The Precarious Politics of Precious: A Close Reading of a Cinematic Text

There has been considerable controversy over Lee Daniels's directorial debut Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire since its release in 2009. Various news outlets such as the New York Times, ABC News and The Huffington Post have discussed the film's polarizing effect. For example, on November 21, 2009, Times writer Felicia R. Lee posed the question that seemed to be on many people's minds: Is the film a reinforcement of noxious stereotypes or a realistic and therapeutic portrayal of a black family in America? In its unrelentingly close examination of the eponymous character's tragically abusive childhood, Precious is simultaneously a grueling social problem picture for the twenty-first century and an amalgamation of familiar images that resonates with racial stereotypes. The film—and its controversial reception—has even been linked to other hotly contested movies like The Color Purple (1985). Prominent intellectuals have been recruited to censure what Jill Nelson described as "self-hatred" and Ismael Reed termed "the racism at the heart of Precious." This essay examines critical controversy ignited by the film and offers a close reading of the text. By closely reading the performances, the film's aesthetic, and the social context, I argue that Precious is complex and contradictory rather than simply offensive. To dismiss it as offensive is to lose sight of the good—even exceptional—filmmaking and commentary within the film. Instead, the picture is a cultural palimpsest upon which multiple signs have been inscribed.