REVIEW (TV/Film): The Help

Reading time: 7 minutes

It was somewhat a blessing and a curse for a white woman to live her upper aristocrat life in the Southern States of the mid-20th century. They saw themselves as the world’s most idealistic woman: self-righteous, to never share anything with coloureds (exemplified by numerous acts of segregation), never being responsible for child rearing, keeping up personal and domestic appearances and to live life frivolously through gossip and philanthropic campaigns that have no real personal connection to them (other than ironically helping Africa from which their maids and servants originate from). Seemingly Marie Antoinette-like. Yet it is widely documented that many women during this time period were scolded and beaten by their husbands and to rarely portray these scenes in the movie makes this more a white woman’s southern belle utopia. Understandably, the film is all about voicing lives of the black woman (“The Help”) during the Civil Rights Movement, but it would have served excellently to compare and contrast the lives of the whites with that of their ‘coloured’ counterparts more deeply. It could have highlighted the fact that is the only true difference between the two is their skin colour and their wealth status and other than that there lies a tight bond between a matriarch and her maid more strongly than the aforementioned characteristics that act as barriers. So personally, the director and writers missed a trick there. In good grace, there was only one epiphany moment captured and it was powerful, when Constantine was banished from her employer’s home: the big issue was highlighting the importance of the bond between all women regardless of the roles played amongst one another in that time, and moreso regardless of your racial background or status. On another note, we are presented the contemporary issues that still lie between the idealistic traditional life of a wife/mother and that of a budding young feminist [of the 60s] attempting to taking charge of her life and live a new kind of life: a working woman, with a dash of “white saviour complex” [to the black maids], notably through the character of Euginia.

Edits of 60s PopArt reflecting the cruel disease of a false American dream

Whilst much of the film derives from the book of the same title and so this could impose certain storytelling restrictions, the writing seemed jittery at times and rarely a challenge to the mind. That could be considered a weakness because while the filmmakers may assume that most of the viewership will have some awareness of what lives in that time were like, there was rarely any scenes that stood out to really demonstrate how distraught livelihoods were back then. Sure Viola Davis’ character in being separated from her ‘child’ or banished from the bus was emotional, but it wasn’t her strongest delivery. Definitely in comparison to her various other roles. It begs the question as to whether this was deliberate from the director or if Viola felt she wanted to apply restraint in order to present a different portrayal of a maid’s life. Apathetic one moment, to melodramatic the next. Nevertheless other events that were brought about, such as Minny’s infamous faecal dessert and her ironic humility towards Cella Foote were highlights especially for those who haven’t read the book. In typical Octavia Spencer fashion, her character Minny was portrayed with a very direct, humorous spirit and always achieved being the centre of some drama and danger. For her character's outspokenness through quick wit and honesty (which could be a coping mechanism for putting up with her domestic violence situation), she was living life on the edge all well knowing this attitude most likely wouldn't serve the best route to success in her work life, as seen with her relationship with the bully Ms Hilly.

All in all, The Help is more a Sunday afternoon comfortable pyjamas watch: a sprinkle of dud, a dash of humour and a spritz of disaster. So despite all its deemed peaks and troughs, this might be the perfect movie for you if that’s what you’re looking for.