How Does “The Watermelon Woman” Use Reflexivity To Investigate Representation And Race?

Cheryl Dunye’s film, The Watermelon Woman (1996), deconstructs the internal life of queer Black women’s history in cinema, and the archival procedures, or absence thereof, that contribute to the marginalization and erasure of said historical narratives. This analysis will examine how reflexivity is intentionally incorporated into the storytelling and camera movements, and its impact on the emotional authenticity of the narrative and the representation of Black women’s narratives.

The Watermelon Woman occupies a distinct position in historical discourse as it illustrates resistance against conventional filmmaking practices. Reflexivity is a prominent feature of the film, which constitutes distinctive characteristics that inform the film’s visual style, narrative, and editing techniques. The existence of reflexivity in the film combats the status quo of a cinematic technique predominantly controlled by heterosexual White male filmmakers. The reflexive nature of the narrative places the audience directly into Dunye’s viewpoint of the world as she navigates her platonic and romantic relationships with other women. The technique supplements the audience with an authentic sense of identity in an industry saturated with films that adopt didactic storytelling methods.

The film revels in the fruitfulness of reflexivity by fearlessly designing a fictional narrative centered on queer Black women, crafted by a queer Black woman. Through the application of reflexivity, Dunye manifests truth by exposing the way film fabricates the perception of reality while also utilizing the mechanisms of satire to unlock truth within fiction. The film comes together as a montage of fabricated scenes, deliberately arranged to juxtapose genuine street interviews and interviews featuring Dunye’s mother. Dunye approaches these complicated topics about race, gender, and sexuality with tenderness, leaving room for humanity. Enabling the filmmaker to reclaim the vestiges of history through archival methodologies that created a truthful account of lesbian life in Philadelphia in 1996.

The documentation of the archival process demonstrates the difficulties of untangling the histories of persons that are dismissed carelessly to a bygone era and regarded as elusive to relevant modern-day discussions about race, sexuality, and womanhood. The narrative reflects the elusive nature of historical documentation, which affirms the existence or presence of Black women and Black queer women in cinema. The narrative challenges histories previously rendered ahistorical by circumventing conventional narrative structure. This is achieved by intercutting a subplot centered around Dunye’s romantic relationship, displaced dance scenes, and informal interludes that encourage the audience to contextualize Black queer women’s history outside the constraints of temporal logic.  

This paper will incorporate the analyses and works of various scholars who have either directly analyzed The Watermelon Woman or possess relevance to the topics introduced in the introduction. The contributions of Catherine Zimmer, Robert Stam, and Yifen Beus will be referenced to effectively communicate academic intent. Furthermore, specific scenes from the film will be analyzed to add additional illumination to the proposed topics.

It is paramount to establish a clear definition of the reflective mode and its practical implementation in cinema. The term reflexive originates from the Latin word reflexio/reflectere, denoting the meaning to bend back on. A film that adopts the reflexive mode concentrates on the process of filmmaking itself. This mode of filmmaking prompts the viewers to contemplate their connection with the filmmaker and individual interpretation of reality. A reflexive film, through self-awareness, encourages the audience to actively engage with the filmmaking mechanics that construct a distinct representation of the truth. Reflexive films serve the purpose of bringing to the viewers’ attention the fact that they are watching a film. With specific narrative and technical devices, filmmakers can directly address the audience. This approach permits filmmakers to explore and subsequently challenge the limitations of the screen’s two-dimensional nature.

Reflexive films possess several distinctive characteristics. These include metatextual commentary, which involves critical analysis of the film itself or another text. Additionally, reflexive films subvert genre norms, deliberately exclude information to create gaps in the narrative, and showcase production and editing techniques. They also feature visible equipment such as cameras, boom microphones, and sets. Many of these films utilize obvious or obstructive camera movements. Silence or inappropriate sound contributes to disharmony between sonic and visual elements. Frame-within-frame, quotations, references, and a visible narrator are common elements. Furthermore, reflexive films may incorporate an abrupt switch from non-diegetic to diegetic storytelling, and actors may comment on the film or directly address the audience.  

The perception of reflexivity within cinematic spaces varies, as discussed in chapter three of Robert Stam’s book Reflexivity in Film and Literature: From Don Quixote to Jean-Luc Godard. Stam identifies two main perspectives on this technique in mainstream media. For some individuals, reflexivity is associated with an artificial or staged quality and is often deemed pretentious, thereby undermining the essence of filmmaking. Others view it as a light-hearted expression of the cinematic art form, lacking originality and only suitable for comedic works by filmmakers such as Woody Allen or Mel Brooks. By exposing the inner workings of the filmmaking process, reflexivity challenges the credibility of filmmaking itself. Stam argues that reflexive films create a sense of paranoia among mainstream critics, as they deviate from presenting faithful depictions of reality, believable characters, and plausible social contexts (Stam 129).

As mentioned before, reflexive filmmakers blur the lines between reality and fiction. Stam explores this concept in his analysis of the director’s cameo appearance. Stam references examples of the director's cameo appearances in their own films, such as Buel, Hitchcock, and Godard. Buel, for instance, often appeared in his films in his signature walk-on roles. While Hitchcock made 30 to 40 appearances in his films across 50 years, establishing his trademark presence. Similarly, Godard made multiple appearances in his films, including his 1960 film À bout de souffle, where he plays a pedestrian who notifies the police about a criminal sighting. The trend of directors making a cameo appearance in their films gained popularity during the 1970s, with filmmakers like Coppola and Scorsese also joining in. Coppola appeared in Apocalypse Now (1979) as a director, while Scorsese played a customer in Taxi Driver (1976). These cameo appearances not only draw attention to the director’s presence in the film but also double as a nod to the audience, who are often aware of the director’s style.

Reflexivity can be observed in various genres of filmmaking. One such genre is camp, which often embraces exaggeration and theatricality for the sake of humor. Camp films, along with parody films, have been historically associated with queer and/or filmmakers of color, as they provide a platform for subversive content and critique of mainstream narratives. A prime example of reflexivity in filmmaking can be found in the cult classic Scary Movie (2000). Directed by Keenen Wayans, this slasher parody horror film spoofs popular movies of its time, including The Sixth Sense (1999) and The Matrix (1999). By employing meta-commentary and self-reflexivity, Scary Movie not only mocks the conventions of the horror genre but also reflects upon its existence as a parody film. However, in the article, “Histories of The Watermelon Woman: Reflexivity between Gender and Race,” Catherine Zimmer asserts that “Reflexivity operates far more often as a mode of constructing cinematic relationships than as a method of questioning norms” (Zimmer 43). It is crucial to emphasize that reflexive films, as examined by Zimmer, are not indicative of social resistance, nor do they condemn industry norms or criticize the mainstream, unlike in the camp and parody genres. Instead, the reflexive mode primarily focuses on the exploration of visual media through narrative. Zimmer highlights that reflexivity within film increases during periods of technological advancement. Reflexive films do not inherently signify meta-commentary, meta-reflexivity, or autobiography. Rather, in numerous instances, the filmmaker can be detached from the film as the focal point of intrigue is not directed towards the filmmaker but on the technical aspects of the filmmaking process.

The article “Authorship and criticism in self-reflexive African Cinema” authored by Yifen Beus provides an in-depth exploration of the historical context of reflexivity by analyzing the various modes and themes associated with reflexive film in African culture. Beus argues that reflexivity is indispensable in post-colonial cinema, as it possesses the ability to provide socio-political critique through its aesthetic. Postcolonial cinema has embraced the concept of an active spectator from the avant-garde movement, employing it as a strategy to redirect audience focus on social struggles. Significantly, self-reflexivity dismantles the boundaries between art and politics by rejecting the use of propaganda. Beus quotes Ousmane Sembène, a filmmaker and traditional storyteller, who articulates his role as a storyteller in Pfaff 1984 by stating that “The artist must in many ways be the mouth and the ears of his people. (…) His work reflects and synthesizes the problems, the struggles, and the hopes of the people” (Pfaff 40). In Dunye’s way, she assumes the role of mouth and ears of her people, while the film's narrative represents the struggles and hopes of Black female lesbians. 

In Dunye’s film, reflexivity is utilized to uncover how Black women’s history and Black queer history can be misrepresented and thus rendered susceptible to the perils of erasure. Dunye accomplishes this by including humorous interviews conducted by the protagonist Cheryl. Cheryl conducts a series of interviews with both scholars and pedestrians to gain insight into the perception of the Watermelon Woman’s legacy and to uncover the identity of the abandoned figure. Cheryl engages with individuals from various backgrounds, including non-experts such as her mother, and random street pedestrians.

Every person had different things to say about the Watermelon Woman. During street interviews, a group of men mistakenly identify the Watermelon Woman as Rosie Perez, exemplifying the confusion and misrepresentation surrounding this figure. A White cultural critic bypasses the humanity of the Watermelon Woman and attempts to justify the mammy stereotype. Furthermore, she offers an explanation that meanders through the significance of the watermelon as a symbol of pride for Black people. When Cheryl speaks with White college students, they can recall the White director Martha Page but admit they are unaware of the Watermelon Woman due to their unfamiliarity with the blaxploitation movement. The interviews conducted in this narrative emphasize the elusive nature of accurate information, prompting the audience to critically evaluate the significance of certain types of information, particularly biased information. This is exemplified through the opinions of various characters, such as the White college students, who offer their limited perspective on Black women and Black queer women in film. They attribute their ignorance towards Black narratives as a side effect of not being taught the blaxploitation movement. That moment of reflection underscores the prevailing notion that Black talent is only relevant to a specific era, thereby erasing Black history from classical Hollywood. Additionally, the interview with the White cultural critic mirrors how people of various races can misinterpret or rewrite the history of Black women in film. The narrative shows how the constant circulation of information, which can be easily distorted from one person to another, leads to the dismissal or loss of factual details, demonstrating how Black narratives are lost in mainstream media.

Interestingly, Cheryl’s mother, while unaware of the Watermelon Woman, shares her knowledge about other notable Black actresses from the 1940s. The narrative pauses to emphasize the fact that Black women have been actively involved in the film industry for decades. Despite the Watermelon Woman being a fictional character, the actresses mentioned by Cheryl’s mother are real individuals who contributed to the film industry. This reflexive moment allows the narrative to commemorate the history of Black women by reminding the audience of their long-standing involvement in Hollywood. Furthermore, an extra layer of meta-commentary is introduced when one realizes that Cheryl Dunye’s mother is portrayed by Cheryl Dunye’s real mother. This detail suggests that Dunye's mother likely remembers these actresses from watching their films when they were originally released. This scene showcases how Dunye utilized reflexivity to discover representation amidst misrepresentation.

Equally important, Dunye employs reflexivity to establish Cheryl as a visible narrator, thus creating more representation for Black women and Black queer women. Dunye’s approach to her film stands out among other directors who have made cameo appearances in their own works. She goes above and beyond a mere appearance and asserts her significance with the narrative. Cheryl’s role as a visible narrator draws attention to her unique perspective of the world as a Black lesbian woman. By following Cheryl’s journey, the audience can witness the obstacles she encounters while researching Black history. One such obstacle is Cheryl’s financial constraints, which are exemplified when she resorts to using customer accounts at the video store to order the films necessary for her research. The inclusion of these struggles within the narrative is a nod to the lengths that Black filmmakers must go to obtain resources. Furthermore, the audience witnesses her struggles in finding archival documents, such as her difficulty in obtaining information about the Watermelon Woman from the library. The unhelpful response from the clerk, who suggests checking the Black section despite Cheryl previously telling the clerk she already looked, highlights the lack of interest in assisting Black people in researching Black history. When the clerk does provide Cheryl with information, he notifies her that there are references for Martha Page but none for the Watermelon Woman, further emphasizing this disregard toward archiving Black women’s history.

Cheryl also seeks information from the Center For Lesbian Info & Technology (also known as C.L.I.T.), where Cheryl serves as a guide to the audience, providing insights into the process of exploring an archive. During her visit, Cheryl inquires with the White archivist about the segregation of the Black Collection on lesbians from the rest of the archive. In response, the archivist confirms that the collection is indeed kept separate. Furthermore, she clarifies that the Hysteria Foundation has donated research exclusively intended for African Americans, with all references to White individuals removed from the documents. As Cheryl continues her interaction with the archivist, the archivist approaches Cheryl with the box of documents but carelessly dumps the contents all over the table, then proceeds to point to random information about popular lesbian bars in Manhattan. The construction of the narrative produces truth by displaying the disregard with which Black history is treated, as correctly archived documents are expected to be systematically categorized for easy access to information relevant to research. The archivist’s demonstration of their archival practices also reveals the gatekeeping of Black history, which is confined to a single box amidst the vast collection of White historical records. The Hysteria Foundation and C.L.I.T’s deliberate destruction of documents that feature figures further perpetuates the exclusion of non-Blacks and reinforces the notion that Black history is exclusively for Black individuals.

Cheryl’s interactions with the librarian and archivist in the film can be interpreted as a subtle nod to those who are familiar with the challenges of navigating disorganized archival systems. Additionally, the joke about the Hysteria Foundation – which alludes to the historical overdiagnosis of hysteria among Black women – offers further commentary on the institutions that acquire acquisitions and the sources of these acquisitions. These scenes may have been influenced by the conflict Dunye faced when attempting to uncover the history of Black women and Black queer women in cinema. It is important to note, that the Watermelon Woman, whose real name was Fae Richards, was a queer woman who had a romantic relationship with Martha Page during the 1940s. Despite her sexual orientation being an integral part of her identity, many individuals, including Cheryl, were not aware of it. When Cheryl confronts Martha’s sister about Martha’s sexuality, she vehemently denies her sister’s romantic interest in Fae, contributing to the erasure of Fae’s sexuality. This occurrence shows the tendency to strip Black queer women of their sexualities when documenting history. Moreover, the narrative accentuates the problematic system that Black individuals must work with and overcome when researching Black history. Cheryl’s narrative voice underscores the fact that Black female stories, especially Black queer stories, are often marginalized and erased from historical institutions.

Importantly, the narrative fluctuates and progresses through interviews and completed segments of the documentary, creating a sense of authenticity that is ultimately shattered when the Watermelon Woman is revealed to be fictional. The presence of information gaps serves as a catalyst for the audience to actively participate in the investigation surrounding the Watermelon Woman’s identity. This investigative quest compels the audience to question the truthfulness and falseness of the information presented. The blurred boundary between reality and fiction prompts the audience to interrogate their understanding of history and critically evaluate the authenticity of the historical accounts imparted to us.

 Unquestionably, Dunye creates history by giving Cheryl the power to control the camera. In her film, Dunye challenges traditional documentary practices by embracing reflexive filmmaking techniques typically applied by heterosexual White male filmmakers. Reflexivity grants the narrative leeway to investigate the techniques of reflexive filmmaking. With these techniques, Dunye exploits the political aspects to unlock the meta-commentary or autobiographical potential of reflexivity. The camera assumes a life of its own, acting as an additional character, documenting the unfolding events of the narrative. This is evident from the beginning of the film, where the camera’s presence is explicitly acknowledged in the initial scenes, such as in the wedding scene or during the drive home. The camera is another limb for Cheryl, a tool to be wielded when framing her world. The third scene, for instance, opens with a shot of a desk with stacks of books resting on top. There are notes spread across the walls, indicating the research process that Cheryl (and probably Dunye) undertook to complete this film. The camera pans to the left, gradually zooming out to focus on a solitary chair arranged at the center of the frame. This small adjustment of the camera clarifies that Cheryl is the master of the camera and the audience is the spectator.

Cheryl exercises control over the camera’s trajectory by embracing the positions of both the subject and the object being filmed, she rejects the concept of the omniscient director and minimizes the difference between spectator and creator. For example, Cheryl actively engages with the audience as a spectator when she plays a clip from Plantation Dreams, but she reminds us of her power as the producer of the project when she adjusts the camera to refocus on her. As Stam suggests, reflexivity is often perceived as distant, yet Dunye challenges this notion by presenting reflexivity as an aesthetic choice that contributes to her role as the author of the film. Cheryl is the link between displaced dance scenes to non-diegetic music and intercut documentary footage. The narrative does not feign an accurate estimation of the natural world; rather, it exists with the constructed reality Cheryl has created. The camera, in and of itself, is incapable of capturing the true essence of a Black lesbian woman’s reality. However, Dunye keenly discloses the components of her world as a Black lesbian woman living in Philadelphia in 1996. Through the representation of common occurrences in the lives of Black lesbian women, Dunye constructs truth by representing shared experiences. In this way, Cheryl’s unapologetic confrontation with the camera becomes a powerful form of expression for not only Dunye but other Black women and Black queer women who wish to be directors like Dunye.

It is crucial to note that Dunye’s film stands as one of the limited numbers of films created by an African American lesbian filmmaker, centered around the experiences of African American lesbians, that has been granted a theatrical release in the United States. The alienation of this film within cinematic history serves as an example of the lack of queer African American women releasing films in the United States. In Zimmer’s words, “reflexive practice has largely been the domain of white male filmmakers such as Jean-Luc Godard and Federico Fellini because (…) The very process of exposing, critiquing, and deconstructing film production has assumed that one has at least had the opportunity to occupy the position of filmmaking privilege that is not undergoing critique” (Zimmer 44). The film’s autobiographical framework investigates the contrasting archival practices of Black history and White history, shedding light on the resulting gap of representation within the American film industry. Moreover, this challenging framework provides an opportunity for the narrative to examine the barriers that prevent the involvement of women, especially Black women, in technical processes and storytelling, which in turn facilitates reflexive filmmaking.

The film appropriates reflexivity to inspect the forces that control the flow of information. It raises pertinent questions about the sources of information, the methods used to procure that information, the individuals who relay the information, and the underlying motives behind misrepresenting or suppressing said information. The film attempts to produce answers to these inquiries by urging viewers to reevaluate their understanding of the media and the information they consume. By using reflexivity, the film encourages the audience to reflect on the persistent neglect, dismissal, and distortion of Black queer experiences in both mainstream media and society at large. By following Cheryl’s journey, the viewers are confronted with truth amid a fictionalized world. This deliberate integration of reflexivity is a powerful tool to disrupt the dominant narratives that have perpetuated the marginalization of Black women. Furthermore, this analysis explored the use of camera movements to enhance the narrative. Through self-awareness, the camera becomes an active participant in the storytelling process. It not only captures the protagonist’s experience but also acknowledges its role in shaping and interpreting those experiences. This self-awareness adds another layer of authenticity and emotional depth to the narrative by allowing us to live through Cheryl’s experiences, permitting the audience to connect more deeply with Cheryl and her struggles.

This analysis is but one interpretation of Dunye’s The Watermelon Woman. This film is ripe with social commentary that humorously negotiates the limiting parameters of the world Black women live in. The mainstream media has a long history of overlooking the narratives of Black women. Though some of the portrayals of black women have become more nuanced with the increase of Black women in leadership positions, Black women are still reduced to one-dimensional stereotypes such as the “angry Black woman” or the “sassy Black friend.” The Watermelon Woman bypasses these stereotypes by humanizing the protagonist as she navigates race, gender, and sexuality.

This analysis solely examined the role of reflexivity in representation and race. Nevertheless, the narrative of The Watermelon Woman presents an endless array of interpretations. If this analysis were to revisit Dunye’s film, it would dig into how a character’s proximity to Whiteness influences the way they interact with the narrative. The film’s secondary plot centers around Cheryl’s doomed relationship with her White girlfriend. Cheryl’s relationship is contrasted with Fae Richard’s relationship with Martha Page. The film illustrates how Whiteness impacts the perception of social class, gender, and privilege. It raises questions about the practices of White feminist filmmaking and the history of White feminism. Additionally, it prompts an exploration of how Black women navigate White feminism in a racialized world. It would be intriguing to delve into an analysis in the future that examines how The Watermelon Woman interprets Whiteness, but more research is needed to investigate this inquiry.

Biography

Beus, Yifen. “Authorship and Criticism in Self-Reflexive African Cinema.” Journal of African Cultural Studies, vol. 23, no. 2, Dec. 2011, pp. 133–52. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.41428153&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Eguaogie-Eghosa. Documentary Film: Understanding Reflexive Documentary Mode, Film District Dubai, 3 Feb. 2022, www.filmdistrictdubai.com/blogs/documentary-film-understanding-reflexive-documentary-mode#:~:text=The%20reflexive%20documentary%20method%20focuses,than%20the%20outside%20subject%20matter.

“List of Alfred Hitchcock Cameo Appearances.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Oct. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Alfred_Hitchcock_cameo_appearances.

“Self Reflecting Films - Movie List.” MUBI, mubi.com/en/lists/self-reflecting-films. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.

Stam, Robert. Reflexivity in Film and Literature : From Don Quixote to Jean-Luc Godard. UMI Research Press, 1985. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=cat06552a&AN=gsu.995936783402952&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Zimmer, Catherine. “Histories of The Watermelon Woman: Reflexivity between Race and Gender.” Camera Obscura: A Journal of Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies, vol. 23, no. 68 [2], 2008, pp. 40–67. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1215/02705346-2008-002.