Thursday, January 28, 2016

Fruitvale Station - A Powerful Vehicle for an Important Message

Fruitvale Station is a biopic/drama film both written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Telling the story of Oscar Grant III, as he lives the final day of his life before being shot and killed by BART police in the early hours of the year 2009, Fruitvale Station is not only a gripping retelling of such events - it is a disturbingly accurate portrayal of police brutality and racism within the modern day United States.

All of this is due in part to the phenomenal acting from Creed star Michael B. Jordan, who posts an incredible performance in the lead role as Oscar Grant III. While it's obviously hard to tell whether or not he did Oscar's real-life counterpart justice, Jordan's acting certainly serves to paint a picture of Oscar as an honest man who - while not necessarily perfect - is just trying to get his life back on track. Naturally, this comes with a lot of emotions; scenes ranging from Oscar picking up his daughter from pre-school to a volatile argument with his girlfriend Wanda Johnson (portrayed by Octavia Spencer).

The film makes great use of diegetic sound as well, with lots of background noise of busy streets, crowded subway cars, and the ocean waves; all serving to create an atmosphere that the viewer can feel immersed in. This all serves to build up to the tragic conclusion, where Oscar is fatally shot by two police officers. By this point in the film, the viewer is completely enthralled within the world that Coogler creates, making the message of the film doubly impactful.

In all, Fruitvale Station is a tremendous film; it blends remarkable acting, convincing writing, and realistic sound to create a vehicle to deliver a message that - thankfully - is becoming more and more prevalent each and every day within modern America; that black lives matter.

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