Mudbound

Mudbound

Starring Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Mary J. Blige

Directed by Dee Rees

The Story:
In Mississippi in the early 40s, young couple Laura (Carey Mulligan) and Henry (Jason Clarke) are living on a farm with Henry's racist father Pappy (Jonathan Banks) that's overrun with mud, threatening their way of life.  Hap (Rob Morgan) and his wife Florence (Mary J. Blige) are an African American couple who also live on the land and work for Henry.  Their son, Ronsel (Jason Mitchell), enlists in the Army after Pearl Harbor is bombed, and Henry's brother Jamie (Garrett Hedlund) enlists in the Air Force.  When they return home, Ronsel and Jamie return different men, having been affected by the wages of war - and soon discover that their growing friendship threatens both of their lives.

The Synopsis:
Based off a novel by Hillary Jordan, "Mudbound" is an excellent, soaring piece of cinema that deeply points out the intense racism faced in America during World War II in a way that hasn't been done before - through the paralleled eyes of two different families living on the same land, both having totally opposing (and starkly contrasted to their ways of life) viewpoints on their lives.  While most films that focus on racial injustice occur either during the Civil War or the Civil Rights Movement, there hasn't been many that shed light on the issue during World War II, but Dee Rees brings it to life in "Mudbound."

What makes "Mudbound" so special is that it introduces each character with their own internal monologue, a voice-over that gives important information in a way that doesn't seem padded or forced, but rather in a way that draws us to the characters more deeply.  We hear the internal struggles they face and show that none of them are entirely evil, although some of their actions may seem contrary to that claim.  It also sets up beautifully the three contrasting duos the film focuses on, as well as the lone outsider who may well be evil epitomized.

We hear from the patriarchs of the different families.  Henry has lived under the shadow of his father's racist tendencies, and he treats Hap and his family with a strange blend of respect but also sternness.  When he asks Hap to do something, it's not done in a way where you'd expect Hap to refuse - he's politely asking him to do something knowing full well he won't say no to a white man.  Yet he's not all bad, as we see his struggle with dealing with a dying farm, having been duped into believing he was going to have something better.  On the opposite spectrum, Hap is just happy to have a piece of land to call his own, seeing it as a gift from God, and is genuinely pleased with his little lot in life - because he knows where he came from and knows that any type of advantage is positive.

Laura is a complex character in that she readily admits she suffers from self-worth, turning into the ever-subservient wife to Henry, content with raising her children and loving her husband through everything: yet she also shows a bit of a wild streak, in contradicting her husband after he gets duped, and her odd flirtatious nature with his brother.  Yet she holds her job as a mother to the highest regard, doting over her children as any loving parent would.  Florence, much like Laura, dotes over her children but in a more mature way.  When Ronsel goes off to war, she turns her back on him - not because she's angry or disrespectful, but she's always been told that it's bad luck to turn around on someone leaving.  She has an older wisdom that she imparts on Laura, and also has a fierce underbelly that makes her give up certain luxuries in order to give her children a better life.  When she said she would never leave her children to work for a white family, we believe her - but when she's pretty much forced to, she does it because she realizes that it's the ultimate sacrifice of love for her children, something she finally understands is why her mother did the same thing to them.

Yet the main focus of the film is told through the eyes of the unconventional friendship of Ronsel and Jamie.  Jamie was a playboy who flirted his way to every girl's heart, but when he went to war, it changed him.  He almost dies, but is rescued by the Tuskegee Airmen, which gives him a newfound respect for African Americans.  Ronsel is a head-strong man (much like his mother), who experiences his first true bit of freedom, ironically, during war.  Overseas, people don't see him as inferior, and he even becomes involved with a white German woman.  When they get back home, Jamie becomes a drunk to compensate for his PTSD, while Ronsel returns to a thankless country where he's once again treated as inferior.  Jamie befriends Ronsel because of what happened to him, and the two form a true friendship that bonds them together - even as it threatens to tear both men apart.

Then there's Pappy, the only main character who doesn't get an inner monologue, mostly because it would be every bit as despicable as the words coming out of his mouth.  While the other characters are deeply flushed out with their flaws and strengths, we only see Pappy's flaws - his undying hatred, his racist ways, his utter contempt for lives he feel are below him.  He's a truly vile human being that brings about the worst the film has to offer, giving us an unflinching look at how far we've come - yet how much farther we need to go.

When it comes to performances, while Carey Mulligan and Jason Clarke are top-billed, it's Mary J. Blige, Garrett Hedlund and Jason Mitchell who are the heart and soul of the film.  Blige - who was Golden Globe nominated, and will more than likely garner an Oscar nod - treats Florence with the utmost care, giving her a deeply motherly feel that makes us all want a mother like her.  When Ronsel buys her a chocolate bar, she wants to give it to her other children, but Ronsel practically forces her to eat it herself, because she's always looked out for her family over herself.   Hedlund's Jamie undergoes a huge transformation, befriending an African American in a time where it was unheard of - as well as dangerous.  We don't even think about that, until one scene when they're driving and he forces Ronsel to duck down, and we wonder why that is - until we remember the setting the film is in.  Jason Mitchell plays Ronsel perfectly, showcasing a strong man who experiences freedom, and then is forced to be subjugated again.  We feel deeply for him, and we are increasingly drawn to his plight and feel the palpable sense of danger that slowly looms like the Sword of Damocles.

In a time where women are being honored for their work in cinema, it's a shame Dee Rees will probably be ignored come awards season.  She bravely told a story that hasn't been expressed on screen before in this particular manner, and it's something that should be praised and appreciated for what it is.

The Summary:
Giving a rare, unflinching view of racism and the effects of war during World War II, "Mudbound" is elevated by its stellar cast and solid script, incorporating inner monologues that give us a deeper view of the characters portrayed.

The Score: A+