Lee
Daniels’ The Butler is a powerful movie, based loosely on a true story, about
an African-American man, Cecil Gaines, who rises from being a house-boy on a
southern plantation to being a butler at the White House during the presidencies
from Eisenhower to Reagan.
Historical events involving the White House serve as a backdrop for the main
thrust of the story, a father-son relationship in conflict. The father, who has
been taught to be “invisible” while doing his job, is challenged by his oldest
son who, growing up during a time of huge social change, believes that
African-Americans need to actively stand up for their rights.
The
movie features fabulous performances from Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines,
David Oyelowo as his son Louis, and Oprah Winfrey as his wife, and a superb
supporting cast. It manages to convey the sense of glamour and prestige of
working at the White House, while highlighting the glaring contradictions
between emerging public policy regarding civil rights and the White House’s perpetuation
of injustice in the work place itself. On a more personal level it looks at the
quandary between the desire to lead a quiet life when the status quo offers
benefits way beyond those originally expected early in life and the need to
stand up and risk what you have for others less fortunate.
Educated
in the UK at a time when the subject of world history referred to Europe and
the various jewel-in-the-crown former colonies, my knowledge of the civil
rights campaign was sketchy to say the least. Yes, I’d heard of Martin Luther
King and Rosa Parks, and UK media covered the major headline events in the U.S.
as they occurred, but the movie was a real eye-opener to the extent of the
unrest and struggles that persisted throughout the period.
I
left the movie theater feeling that this was a period of history that I needed
to know more about. I had a similar feeling after watching “Lincoln”. If anyone
has any recommendations for good texts to read, please let me know in the
comment box below.
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