If you haven’t already seen it, Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut, “Passing” on Netflix, is one of the most nuanced, layered, and engrossing portraits of identity of the year. Based on the book of the same name and set in 1920s New York City, “Passing” centers on a Black woman (Tessa Thompson) in Harlem who finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend (Ruth Negga) who’s passing as white.
READ MORE: The Best Film Performances Of 2021
Hall had a super astute observation about the deceptive complexities of the novel and the characters—beyond the already intricate and complicated contours— in a conversation with Elvis Mitchell’s excellent The Treatment podcast.
“I think that the really radical thing about the book is that it telegraphs that it’s about this one woman who’s hiding her racial identity,” she explained. “But it’s actually about the other one, who’s not hiding her racial identity, but is arguably hiding every other aspect of herself from herself, as well as everyone else.”
‘Passing’: Rebecca Hall’s Debut Is A Delicate, Tension-Filled Acting Showcase [Sundance Review]
So, the film is definitely a push and pull about these two characters. And in this exclusive “Passing” featurette which we are pleased to present writer-director Rebecca Hall and stars Tessa Thompson, and André Holland discuss the “truth-seeking missile” that is the Oscar-nominated actress Ruth Negga. Negga, meanwhile, details the power of ambiguity in art and in filmmaking, and the mystery of her character Claire, a Black woman “passing” for White in 1920s Harlem.
“Passing” is a subtle movie, but it’s rich and layered. Still, its actors, particularly Negga and her enigmatic, slippery character and performance, keep revealing more intimate emotional layers upon additional viewings. “Passing” is now available on Netflix now. Watch the “Actress Ruth Negga Brings Truth and Mystery to a Century-Old Tale” featurette below.