Mudbound (2017)

Mudbound: Directed by Dee Rees. With Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan. Two men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war.

“Greetings again from the darkness. The Jim Crow South and WWII have each spawned many movies, and both play a crucial role in director Dee Reesu0026#39; (BESSIE) adaptation (co-written with Virgil Williams) of Hillary Jordanu0026#39;s 2008 novel. Itu0026#39;s the story of two families, the Jacksons and the McAllans, striving for daily survival in rural Mississippi during the 1940u0026#39;s. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Jacksons are a black family tenant-farming on land owned by the white McAllans who transplanted from Memphis. This land is so remote and life so hard, that tractors are almost non-existent and mules are rare enough. There is such a bleakness to this existence that all seem oblivious to the always present mudhole leading to the front door of their shack. Elation comes in the form of a privacy wall constructed around the outdoor family shower, or the sweetness of a bar of chocolate. Soon after D-Day, Florence and Hap Jackson send their son Ronsel off to war. The same thing is happening across the 200 acre farm to Jamie McAllan, brother of Henry and son of Pappy. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA shifting of multiple narrators throughout allows us access to the perspectives of multiple characters. We get both black and white views on war and farming. Days in war bring injury, death and dirt … not so dissimilar to life on a Mississippi farm. When Ronsel and Jamie return from war, they are both suffering. Ronsel canu0026#39;t come to grips with how he was treated as a redeemer in Europe, but just another u0026#39;black manu0026#39; being targeted by the KKK at home, while Jamie is shell-shocked into alcoholism and an inability to function in society. The parallels between the war experience of Ronsel and Jamie lead them to a friendship that ultimately canu0026#39;t be good for either. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eJason Clarke plays Henry and Carey Mulligan, his wife Laura. Jonathan Banks (u0026quot;Breaking Badu0026quot;, u0026quot;Better Call Saulu0026quot;) is the ultimate nasty racist Pappy, while Garrett Hedlund is Jamie. Rob Morgan and Mary J Blige are Hap and Florence Jackson, and Jason Mitchell (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON) is Ronsel. While all perform well, itu0026#39;s Mitchell and Hedlund who are particular standouts, as is a radio reference of the great Lou Boudreau. Rachel Morrisonu0026#39;s cinematography is terrific and captures both the hardscrabble life of Mississippi, but also the frantic and tragic abruptness of war (in just a couple of scenes). u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRacism is always difficult to watch, and in that era, everyone had their place/plight in life. It was a structure built to ensure misery for most, and one guaranteed to collapse. The acting here is very strong and the film is well made. The story-telling is consistently disquieting and periodically unbearable. Still, we are all tired (or should be) of hatred. The somewhat hopeful ending caused an audible sigh of relief from an audience of viewers who had been angry and clinched for more than two hours. And though there is no joy in Mudville, we remain hopeful, even today.”