Ganja and Hess

Ganja and Hess was not the blaxploitation film that I was expecting. When I sat down to watch this film I was expecting to more or less see a film that more or less retold the tale of Dracula and to some extant that would be true. The film separates itself from other similar films of the time by placing emphasis African culture through its ability to keep Ganja and Hess relatable instead of turning them into the "other" that many movie monsters tend to represent. Many horror films of the time would use this convention of the "other" to provide a contrast for the "normal" which would usually represent white middle-class people. These film attempt to get the audience root for the demise of the "other" by the hand of the "normal". This is a trope Ganja and Hess easily could have followed but instead the fim chooses a different route. While the "normal" and "other" are still represented in this film the standard function of the tropes are discarded. Instead, we receive a film that makes us sympathise with the "other" as he attempts to take down the "normal". This is due to the fact that the film uses the"other" to project an example of the black experience and in doing so the "normal" comes to represent the oppressive aspects of American society. This allows us to sympathise with characters that are usually portrayed as lifeless monsters and allows its audience the opportunity to reflect on society as a whole.