When
you watch movies, do you often think that the locations filmed in movies are
important? Some may just enjoy movies without considering it, but some might
notice the importance and the purpose of the location it is filmed. In fact, location
could be a crucial element in order to understand the backgrounds and history
more clearly and deeply about the movie. The
Help, movie based on novel about the African-Americans’ personal stories as
house maids working for whites in a discriminated situation, was filmed in
Greenword, Mississippi and this location was very important element in order to
comprehend the historical backgrounds about serious racism and culture of that time period in Mississippi.
<Movie The Help>
Mississippi is a significant place
in this movie because it is the most fitting place to portray the feature of
racism in 1960s America. 1960 era in America was the term when the uprisal of
racial civil rights was occurring, such as Martin Luther King marching and
making a speech for blacks. Unlike Washington and New York, where there were
protests for civil rights, Mississippi was the state where blacks were still not
able to express their rights. In fact, their rights were oppressed and even
were threatened by whites. For example, Aibileen and other black maids were
humiliated because they were supposed to use separate bathrooms to prevent the “disease,”
and there were KKK who killed innocent blacks in Jackson. According to the
history, Mississippi was one of the states that had serious segregation issues
existed, and that’s why main characters like Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter get
motivated to start this dangerous challenge. Even though their lives won’t be
safe when they get caught, their desire to live more fair as a human being and
the hope to spread the serious issues of black segregation were so eager that they
decide this challenge. Therefore, the historical backgrounds about the black
segregation in Mississippi in the past clearly show that its’ location is a right
place to emphasize the topic.
<Images of African-American Civil Rights movement and KKK>
Moreover, one of the reasons why
Mississippi is a critical place is because the local culture of that town are suitable
for raising the amusements while watching the movie. To be specific, slang words,
costumes, jokes and the scene of cotton fields catch attentions and even get
assumption about the historical backgrounds of slavery in the past. Since there
are several cotton fields in Jackson town, Mississippi has become the root of
African-American habitants. Also, blacks using unfamiliar English, slang words,
and the pronunciation of Southern US state are so different that caught our
attention. Especially Minny, a black maid and friend of Aibileen, sarcastically
mocks white ladies and her being a loud mouth are truly fascinating. One of the
most fascinating scene about Minny in this movie is when she says “Eat my shit”
to Miss Hilly when handing the pie. Her humorous and unpredictable personalities,
which can also define the general feature of blacks, definitely outstands in
the entire movie. For these reasons, Mississippi is a perfect place to be
filmed in the movie The Help.
<Minny saying: "Eat my shit" in movie>
Overall, Mississippi State is undoubtedly
a right place and an important element in filming the movie The Help. Mississippi’s historical
background of black slavery and serious segregation problems possibly relates
to the situation of the novel. In addition, the local culture of southern
citizens and blacks’ languages and costumes also become a crucial part to emphasize
the amusement of movie. The movie The
Help was actually nominated in the Academy Award in 2012, and as matter of
fact many critics claim that the image of Mississippi was a crucial part for
the nomination. Hence, it could be proved that location filmed in movies or
seen in any novels could be an essential source.
<Image of Octavia Spencer, winning the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role>
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