Something that immediately grasped my attention when looking for themes in the film NOPE was the theme of marginalization. The film opened pretty early on with a setting of OJ and his sister Emerald Haywood on a soundstage along with their horse Lucky. Earlier in the film their dad had passed away by a coin mysteriously falling from the sky and piercing him in the eye. They were now trying to make money and keep their family business Haywood Hollywood Horses afloat, especially now that they had to do it without their father.
Something that stood out to me that while on the soundstage they were noticeably one of the only people of color on the set, if only. This made me wonder if Jordan Peele did this on purpose to highlight the idea of marginalization. Marginalization is when you treat a person or group as less than you, or insignificant. Not listening to direction as if their words don’t hold any weight is a clear example of this. The non POC in this setting, and everyone working on this set in general clearly did not listen to one thing OJ or Emerald told them about the horses, they showed no respect. They didn’t listen to their warnings and expertise about the horse, Lucky which led to him freaking out at the sight of a shiny orb stuck in his face by one of the rude workers. Not only did the workers and non POC on the set not listen to their instructions, but the way they talked to them seemed unwelcoming, rude, and didn’t make eye contact which gives immediate red flags of a superiority complex and marginalization.
As the people didn’t listen to the instructions that OJ and Emerald had warned them about, leading Lucky to freak out, they were let go of the movie. This made their shot of working on the set ruined as they deliberately weren’t listened to and clearly not respected, and now their chance of making money for their family business was ruined. This instance is a clear example of marginalization and how minorities can be effected in Hollywood by unfair treatment like this. This instance was clearly not their fault and was racially biased but it still led them to being let go and wasted their time and energy.
After being let go of this movie, the struggle that OJ and Emerald had with saving Haywood Hollywood Horses made them desperate, leading to them try and get a shot of Jean Jacket which came with putting their lives in risk multiple times. This film highlights the EXTENT in which people have to push themselves without being respected even to the point of risking their life. This movie shows this beautifully.