Review of Fences (2016) by Dave C — 16 Feb 2017

The power of Fences lies in it's performances, and what performances they are. While Denzel is good (very good in-fact), I think Viola Davis actually outshines him with her sheer determinism. However the two performances manage to layer each other in some important ways, with Rose's (Davis) emotional journey slowly rising to the surface in a very visible way, and Maxson retreating deeper and deeper into something more hidden, more complex.

Washington does some interesting things with the dynamics of turning the stage into a screenplay. Most of the film does take place in or around the house, and from the get go we are let in on the fact that movement that the film is going to follow is the dialogue itself. But what Denzel does with this single setting is utilize some interesting camera angles and swooping shots to help bring us in on this movement, turning our gaze down the street at one moment, or setting us in a position from above or looking up from the ground at another.

Later on the film we are also given a few well timed shots that do move us to a couple different locales, just enough to remind us that we are watching a cinematic work, but it is the way the camera allows us to centre in on the house itself that Washington is most adept at. It allows us to get a feel, for example, of one characters absence and the switch in perspective, which is something that really helps to connect us to the scene changes.

As a viewer I never felt like I was necessarily watching a play on screen (although I could note those dynamics). Rather I felt I was watching a cinematic interpretation of one, and I think I appreciated that aspect rather than it detracting from my experience.

Thematically the play moves up and down, forwards and backwards, and all in a sort of patient unveiling of Rose's and Maxson's marital relationship. Much of what we experience with Rose happens in real time, with the thematic developments shaping her emotionally and letting us in on the depth of who she really is. Much of what happens with Maxson is about uncovering his past, the reasons for why he finds himself in the place that he does. It is all extremely affecting, and the final act is one of the more powerful things I have seen on screen in a while. Maybe in some other space I will write about what these themes meant for me, but suffice to say the film left its mark.