
#Three billboards outside ebbing missouri racist movie#
Neither does the film’s producer Graham Broadbent, and a number of people who have gone online to defend a movie that has recently shovelled up five BAFTA wins. McDonagh, unsurprisingly, does not see it this way. The way that minorities are treated in Three Billboards has outraged those that see minority characters' inclusion as serving no purpose beyond adding ‘extra depth’ to its leading white characters. She treats her dwarf friend James (Peter Dinklage) like utter trash almost constantly. Mildred herself is not immune from criticism. Denise is barely mentioned after that, as if her experience only matters insofar as it highlights Dixon’s shortcomings. Mildred’s black friend Denise is arrested by Dixon, who is then confronted by a furious Mildred who insults him in the middle of the police station. Other comments focus on how there is no strong minority presence in the film.

This arc has not sat well with those who see McDonagh’s script as showing the corrupt, racist cop in a positive light – especially in Missouri, where the Ferguson protests against police brutality made headlines across the world. A lot of people see Dixon’s prejudiced, violent and bumbling character as being redeemed come the end of the film, and he is cast in a more sympathetic light to both the audience and the other characters. While finer details may differ, the basic argument is the same no matter who makes it.
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For all the praise that has been thrown in Three Billboard’s direction, the way it deals (or doesn’t deal) with race has caused great splits in critics' and public opinion. You can immediately see why Martin McDonagh’s third feature film can leave a sour taste in the mouth. “It's 'Persons of colour'-torturing business, these days, if you want to know,” he replies, trying to save face. Content warning: offensive language “So how's it all going in the n*****-torturing business, Dixon?” Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) asks Dixon (Sam Rockwell) in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
