“Hey pop, can I ask you a question? How come you ain’t never liked me?” This is the beginning of the trailer for Fences and immediately catches the attention of the viewer. The answer the boy hears from his father is equally intense and profound. But to better analyze this dialogue (and so many others during the film), it is necessary to clarify the context.

Nominated to four Oscars (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay) and based on August Wilson’s play, Fences is directed By Denzel Washington and tells the story of a lower-class American family in Pittsburgh in the 1950s.

Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) is the head of the family and works as a sanitation worker in the city. He is married to Rose (the spectacular Viola Davis), with whom he has a son (Cory, played by Jovan Adepo). Troy is also Lyons’ (Russell Hornsby) father from a previous marriage, and Gabriel’s brother (Mykelti Williamson), a former soldier who suffers the consequences of a head wound. Finally, Bono (Stephen Henderson), Troy’s best friend, works with him and is always present in the family environment.

As one can see, the main characters are few, typical of a theatrical production, and the story is equally simple: Troy is frustrated that he has failed to make a career as a professional baseball player. For this reason, he does not let his son Cory try to be a football player.

Precisely because it is an adaptation of a play focused on the daily life of a family, the scenes take place either in the backyard or inside the house. Therefore, there is not much action or movement in other environments and the main focus of the film are the dialogues. Troy is extremely talkative and has answers to all situations. He speaks loudly, makes gestures, always wanting to prove that he is the provider of the family and, for this reason, knows what is best for everyone. In addition, he is extremely sexist and selfish on several occasions, not to mention the alcoholism – a problem he refuses to see.

Rose, on the other hand, watches her husband closely but also positions herself when necessary and suffers when Troy is excessively hard on Cory. This dynamic portrays well the daily family life of the time in the United States. No wonder August Wilson is known for translating the reality of the African American community in the United States. Fences is one of the ten-piece series from The Pittsburgh Cycle, in which each story takes place in a different decade, all focused on black families of the twentieth century.

Precisely because of the black family focus, there is the famous story that August Wilson refused that a white director would be responsible for adapting Fences. “Not because of race, but because of cultural differences. This work requires someone who shares the specificities of American black culture. “

Which brings us to Denzel Washington’s choice to direct this adaptation. In late December 2016, after a special screening of the film in New York, Denzel and the rest of the cast answered questions from the audience and he reinforced the playwright’s understanding that this story would be best directed by an African American.

His directing work has been proficient since the beginning of the film, with a long sequence in which the camera follows Troy and Bono at work, until the most intense scenes where the camera is completely focused on the faces of the actors.

That said, it is necessary to make a caveat: the most harmed person by the direction of Denzel Washington, in my opinion, was the actor himself. Let me explain: by focusing so intensely on the actors’ faces, we can clearly see all their expressions and Denzel is extremely expressive. More than required for a movie. In fact, it looks like he’s acting in a … play! It gives the impression that he has not adapted much his performance from the stage to the screen. He looks great, of course, but Troy is constantly talking loudly and making faces even in scenes where acting should be a little more subtle. Denzel’s performance is perfect for audiences in the theater, seating in the last rows and having to see and hear the stage actor. In a movie, however, there is no longer this need, since the screen and the volume are adapted for everyone in the cinema, regardless of the seat chosen.

The other actors, however, were able to adapt the performances better. It is worth mentioning that Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson and Stephen Henderson also worked together in the production of this play in New York in 2010, which won three Tony awards that year. For this reason, it is clear that the actors know deeply the characters they play, as well as the chemistry among them.

This does not mean, however, that the film has perfect pacing. The second act drags on in some moments and the excess of intense dialogues can make it exhausting. It is always good to remember that in the theater there would be an intermission for the audience to absorb all that was said and prepare for the rest of the story. With the absence of interruption in the cinema, the verbiage of Troy can be a bit exhausting during the 2 hours and 20 minutes of projection.

The score by Marcelo Zarvos is subtle and fits well with the plot. The photography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen is also competent to bring the public to the 1950s with tones specific to the time.

However, the highlight of the film is Viola Davis. Her character is strong throughout history, but most often, more submissive to her husband. After some crucial information, however, she transforms and the scene in which she has a meltdown is the best of the film. Her interpretation of this monologue is so perfect that it’s impossible not to think “she’s going to win the Oscar” while watching the scene.

Finally, another interesting point of the film is precisely the title. Throughout history Troy is building a fence in the backyard of his house. He procrastinates so much that we have the feeling that he will never finish it. There are, however, the various imaginary fences that separate Troy from almost every member of his family. Or, also, that separate him from his old dream of being a baseball player.

Fences is, therefore, a film of extreme relevance in the current conjuncture, since the reality of black families in the United States unfortunately has not changed completely in the last decades. In the same way, the sexism impregnated with Troy’s mentality still persists today.

It should be seen and discussed after the screening is over. Especially to discuss Troy’s attitude toward his son and his wife. It is clear that yes, he likes his son, contrary to what he thinks. It just demonstrates in a very different way from what we are accustomed to seeing. And that’s the beauty of the story.

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