And I don't think I can say it much better than Chuck. The very fact that the above article by Brian Gibson uses stereotypes and cheap jokes to make his point proves that in America it is OK to insult and degradate the blind and disabled. Comments such as, "Can blind people read this?" and "Some people just cant see beyond their reach," are offensive in an article that is supposed to be thought provoking. Yes some of us have "Seen" the movie or read the book, and yes we understand that it is supposed to be a metaphor, but does that make it ok? If I made a movie about good people fighting evil people, and all the good people had white skin and all the evil people had black skin would that be an acceptable metaphor? The question is why is blindness linked with depravity, ignorance, and uncivility? They could have just as easily made the catalyst something else. Heck this could be a fictional retelling of Hurricaine Katrina and the Thunderdome, oh but waith thats real life and that might offend someone. Well as Chuck pointed out blind people are real and most people don't know us. And the stereotypes and false information about blindness do cause prejudice and descrimination in real life. So I feel we need to be more careful with our metaphors.
  • James
    I don't get how people can be offended. How are you offended? That people go blind in the
    movie from something that spreads like a disease.... spreads all over. I think it's interesting
    how people would react to that. I think some would be appreciative of people taking the
    time to think about what it would be like.
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