Shelby Steele’s life is an imperfect portrait of American race relations.
The black author, columnist and now filmmaker grew up in a racially segregated United States. At 80, Steele has witnessed stunning progress on that front.
“White Guilt,” directed by son Eli Steele, lets the father guide us through America’s problematic past to a present where race has reared its ugly head anew.
Now, whiteness is the sin that must be expunged, and the titular guilt could crush society.
Shelby Steele’s avuncular presence powers the film’s extended opening. He shares his personal journey, a life bedeviled by institutional racism.
It’s a frightening reminder of the inequalities that greeted most black Americans for far too long. His account is unflinching, one that explains his brief flirtation with black radicals.
“White Guilt” shows that detour without apology.
Our narrator also tracks the cultural blowback to unchecked racism, often in the form of a far-Left ideology that skewered bigotry during the ’60s. Scoff if you like, but those radicals had a point. And that context matters, making what follows all the more alarming.
The prologue lets filmmaker Steele detail how a genuine need for change morphed into what some have called the “Selma envy” happening today.
Cue the movie’s title.
Those early sequences are too extensive for the film’s otherwise sound arguments. Once we’re back in the present, the film finds its footing.
Does it ever.
“White Guilt” is, above all else, a robust defense of not just America but Western civilization. And much of what the film explores is a guilt meant to undermine both.
The film packs more than enough receipts to support that thesis.
Smith College Alums Demand Whistleblower Jodi Shaw @Smith_Surge Undergo More White Privilege “Training” to “Safely Interact With Students” https://t.co/fwusem5om7
— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) November 29, 2020
The documentary’s boldest decision may catch some off guard. The narrative connects the Oct. 7 atrocities to the film’s core theme, suggesting many of the principles that led to that attack (and those who stubbornly defend it) are one and the same.
It’s not a complete sale, but the arguments are valid enough to keep viewers up at night.
“White Guilt” lets the victims of today’s bigotry share their stories. That underlines another key theme – what we’re witnessing now is just racism with the colors flipped.
And those who pretend to care about it are either silent or cheering on the discrimination.
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Those personal stories are maddening and likely the tip of the discriminatory iceberg. We meet ordinary people who dared to defend themselves for not demonizing their skin color. Smith College librarian Jodi Shaw’s bravery in the face of DEI scolds is a particularly chilling chapter.
Why? She could be any of us (and earn a personal attack from the far-Left Rolling Stone).
The modestly budgeted film is never flashy, but shrewd use of graphics and typography give “White Guilt” a clean, almost startling aesthetic.
How did all of this behavior become acceptable, let alone widespread? “White Guilt” from its early history lessons to more recent tragedies, explains how.
Eli Steele calls his film a documentary essay. A more accurate genre? A real-world horror story.
HiT or Miss: 4 out of 5 stars
Genre: Documentary/Essay
Runtime: 1 hour, 51 minutes
Where to Watch: Now available on VOD platforms like Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google/YouTube.
Family Friendly? Some adult language, disturbing Holocaust-themed imagery: NR
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