-
A critical review of the film The Help by Léa LE CHANU and Claire DESRUES

I-Synopsis
The Help is an American drama film, directed and written by Tate Talor in 2011 and inspired by the novel "The Help" from Kathryn Stockett in 2009. The scene takes place in Jackson, a city in Mississippi (USA), at the beginning of the 60’s. We follow the story of a woman: Skeeter Phelan played by Emma Stone. Skeeter is an ambitious young white woman, who has a passion for writing and contrarily of her socialite friends she is interested in her career: she dreams to become a writer. Just after journalism studies, she decides to write a book. Across maids’s stories, she wants to denounce the racism and the segregation. She begins to ask two maids, Aibileen and Minny, two kind-hearted women. In spite of the fear at first, maids accept, and a true mobilization appeared. Many others maids were gathered and mobilized, the Skeeter’s project is a real success. Besides, the book sells good and the testimonials make readers laugh a lot… Except some white women, like Miss Hilly, who is racist, pretentious and egoist, and accuses Skeeter. The Help denounces the everyday fight of black people to be accepted in the society and be considered like anyone.

II-Critique
The Help is a very touching movie! The viewer attaches to the main characters, but it's also hard to remember the names of secondary characters. The film is well balanced between emotions and the denunciation of the injustices that black people have suffered. The film melange many feelings (love, anger, humour…), it’s pleasant and not boring. People can become aware of the inequalities that the black people and particularly the maids have suffered. However, some scenes are sort of caricatures. It’s strange and disappointing in such a wonderful movie, isn’t it? This remark is just a little detail, and overall, neither the plot no the acting can be criticized!

III-Key scene
      Minny is working at Hilly Holbrook's house. She needs to go to the toilets, she is bending. She is used to go out, in the garden, but that it's raining dogs and cats and the storm is intense. Nevertheless she dares not to ask if she can use the home’s toilets. Hilly's mother allowed her to use it, but on the contrary Hilly starts screaming and she opposes this idea. Minny is front of a dilemma, but the need is so pressing: she takes the risk to go to the toilets. Hilly follows her, she talks to Minny through the door, and she orders her to go out. In reality, Minny didn’t use the toilet, but she flushes it. Hilly flies into a fury! This scene represents a turning point in the movie because Minny is fired. It’s also a scene which shocked because of its imposing racism.

Article written by Léa LE CHANU and Claire DESRUES



https://i.pinimg.com/736x/29/a2/b3/29a2b38fe00b3fd9fd5c3ccb46252ce8--set-design-bathroom.jpg

Commentaires

  1. Anonyme29 janvier 2018 à 06:01

    I really want to watch the film after reading your article. Your favorite scene is very interesting!

    RépondreSupprimer

Enregistrer un commentaire

Posts les plus consultés de ce blog

Film review : The Help

-
Image
The Help Synopsis:  The story takes place in the city of Jackson, in Mississippi in the United States during the 60's. Skeeter, played by Emma Stone, is a young girl who is politically involved in the fight against the ill-treatment of black maids. She wants to become a writer and the situation of the black people inspires her to write a book. She starts to talk about her project to Aibileen, the maid of Elizabeth Leefolt, who treats her like an animal (for example she doesn't want Aibileen to use the same toilet as her). After that, most of the Jackson’s maids start to help her to write her book. At that time, all black people were at the service of white people: gardeners, maids, cookers... Maids are black women who are in charge of the daily chores in the whites’ houses. They do the housekeeping, they cook, and they raise the children. Review:  In the 60's, black people were treated really differently than today. Inequalities between black and white people w...
Lire la suite

The Help by MORO Clara and LE PICART Thomas

-
Image
Synopsis:             “The Help” is an American drama film written by Tate Taylor in 2011, which denounce the segregation of black people in Jackson, Mississippi, during the Civil rights movement of the 60’s. The main characters are Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark, Emma Stone as "Skeeter" Phelan, Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly Walters Holbrook, Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson, Jessica Chastain as Celia Rae Foote and Allison Janney as Charlotte Phelan. The title refers to black women who work into homes of white people. They clean, baby-sit the children and cook. It talks about the story of a young woman who dreams to be a journalist: Skeeter. She works in a newspaper. She had to write a subject heading about cleaning advices. For that, she asks to her friend’s maid Aibileen, to spend a peace of time with her in order picks up some advices about cleaning. But she had something in mind… She wants to be a skilled journali...
Lire la suite

The movie: The Help, review written by Victor LY and Pierre ESLINE

-
Image
Our pitch: The Help is a period historical drama made by Tate Taylor in 2011. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name which was written by Kathryn Stockett. The main casting is mainly comprised of the very famous Emma Stone at the main character’s role and Viola Davis at the main black woman of the movie. The story deals with racial segregation in the USA. It tells the story of Skeeter’s fight against this segregation. She wants to write a book with the point of view of black maids: the two main women will be Aibileen and Minnie who are going to rebel in order to have a better treatment. Our review: The Help is a very touching movie which enables to make you think about the black people’s life conditions. This thematic is pretty committed, original and deals with problematics, obviously less present, but unfortunately always here nowadays.  You will be transported by a lot of emotions during the film, it was our case.  The film will satisfy everybody: f...
Lire la suite