'Mudbound' (15)

****

Netflix release

Out on a farm in the middle of Mississippi, two families live alongside one another: the McAllans and the Jacksons. Whilst the McAllans own the land, the Jacksons are forced to work the unforgiving landscape. But when a young man from each family returns home from World War II, the lives on the farm are changed forever.

 

It seems a shame to me that big, bombastic, out-of-this-world movies with A-list casts and grand special effects should receive the coverage and release they do when intimate, important tales such as Dee Rees' latest go by largely unobserved. For, whilst the entertainment value of a blockbuster cannot be denied, the effective, sensitive storytelling of a tale as important as Mudbound deserves to be witnessed by an audience just as big. Sneaking out amongst the Original series in the middle of November, Mudbound makes for a tough yet tender cinematic treat for all who press 'play'.

 

Focusing on two families living aside each other in an uneasy existence, director Dee Rees manages to create a narrative that is both intimate and far-reaching, thanks to the implications of the racism depicted and the ways in which some characters seek to overcome the black/white divide. Using the voices of some of the protagonists to detail emotions perhaps not witnessed on screen, the script offers a touching insight into the changing relationships, whilst also reminding of us of the terribly ingrained divisions that exist. Early parallels are drawn between the two groups: there's Hap and Henry (Rob Morgan and Jason Clarke respectively) as the patriarchal heads of the family. But whilst Henry is almost oblivious to what is happening around him, Hap is depicted as the caring family man desperate to release his wife and children from ownership. Secondly, Carey Mulligan and Mary J. Bilge provide the motherly voice to the story, assisting each other in an awkward friendship, but never quite breaking free of their prejudices. And finally there is Jamie (Garrett Hedlund, Henry's younger brother) and Ronsel (Jason Mitchel, Hap's eldest), whose return from service in World War II and subsequent friendship threatens to shatter the fragile existence on the farm.

Deeply character-driven, this ponderous film is nonetheless interspersed with moments of shocking violence and a sense of terrible threat, which at once both engaged me and made me want to stop the movie as a whole. Peppered with moments of tenderness and beautiful scenic shots, Rees' excellently executed film never once tips over into a clichéd tale, making for an informative and shocking insight into the South at the time. Perhaps you should stay in instead of seeing the newest blockbuster release...