Analysis of the Film Fences

Family conflict and how the environment in which the family members live fuel disagreements among family members is a common feature in the film. In Fences, the story depicts how external factors can bring tension into the family as well as how the environment affects how people perceive reality. Directed by Denzel Washington, the movie narrates the story of a man who is trapped by the circumstances in which he lives, and this situation creates friction against himself and some family members. How the story is narrated is keeps viewers not only entertained but also glued to the intrigues of the characters from the beginning to the end. However, it is the manner in which the story is presented to the audience that leaves a significant mark on the audience. So, what makes the presentation impactful? Washington uses semiotics, cultural context and mise-en-scene to effectively show how racial inequalities affect family relations in minority groups in the United States.

The film takes place in an unknown location in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and features an African-American and their daily experiences. The story revolves around a 53 -year old black man, Troy Maxson, who embraces strong views about the role of a man in society. Troy lives with his wife, Rose, and son Cory. He works as a garbage collector in the company of his friend Bono. Although Troy appears is a hardworking person, but he seems to be frustrated by the circumstances in which live and does not see himself as a successful person because he does have a good source of income to sufficiently support his family. He blames racial discrimination as the reason as to why he cannot succeed in his quest for prosperity and better well-being of the family (Castillo, 2017). However, a critical moment in the story which sparks off the conflict is the disagreement with Cory over the son's ambition to join college and pursue basketball as a career.

Mise-en-scene plays an important in the development of the theme of the story. At the onset of the story, Troy is seen having a conversation with the Rose after which the son joins the parents. The couple appears happy and full of fond memories about their love as young persons. Here The father does not like Cory for not carrying out his chores. A critical element at the onset of the film is the setting of the scenes. The film is set in a family context with old housing which appears to worn out after years of neglect. The house has also been neglected despite having people living there. The choice of a scene meeting such description was deliberate to show the level of income that these people earn is not adequate to allocate money for repairs. The dilapidated appearance of the house is an indication of the financial needs of the family thereby justifying Troy's obsession with money as all that matters in life. By choosing the action to take place in a compound with houses that require repair emphasizes the poverty that black communities lived at the time. The director also uses lighting to show some positive aspect of the relationship between the father and the son. Towards the end of the film, for instance, all the family gather to their last respect to Troy. Even Cory, who did not enjoy a friendly relationship with father attended the burial, and the sun glistens over them. Lighting is a sign of good things its use in the closing scene of the film is a sign a positive future for the family due to the reunion brought about by the death of Troy.

Mise-en-scene can also be seen in the manner in which the camera captures the characters of Tory and Cory. From the onset, Cory and his father do not seem to agree on what is best for the son' life. What is interesting in the scenes of confrontation is that each character is captured mid-frame. That is, the images of the two characters show that the level with the son as they engage in bitter arguments. Characters in the movie are diminished or given prominence depending on what they seek to depict in the story. By presenting them on equal mid-frame, the director aims at informing the audience about the perception of the son towards the father and vice-versa. In other words, they are antagonist to each other and this stems from the variation in perspectives on what constitutes a good life and bad life. The arguments can be better understood from the functionalist perspective which underscores the role of language from the interactionist theory. This perspective holds that interactions influence and, during interactions, one individual strives to control the other in the interactions (Turner, 2012). According to the film, Troy wants to decide for his son on what to pursue as a career. The decision goes against the wishes and ambition of the son, resulting in arguments. As a result, such a portrayal of the characters helps to heighten the conflict in the story.

Besides mise-en-scene, the use of semiotics plays a crucial part in presenting the main idea in the film. This technique utilizes symbols such as metaphors to deliver the theme of the story. The fence is a significant symbol in the movie due to the impact of its significance in developing the subject of the movie. Throughout the film, the fence keeps recurring in the lives of the characters. On some occasions, the father can be seen leaning on the fence while in others he is seen walking between two fences that appear to be too high for him even to dare break through. The fence is a physical barrier. In the context of the movie, it represents the socio-economic barriers that have been put in the way of the efforts of African Americans to achieve prosperity. Systematic racial discrimination has denied blacks the opportunity to freely pursue their ambitions as evidenced in the life of Troy (Koprince, 2006). In this respect, social conflict theory can best illustrate the situation that Troy experiences as a black man. The theory considers society as a place of inequalities and social groups will conflict with each other for resources (Brisman, South, & White, 2016). Therefore, the situation of Troy may not be avoided after all. However, the occasional sitting of the fence that separates his compound suggests that Troy may be responsible for his problems. This is evident in his belief that his son would not succeed as a baseball player because of racism yet his Cory does not see that as a problem due to the change of attitudes in society that accommodates diverse people.

Perhaps cultural context as a technique in movie production is the most important in delivering the central message of the story. Like other forms of art, movies are made with subjects that reflect the realities of the socio-economic lives of a given group of people. The film reveals the social and political concerns of African Americans on the issue of racial inequality. Troy becomes the first truck driver in Pittsburg but could not manage to succeed as a baseball player. The disappointment the father faced is what makes him be convinced that the son would not succeed as well due to discrimination based on one's skin color (Keyes, 2008). At the time the drama from which the film was written, racial segregation was still a big issue despite the existence of laws that protected people from any form of discrimination. Having portrayed Troy as a victim of a racist system, the film seeks to educate people about the impact of racism on communities and individuals. Conversely, the son is seen as the vehicle of change in a society polarized along racial lines. Thus, he is the real symbol of transformation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the analysis of the film Fences indicates that the film succeeds to deliver the message by effectively using cultural factors, semiotics, and mise-en-scene to advance the theme in the story. Cultural context relates to the situation of African Americans in the story. The fence is the most prominent symbol in the story, and it denotes the ceiling that had been put on the progress of blacks. Troy is depicted as a person who strives for his family but cannot make sufficient money to meet the family's needs. On the flipside, the Troy is presented as a man stuck in the past and, therefore, keeps blaming others for his woes. On the contrary, the son does not see racism as a hindrance to his ambitions. Overall, the film offers excellent insights on how the environment influences the physical and psychological lives of people, especially the minority groups.

References

Brisman, A., South, N., & White, R. (2016). Environmental crime and social Conflict: Contemporary and emerging issues. Abingdon-on-Thames, UK: Routledge.

Castillo, M. (2017). Fences' and 3 other claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations. The New York Times.

IMDB. (2016). Fences [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2671706/

Keyes, A. (2008). Troy Maxson: Heart, Heartbreak as Big as the World. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90374807

Koprince, S. (2006). Baseball as History and Myth in August Wilson's "Fences". African American Review, 40(2), 349-358. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/40033723

Turner, J. (2012). Contemporary Sociological Theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.