Mudbound (2017) - movie review

Mudbound (2017)

Rating – 3.5/5

Starring Jonathan Banks, Mary J Blige, Garett Hedlund, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke

Directed by Dee Rees

Review by Zulfiqar

            The whole essence of Mudbound lies in its quaint atmosphere of 1940s America, which is seeped in its global war turmoil as much as in its racial politics. Dee Rees’ employs multi-pronged narration coming from various characters of the story. The narration is somber, meditative and rarely incisive.

            McAllan family has father, Pappy (Jonathan Banks), and his sons, Henry and Jamie (Garett Hedlund). While Jamie enlists in the war, the more simpleton Henry settles at a farm with his wife and kids and his father. The black Jackson family head, Hap is their tenant help. He and his family works on the farm. Their eldest son Ronsel is serving as tank commander in Europe. Pappy is downright racist and isn’t inhibitive in expressing his opinions. When the two soldiers of the subsequent families return, both of them find companionship in each other’s troubles.

            Ronsel sympathizes with Jaime’s post-traumatic depression, while the latter pities the boy for being the oppressed in the racial culture. Pappy’s disdain for his younger kid’s psychic troubles and the latter’s deviant friendship with the ranch hand’s son propel him to do an unthinkable act which results in a grim turn of things.

            The movie deals with many points here because of the various POVs. Henry’s wife Laura (Carey Mulligan) has two trains of thought. One is on the nature of her marriage and the other on her husband’s way towards the Jackson family. She sympathises with Hap’s wife, Florence (Mary J Blige), for her weeklong care towards her kids despite Florence having 4 of her own. Her view on her husband regarding his morals is strengthened when he refuses to lend a helping hand to an injured Hap, who can’t be making good returns on the farm. Her romance with Jaime however is controversial.

            Henry (Jason Clarke) is helpless and is indecisive. He is caught in the family dynamics between his wife and his father. He finds it embarrassing when his father denies riding with a black man in the car. But his helplessness is more devastating because he is accepts the social norms as per his requirement. He finds it just to exploit his black farmhand despite the latter’s family coming to his aid at important times.

            The movie gives a peek into the racial irregularities and injustices in America carried out in the mid of 20^th century as a common practice and as an acceptable culture. It pains to see when Hap swallows every incult directed at him and his family, while dreaming stability in the family’s finances. Ronsel at the other hand has seen the world and even had a romance with a white European girl. He rightly expects respect from the people to whom he has served. Jason Mitchell as Ronsel acts his part well. however in the scenes of his with his mother Florence (Mary J Blige), there are heartful moments when he insists she eat a whole bar of chocolate without sharing it with anybody. There is that love for one’s mother for the sacrifices she has made.

            Mary J Blige makes the scenes look more convincing in the way she loves her kids. At the same time, she is a turmoil of emotions, who finds a friend in her employer, Laura, while not able to express her anger towards the rest of the family. She feels her husband’s devotion to his employers need not be transferred to her and the kids. But she knows she is a slave to the social structure of racial exploitation.

            Garett Hedlund as Jaime has many layers of emotions to carry. His PTSD trouble is one angle of it. He hates being called a coward by his own father. His friendship with Ronsel is another part of the spectrum. While his emotions with Laura, for me, look an unnecessary angle. However its Jonathan Banks, who makes a deep impression as the loathsome Pappy. His career has just started after the aftermath of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He looks every bit menacing and irksome KKK member, who tries to keep the racial torch burning bright. One could see with the measure of the audience’s hate on his acting abilities for this particular role.

            All said, Mudbound has a very somber element to it. despite the dense plot, it looks meandering and dull. It surely is reflective of its emotional elements and the racial atmosphere of the 1940s. but it isn’t more crisp and clear as one would want to be. The story at the end loiters with a weak trail and isn’t revelating. But for all its efforts, it does sound some real chords with depiction of history at certain point of time.