Hidden Figures, the Silence in Audacity Essay

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Hidden Figures

• 3 out of 4 stars
• Taraji P. Hansen, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae
• Directed by Theodore MelfiPG for thematic elements and some language
• Runtime: 127 minutes

The phrase, 'it's not rocket science' could not be more ironic in this case. Well, it is rocket science or rather space science and there are no computers as we know them today. Picture the complexity of mathematical operations needed to launch a man into space. Now imagine a group of human computers being solely responsible for the computations. In addition to this, the computers are African-American women at a time when racial segregation is rampant. Hidden Figure encapsulates the struggles of three African-American women who albeit subtly made fundamental contribution in the launch of the Mercury 7 astronauts into an orbit. The movie deserves the 3 out of four stars rating for its plot, outstanding actresses' performances and its ingenuity in addressing racism

To start with Hidden Figures follows a pragmatic yet stimulating approach in its plot which keeps all in the audience on their toes thus justifying the high rating. In the beginning, Katherine Globe (Taraji P. Hansen) Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) work alongside other human computers in the West computing area in Hampton Virginia. America comes under great pressure to launch its own astronauts following success on the same in the soviet. Katherine skills in analytic geometry see her through a promotion to assist the space task group thereby becoming the first black woman in the group. Her new colleagues treat her with contempt particularly, the head engineer. Meanwhile, Dorothy endeavours to receive the supervisor's position for the computing group. However, she is denied the position since there are no plans in place to appoint a permanent supervisor for the group. On the other hand, Mary is absorbed into the heat shield team where she duly identifies a flaw. As the movie proceeds Katherine demonstrates her proficiency in solving complex problems and consequently impresses Al Harrison the space task group head. The team leader of the heat shield team encourages Mary to submit an application for an official NASA engineer position. This prompts her to undertake the proceedings required for an engineering degree. In the meantime, Dorothy learns of an impending installation of an IBM machine set to render the west computing group redundant. she then proceeds to teach herself Fortran computer language used to run the IBM computers. Dorothy actually tinkers the machine and prompts it to record readings despite hurdles experienced by the IBM technicians. As the movie winds up, the task group team demonstrates a change of heart towards Katherine. This change is triggered by Katherine's emotional break down as she explains her constant absences from the office. Before that, all her colleagues seem oblivious to her struggles including the team leader. Mary's most monumental stride ensues when she brings her case before the court seeking access to an all-white-school. The requisite classes needed for engineering degree were only offered in white schools. Dorothy epitomizes discernment when she goes forth to train the women at the west computing group on the use of Fortran for the new machines. By doing so she cements their relevance at the NASA station. Every facet of the movie's plot exhilarates the audience with thought-provoking events, thus warrants the high rating.

The actors exhibit such exceptional performance in their given roles further justifying the high rating. Taraji, Octavia and Janelle all bring to life the tremendous contribution of black women whose recognition remained in the shadows. The three women personify the strength, immense courage, and the perseverance of black women working at a time plagued with such hostility towards them. Hansen dramatically demonstrates the struggle of a colored woman having to walk a mile away just to relieve herself never mind that she has to make her own coffee in a separate kettle. She envisions Katherine as a shy and modest person but one with such fire when provoked. Octavia brings out the character of Dorothy as a solid and firm leader who is proactive to ensure the well-being of her fellow women. Finally, Monae captures Mary's character as a fiery soul with such audacity and vigor in following her dream to become an engineer. After watching the three in action the 'hidden figures' become vivid in the audience's mind.

Lastly, the movie deserves a high rating for its insight on the sensitive concepts of racism, and prejudice on women. At the beginning of the movie, the three women are escorted by a white policeman after their car breaks down. This occurrence is depicted as a sort of miracle given the dominance of racism at the time the highlight of the movie is when Al Harrison dramatically knocks down the label at the colored women's bathroom and asserts that at NASA everyone pees the same color and should use any washroom available to them. The director deviates from the original story and creates characters to demonstrate the eminent segregation in the 1960s. Mary Jackson is the paragon of such segregation as she exerts herself to bypass all hurdles and become an engineer. Prejudice against women materializes in Al Harrison condescending attitude towards Katherine when she first joins his team. This is also apparent when Jim Johnson shows skepticism on women's mathematical abilities. Katherine admonishes him asserting that women work at NASA not because they wear skirts but because they wear glasses.

All things considered, the inspirational movie Hidden Figures is deserving of the three out of four stars rating for its plot, actresses' performances and viewpoint on pertinent issues. The plot is intricately laid to completely capture the audience's attention with deep emotions. The actresses exhibit exemplary performance to make their characters unforgettable. Finally, the movie opens up the rampant tension due to racism and segregation in 1960 more so in such a high caliber research institute. Keep in mind, black women show proficiency in complex concepts and make their mark despite all hurdles.

Work cited

"Hidden Figures Full Movie". Youtube, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtMcYv_g6rIMa4m8k6bjdFA. Accessed 3 May 2018.