By Soraya G. Machado-Powell
Fences is a film produced and directed by Denzel Washington and based on August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play.
Fences, is brought to life by a stellar performance by Denzel Washington (Troy Maxson) and Viola Davis (Rose). Troy Maxson is a garbage man who fights through the racial injustice of the 1950’s as well as through his own personal and social inadequacies in order to provide for his family. Though he is consumed by the bitterness of racial tensions and enraged by the hand that was dealt to him, he sees the world through it all. Washington’s performance masterfully pulls you into the web of his complex character, leaving you torn between commiserating with him or despising him because of how tough and sometimes unreasonable he is, in a totally relatable way.
But the movie wouldn’t work without Davis balancing him out. Rose has suffered as much as Troy, if not, more than he has. But she is not consumed by the anger. In fact, she shows love for those around her, including Troy’s mentally disabled brother Gabriel (Mykelti Williamson). She deals with every bit of pain that comes her way with dignified strength; a strength that is contagious.
The psychology of the movie occurs when Troy uses the building of a backyard fence as a way to bond with his teenage son Cory (Jovan Adepo). Troy bullies his son into leaving behind football and the possibility of a different life provided by the opportunity of a football scholarship for a life equal to his. It subtly causes you to think about your own life, and certainly the relationship between you and your own father.
The fence is symbolic for the fences that we build around us in order to protect and insulate us from difficult life circumstances and from others; the ones that we erect around us in order to keep others out. The fence protects our inadequacies, our perspectives, our points of view, our sins, our indiscretions, our ineptitudes, our emotional faultiness, and our mistakes. At the same time, these fences prevent us from seeing and be seen by others; from moving forward and progressing and from noticing that life is constantly changing.
That being said, Fences is a two thumbs up must see, and in theaters on Christmas Day!
