Have you ever finished watching a movie and taken a sigh of relief that the plot is not in real life?
Today, the lines are becoming blurred between fiction and reality in films as history unfolds. As more films relating to racial injustice and other social justice topics hit theaters, viewers have begun to take notice of the importance of the stories behind the plot.
“I think that films relating to social justice are influential because it forces people to sit and learn about these topics,” said senior Mia Stark. “Many people are uneducated on these topics and don’t have the drive to sit down and do research about it.”
Stark recalls watching many films that relate to racial injustice. She specifically reflects on Destin Daniel Cretton’s “Just Mercy.”
“Just Mercy,” an adaptation of Bryan Stevenson’s novel of the same name, tells the story of Stevenson, a Harvard graduate who travels to Alabama to defend African Americans who were wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit. Throughout the movie, Stevenson endures multiple encounters of racism in the legal system.
Senior Hope Lecours also mentions viewing Barry Jenkin’s “Moonlight,” a film that follows the life of Chiron, a young African American male in Miami. The film highlights his journey through manhood and becoming comfortable in his own skin.
“By watching these movies, they have changed my outlook toward certain topics of race and social justice by educating me about race and the issue that the country is facing regarding social justice, as well as criminal reform in connection to these social justice issues,” said Stark.
“Just Mercy” and “Moonlight” are just two examples of many films that portray racism in society. Lecours also recalls watching Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing,” a film that highlights the days of a diverse racial group living in lower class Brooklyn, N.Y.
Radio Raheem, a character in the 1989 film, is murdered at the hands of a white police officer. This scene is not something that only appears on the big screen. In May 2020, George Floyd, an African American man, was killed in Minneapolis after a group of police officers wrestled him to the ground and placed a knee on his throat. This lasted for a total of eight minutes and 46 seconds.
Floyd’s story remains a significant discussion in the news today.
“These events broke my heart, along with many others’ hearts as well,” said Lecours. “Seeing the constant abuse and mistreatment in this country through movies and through the news as we live through it makes it impossible to watch these films and not feel that this is a call to action.”
A call to action is a common theme between many films and their viewers. The 2011 film “The Help” is based off Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel of the same title. Set in Jackson, M.I. during the early 1960s, African American maids’ stories are highlighted by white journalist Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan when she publishes her novel “The Help” to bring awareness to the experiences African American maids have been through.
“It was a really good movie that opened my eyes to what life was like years ago,” said freshman Tara Shipos.
Some students, such as freshman Isabella Bodak, agree with Shipos regarding the eye-opening manner of these films.
“When I watched ‘The Help’ in high school, I was shocked and learned more from it than any textbook in history class,” said Bodak. “Seeing injustice acted out put things in perspective for me, which I think is why the film and other films are so influential.”
