First off, I would like to start off by saying that I’m particularly picky about the kinds of movies I watch.
I normally watch movies that contain relevance to the culture, social issues, offer insight into theories/ phenomenons, crime, or simple entertainment such as dark humor comedies– as you can probably tell from my previous posts. And so when I saw this movie on Netflix, I was eager to share with you my thoughts & review on it.
I had been meaning to watch the movie The Help (can’t believe this movie is almost a decade old and is more relevant now than ever), and it was interesting to watch the modern take of 1960’s racism. The main cast of the movie includes Emma Stone as Eugenia Skeeter, Bryce Howard as Hilly Holdbrook, and Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson– all of whom did a brilliant job as actors to convey and deliver the message of the movie across to their viewers. While racism has improved, we do have to take note of the overt and blanket racism that existed in the 60’s produced by the Jim Crow laws that were enacted in the late 1800’s & onward. In the movie, white households hired black servants to not only watch over their children but also act as a doormat for their personal rage and frustration. You will also see how they were used as pons to boss around and show off to their fellow acquaintance. And as a person of color, this broke my heart to see. These servants not only served their ‘white masters’ but were ultimately owned by them. And this act was entirely legal & condoned. While we can say this phenomenon no longer happens in modern day to this extent, we may see this behavior present in smaller ways through daily human interaction via micro aggression, the job hiring process, etc. While I personally don’t think there is an exact blame towards anyone since it has become a practice engrained into our minds and government system.. it is our willful ignorance & lack of knowledge (and admittedly mine as well long ago) that perpetuates cycles of racial discrimination and injustice in our world. I can commend the improvement we have witnessed throughout the decades, I know there is much more we can do as human beings with integrity and a basic fundamental understanding of human rights, to make this world a much better and safe place for future generations to live in.
If ya’ll have a chance or may have piqued any of your interest (due to the current racial & political climate), I’d recommend to give The Help a go on Netflix.
While it is a much light hearted version of systemic racism & oppression, it does contain a powerful message about humanity and where we stand collectively as citizens of the law. And at that I’ll leave you with this.
“See, courage isn’t just about being brave.
Courage is daring to do what is right in spite of the weakness of our flesh.”
— The Help
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