So, I just recently saw "The Help" with some people from my floor and they all thought it was great. I don't know why, but I just didn't really find it all that fantastic. It was by no means bad, and there were quite a few funny moments, but something about it just kind of irked me a little. I think the feel of the movie seemed kind of "idealistic" even the situation of racism felt a bit cliche- Don't get me wrong; I do take the civil rights movement and the hating opposition that people went through seriously, and I can't say that I know what society really was like at that time- but I almost felt like each scene involving racial oppression was highlighted or emphasized in the dialogue, music, or the actors' reactions, when really, that is not necessary. The situations where a character was insulted, embarrassed,or hurt drew attention to the fact itself and didn't allow the audience to connect the dots. It's like the filmmakers are saying, "see, look what I did here; That individual is clearly the villain through and through," or "This is a woman before her time and we'll show that by clearly giving her a different hairstyle, fashion, manner of speaking, and attitude like we just pulled her from the 21st century and put her 
back a couple decades." The characters and situations didn't seem so convincing, though I'm positive some those types of situations and characters did exist during the civil rights movement.
back a couple decades." The characters and situations didn't seem so convincing, though I'm positive some those types of situations and characters did exist during the civil rights movement. So that was my impression when I first walked out of the theater, that is until one of my friends brought up a very insightful point; looking at how those people viewed segregation and responded to anyone who didn't hold the same view as the rest of society, what issues may be going on today that we accept as the norm but may in fact be morally wrong? Would we be willing to stand up against whatever that may be though the rest of society says it's wrong not to agree?
I realized that my impression didn't tell the whole story, and I have found a new respect for "The Help"- not for the film itself- but for the discussion it can incite.
I also went to see the movie with a group of girls from my floor. I immediately had the same impression that you did. Like, they set up a character so you would obviously feel a certain way about them. Seeing how I was with friends, I didn't want my attitude towards the film to ruin the night. So I let go of everything I knew about anything, and watched the movie. I let the characters affect me how they were intended to, no matter how cliche.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, I cried through the majority of the movie. I was still crying at the end of the movie, the credits, and as we left the theater.
I do have to admit, I did get teary-eyed at some scenes,too.
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