Movie #1481 "Mudbound" is a good solid rendition of the excellent book by the same name. The book and movie's storyline follows two major families, one black, the other white, both sharecropping on the white farmer's land. The time period is in the 1940s, with one white member of one family and one black from the other going off to war and then coming back. The shared PTSD they are both suffering from bring them together, and this bromance causes problems in the KKK-plagued south after WWII, where this book and movie take place. There are huge differences between the movie and the book, including a different ending in the movie (which my book club preferred). My book club had read the book, and then we viewed the film together, and we discussed after the film some other differences: Florence's character was cut shorter, Henry comes across one-sided in the film, a few pieces of action were switched around but that made the telling more dramatic for the film, & the relationship between Laura and Henry doesn't have the depth it had in the book. The screenplay writer wanted this movie to help elevate the book to be the most recent "To Kill A Mockingbird," and I wouldn't go so far to praise it that much, but I recommend this book as a very strong addition to any of our libraries on racial inequality. It's definitely a strong condemnation on the inequality between blacks and whites --- the book and movie are very hard to watch/read (for eg., there'a a raw KKK scene) and the language and all around lack of respect for the blacks will make you embarrassed and angry, but all the emotions and discussion that the book & movie evoke is good for us to have and to have often. And there is a glimmer of hope that respect CAN be obtained between the two races, albeit on a one-to-one.... One added comment --- this film has had some Oscar buzz ---- I think Ronsell's character (Jason Mitchell) does some oscar -worthy acting, but not Mary K. Blige --- her part is short and one note, pretty much, but her song could be nominated. The cinematography union nominated the female dp on this film, but blade Runner won that award --- I thought the film was really dark on the netflix channel both times I saw it (so far, streaming through netflix is the only way to see it) --- it's too bad it wasn't released in a theatre. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
"MUDBOUND" 2017 R
In 1940s Mississippi, two families come into conflict after the white McAllan clan acquires the cotton farm lived on by the Jacksons, black tenant farmers who have tilled the land for generations.
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell
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