Passing Ending Explained: Was Clare’s Death an Accident? Did Irene Fall In Love With Clare?

This black and white drama tells the stories of two fair-skinned black women, Irene “Rene” Redfield and Clare Bellew, who grapple with the ambiguities and obstacles of racism. The Netflix historical drama “Passing“, set in New York in the 1920s, depicts the emotional struggles that Irene and Claire go through while trying to rekindle their friendship. Clare enjoys her independence as a white woman, but envies Irene’s strong black identity and attachment to the black community. Claire’s free temper and disregard for conventional norms, on the other hand, are things that Irene admires about her.

Summary of The Plot of “Passing”

At the beginning of the film, Irene is shown in a toy store looking for a birthday present for her child. Then she meets Clare at The Drayton Hotel. Clare, who has blonde hair, appears to be a white woman. Clare tells Irene that her spouse has no real identity. Clare then invites Irene to her suite. Clare tells Irene how she manages to impersonate a white woman. Shortly afterwards, Clare’s husband, John, comes home. He frankly reveals his prejudices against Irene because he thinks they are white. John mocks Clare for “getting darker and darker” and says that’s why he calls her “Nig”. Irene leaves the house, clearly annoyed.

When Irene is back home, she is greeted by her husband Brian and their two boys. You are a happy family. The next day she receives a letter from Clare. Brian talks to her about the letter and persuades her to open the letter. Clare’s words make it clear that she wants to keep in touch with Irene and that she misses the black culture that left her behind.

The next day, Clare arrives at Irene’s house. In order not to jeopardize her identity, she pleads with Irene to pretend to be white to John. Clare starts crying and Irene realizes that she is in a difficult situation. After the two are reconciled, Clare expresses her intention to attend the Negro Welfare League dance organized by Irene.

Clare has a good time on the dance. Hugh Wentworth, Irene’s close friend and writer, learns of Clare’s secret from Irene. The two discuss how black people are rejected and marginalized at the same time. After a while, Clare becomes a frequent visitor to the Redfield home. In addition to Irene’s children, Ted and Junior, she develops a close relationship with Zu, the housemaid who is employed by the family. Although she likes Clare’s company, Irene is annoyed by Clare’s careless behavior. Clare is fascinated by her strict moral code and her sense of maternal and marital obligations.

Irene and Brian’s relationship is slowly deteriorating. They regularly disagree on whether or not to educate their boys about racist violence. When Hugh says at dinner that Clare likes to play the victim, Brian defends her vigorously. Despite Irene’s assurances, Brian tells his boys about the execution of John Carter. A few days later, Brian invites Clare to Hugh’s tea party, unaware that Irene has purposely avoided calling her. Irene reacts emotionally when she watches Brian and Clare chat.

The End of Passing: Was Clare’s Death an Accident?

One day Irene meets John while shopping with her clearly black companion Felise. She first tries to warn Clare but rejects this plan. Then they go to a friend’s party. But John gets there and knows Clare’s actual ethnicity. When he throws himself at Clare in a rage, Irene intervenes to save her from further injuries. When there is a commotion, Clare falls from the balcony. The police take testimony and discover that her death was the result of an accident. In the meantime, Brian comforts the devastated Irene, and John remains motionless next to Clare’s body.

The result: Clare dies in a terrible accident. The circumstances of her fall are purposely kept vague. We watch Irene try to get Clare to safety from John. On the other hand, just minutes earlier, a desperate Irene asked Clare what she would do if John found out the truth. When Clare announced that they were moving to Harlem with Irene, Irene was visibly upset. So did Irene push Clare off the balcony on purpose? It is likely that she did this to eliminate Clare as a potential threat. Did Clare fall to avoid her fate? Clare may have wanted to escape John’s anger and future as a black woman. Is it possible that John accidentally pushed her? Maybe he pushed her back out of frustration. Irene is confused about the incident but certainly feels guilty. We think Irene pushed Clare to protect her from John.

What is The Reason Why Clare Poses as White?

Clare disguises herself as white in order to gain her freedom. Because she is married to a wealthy white man, she has the opportunity to experience the world in ways that most of her peers cannot. She can also take care of her fair-skinned child. After marrying John at the age of 18, Clare informed him about her “very white, respectable, and religious” aunts, but not about their parents. Clare poses as white by coloring her hair blonde to match her pale complexion, displaying white behaviors and outwardly rejecting blacks.

Did Irene fall in Love With Clare?

In the film, Irene sees Clare as more than just a friend. Perhaps Irene is drawn to Clare’s wild temperament, her carefreeness and freedom because she is white. In certain sequences we see Irene enjoying Clare’s attractiveness and expressing a desire to be physically close to her. Little by little, she begins to prefer Clare to Brian. In front of her husband, Irene often praises Clare’s “amazing” looks.

Clare, on the other hand, abhors compliance. Her pleasant manner brings her friends and admiration. She admires Irene’s tenacity and loyalty and sees in her a symbol of the black culture she has left behind. As a black woman, wife, mother, and maybe even a lesbian, Irene is forced to reflect on her own identity. To make it clear that cultural identity concepts often fail to capture complex reality, the film relies on ambiguity. The beautiful Clare attracts Irene’s attention, but she is also repulsed and jealous of her at the same time.

Does Brian Have An Affair With Clare While Dating Irene?

In the second part of the film, Irene is convinced that Brian is cheating on her with Clare. She watches as he proceeds to insult Clare behind her back and publicly protect her. She also notices that the two of them talk to each other regularly. However, it never becomes clear if Brian and Clare are having an affair – we only see them from Irene’s point of view. Clare is a sociable person and Brian is slowly becoming friends with her. Clare’s presence makes Irene feel threatened, even if she likes her.

Irene isn’t sure if she’s jealous of Clare or Brian either, as she feels affection for both of them. Irene tries to pass her own identity and sexuality problems onto Brian and Clare. Their lives are solidified and accepted by black culture and society. The brave, rebellious Clare lives out her passions. Her worldviews rarely match those of Irene. By imagining the two of them are having an affair, Irene lets her own frustration run free.

Clare finds solace in Brian’s strong black manhood, and Brian in Clare’s refreshingly fearless personality. The film shows how everyone tries to be something they are not.