UWG Student Panel Analyzes Aspects of Jordan Peele’s Get Out

Kali Dallmier, English major and graduating senior at UWG, will be sharing her piece analyzing the soundtrack in Jordan Peele’s Get Out as a part of a panel at UWG’s second annual Scholars’ Day on April 2. 

Scholars’ Day is an annual undergraduate research conference that celebrates the achievements of undergraduate students and their research efforts. Dallmier and her fellow panelists’ event will be held in Pafford, where students will be welcomed to listen to critical readings and presentations on Jordan Peele’s 2017 blockbuster hit, Get Out. 

“My thesis was, essentially, the deeper meaning the songs provide to the film, the plot and the characters,” said Dallmier. “I looked at a few select scenes and talked about how, with each one, they conveyed a different meaning than what you perceive on the surface.” 

Dallmier’s presentation includes samples of the music used throughout the movie, such as the film’s Swahili theme song, “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga”, to accompany her reading of her analysis. 

“It’s more about the songs rather than the soundtrack … the song selections rather than just the music in the background — the deeper meaning they convey to the plot and the characters,” said Dallmier. “When you translate the song (‘Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga’) to English, you realize that it’s actually a warning, saying ‘listen to the ancestors. Run, beware’. It’s the same with Childish Gambino’s ‘Redbone’… one of the lyrics that repeats is the phrase ‘stay woke,’ or stay aware and be cautious. This is a big theme throughout the film, that Chris should stay cautious and be aware of what’s going on.” 

Though Dallmier’s paper was originally written as an assignment for her Research and Methodology class back in the fall, it has impacted her in the way that she consumes media, specifically tv and film.  

“My interest of the subject piqued after I watched the movie for the first time,” said Dallmier. “It wasn’t specifically to look at the music, but there was this scene where a character is watching the tv, and the music was talking about the fear of aging, and it got me wondering about what these other songs and sounds say about the plot. 

“This has been the first paper that has made me continue looking at the research after I finish it,” continued Dallmier. “This one stayed with me, and makes me look and pay attention to things like sound and music and hidden messages throughout film or tv.” 

Dallmier’s critiques of the film will be presented alongside other UWG students’, which touch on subjects such as white privilege, filming techniques and other issues raised by the film in Pafford 109 at 2:15.