Fences Movie Review

Fences Movie Review

Sean Russell, Staff Writer

Though not without its flaws, the combination of Denzel Washington’s brilliance as an actor and director combined with August Wilson’s story line makes Fences a top film of 2016. In 1983, August Wilson wrote the play Fences, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1987. Set during the 1950’s in Pittsburgh, Fences tells the story of African-American Troy Maxon and his family. Troy, an ex-convict and former baseball player in the Negro League, with his wife Rose, has two sons Cory and Lyons. Troy’s brother, Gabriel, suffered a brain injury in World War II and now has the mental disposition of a child. Troy and Cory have a strained relationship;  Troy refuses to let Cory be recruited to college for football, which culminates in a violent confrontation between the two. Troy also engages in an extra-marital affair with a woman named Alberta.  The work ends with the death of Troy and his impending funeral.

The true success of the film Fences was its ability to transfer the emotion of the play to the screen. Fences did a stupendous job depicting the intense conflict between Cory and Troy, especially in their struggle over the baseball bat in the yard, where Troy nearly kills his son. The movie’s portrayal of Rose, with a flawless performance from Viola Davis, persuaded me that Rose, because of her inner strength, is the true hero of this work. Though evident in the play, the movie truly brought Rose’s strengths to life. In one incredibly poignant and powerful scene, after Troy confesses his adultery and declares “I been standing in the same place for 18 years”, Rose yells back with tears streaming down her face, “Well I’ve been standing with you. I’ve been right here with you Troy. I got a life too. I gave 18 years of my life to stand in the same spot as you. Don’t you think I ever wanted other things? Don’t you think I had dreams and hopes? What about my life? What about me?” Scenes like these make Fences a must-see movie.

Though an excellent adaption of the play, Fences did have a few minor flaws. The transition between scenes was not seamless, and it is easy to tell that Fences was intended for the stage, not the screen, as the passage of time felt a bit awkward on screen. Washington also had to address the stagnant nature of the play. In the play, almost all of the action takes place on the Maxons’ porch, and this action consisted exclusively of dialogue. Washington did an excellent job of “livening up” the play by adding scenes, such as Troy’s visit to his bosses, Troy’s visit to Gabe in the institution, and when Cory viewed the Marine enlistment advertisement. However, the movie was not perfect.  Overall, Fences was excellent, not only as a play, but also as a movie. Rating: 9.3/10