Mudbound

 Mudbound is a film about race in the South before, during, and after WWII. The overall theme of the film is about how racism is an inescapable force, as evidenced in how the character Ronsel, despite having fought in the war, was treated when he returned. I believe that the film did succeed in getting its message across. 

The plot of Mudbound was about two families, one white - the McAllans - and one black - the Jacksons, in the rural South in the 1940s. The McAllans move to start a farm, hiring the Jacksons as sharecroppers. Midway through the film, two veterans, from both families, who served in the war return to the region. Upon arrival, the local white population does everything they can to stop out their burgeoning friendship.

The film's use of mise en scene helped set the tone of the film. The film used a drab color pallet and empty shots, which I feel helped lend it a constantly oppressive feeling. Initially I found the first half of the film kind of pointless, but upon rewatching it I found it built up to the films’s denouement. I personally think the book was an excellent look at race in 1940s America.





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