Director: Dee Rees
By Alex Watson
Dee Rees' Mudbound is a movie that is unafraid of tackling a dark point in US history. Among the muddy fields of Mississippi, the racial tension simmers. However, Rees also makes the human struggle element clear because this story is about how one piece of land causes a great divide among families. There is also a notion of brotherhood and two characters although worlds apart are drawn together by a terrible experience. The end result is an emotionally engaging piece.
Henry McAllan (Jason Clarke) leaves his idyllic city life in Memphis to pursue his dream of owning a farm in Mississippi. The move is hard on his wife Laura (Carey Mulligan) who struggle to adapt to living in a shack with no running water or electricity. She is also drawn to his war hero brother Jamie (Garrett Hedlund) who is affected by his combat experience. At the other end of the spectrum is sharecropper Hap (Rob Morgan) who has five children with wife Florence (Mary J Blige)- their son Ronsel (Jason Mitchell) has also returned home from WWII but faces another war altogether.
While six different characters providing narration does feel like overkill in places, there are few complaints to be had about Mudbound. Rees is able to draw us to each individual characters and bring them into their innermost thoughts. There is an unspoken sense of order through the early stages of this picture and from the moment Henry's family arrives, Hap knows their place in the world. His family has worked on the land for generations even though the land will never become his. " this character continually wonders about his place. While Henry is never outright hostile or unkind, his Pappy (a delightfully evil Jonathan Banks) is very much upfront with his hostility. Refusing to even sit next to Hap in the front of their car, his blunt hatred causes friction whenever he appears.
Jamie's arrival is one that stirs the pot. Permanently drunk and suffering from PTSD, he is saddled with a deep-seated guilt over the soldiers he failed to save in WWII. Laura is drawn to his kindness as he seems to embody everything her husband isn't. When meeting Ronsel for the first time, the pair do not see black or white but a fellow combat vet. Their friendship blossoms because they both understand the horrors of war. Sadly it also ignites a furious reaction from Pappy and what transpires is truly horrific. At the height of segregation, this friendship becomes the movie's heart and soul. Laura's story is also one that brings a sadness to our hearts. A woman trying to make the most of the soggy and mud-filled land she occupies, she also chafes under the dominance of her unlikable father in law and her distance husband.
Rees's takes her audience into a time that most American audiences wish to forget. In 1940's deep south, there was an obvious social ladder and Hap and Florence's family unwittingly found themselves on the bottom rung. The intense hatred and hostility are at times also unbearable to watch. Especially during a tense sequence where Ronsel attempts to leave via the front door of a shop. Pappy and his equally racist pal are quick to ensure he knows to leave through the backdoor "I don't know what they let you do over there, but you're in Mississippi now!" Hap and Florence are bravely trying to build their own dream despite the odds being stacked against them. The notions of losing and keeping faith are strongly enforced- Laura is continually losing hope over her husband's perhaps foolish intentions.
While Carey Mulligan gives a stand-out turn as the struggling Laura, she is almost a background player in this story. Garrett Hedlund is outstanding in a strong supporting role and firmly captures a man wrestling with his conscience. Dismissed as drunk by both his brother and father, Jamie carries a burden few men understand. Hedlund is definitely Oscar-worthy here. Jason Mitchell's Ronsel is the character who will capture your heart. A brave soldier, he comes home to find the old problems that plagued his life are still there. Mitchell's barely contained disgust is mesmerizing to watch and on merit alone, he deserves to rewarded. Mary J Blige is the one tipped for Oscar glory and as in a powerful and less showy turn- she thoroughly lives up to the hype.
Mudbound is a movie that captures the struggles of everyday people trying to live a dream. It is also a powerful voice about a dark era of US history.
No comments:
Post a Comment