The Help (2011) & The Butler (2013)

The Help (2011) & The Butler (2013)

The Help (2011) and The Butler both focus primarily on the stories of historic racism in the United States, and share several key themes, despite their different narrative approaches and historical scopes. For my final exam essay, I have chosen to write a critique on the film “The Help”, directed by Tate Taylor and released in 2011. A film that I have chosen to focus on as a means to compare and contrast would be “The Butler” directed by Lee Daniels. I found that both these films have a common focus and similar themes of racism, social class, and revolve around the same time frame and setting. As much as there are several similar aspects to both films, there are many differences. I found that “The Help” tended to focus on personal stories, and had more humorous aspects, and contained to a smaller time period, “The Butler” traces over a longer time period.

The Help is set in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi and follows Skeeter Phelan, a young white journalist who searches out to write a book about the lives of Black female maids employed in white households. The two main characters in the film are Aibileen and Minny, who at first are scared and reluctant to share their stories about being maids in this time period to the young journalist, ultimately agreeing to share their experiences of racism, injustice, and hardship. It also shows the division between social classes. Not only does the film highlight racism, but bullying within their own as well. (Celia Foote being bullied by the women). The film explores themes of race, class, and resistance, as the characters fight to assert their dignity and challenge the oppressive systems they live under. I found that there are many key topics from the main film (The Help) that I can talk about on the final exam that align well with the material from our lectures.

In terms of an exam essay outline, I will first have a short introduction paragraph establishing the essay, talking briefly about the film (The Help), stating how Tate Taylor uses cinematic techniques, strategic camera movements, etc. This will lead me to briefly introduce my main topics, which are focused on gender stereotypes and the feminist perspective in film. I would like to also speak to the film’s attempt to challenge the representation of black maids in the segregated south, as there are some stereotypes of black women as being submissive and standoffish, although this film challenges that. Concluding the intro paragraph with the film’s failure of relying on a genre trope, and in this film’s case that trope is “white saviour”. Then on the final exam essay, I can then move into a short paragraph on the film’s plot, explaining the story of the young journalist Skeeter, and her journey along with the rest of the film’s essential characters. Trying to carefully focus only on the main characters and how they are essential to the film’s plot, and how they challenge the stereotypes I will focus on in the final exam essay. I then plan to have another paragraph talking about the movies camera movements, camera edits, etc. Although, I plan to not only introduce them, but explain how they are used to enhance the films narrative and emotional impact. As well as how the edits, movements etc are a means for social messages, and communication of emotions. I will then have more paragraphs explaining the thesis more directly, introducing my sources and using the butler to highlight as a comparison for minor parts of the final exam essay.