The Help, directed by Tate Taylor, uses film techniques to effectively reflect on the greatest triumphs and tragedies of our time. Through a range of characters and situations, as well as dialogues, camera work, and costume, Taylor presents these triumphs and tragedies in his 2011 film. Specifically, Taylor focuses on one of the greatest tragedies of our time – the mistreatment of African Americans. In The Help, he utilizes film techniques such as voice over and Point of View Shot to demonstrate this tragedy.
Taylor utilizes the voice over technique by employing the character of Aibileen to depict the tragedies endured by people of color. Through Aibileen, the laws of Mississippi are vocalized, including regulations such as prohibiting white females from nursing in wards with Negro men, enforcing separate schools for white and colored students, and prohibiting colored barbers from serving white women or girls. Furthermore, anyone who publishes or circulates material advocating for social equality between whites and Negroes is liable to be imprisoned. These laws serve as evidence of how racism became ingrained in Mississippi’s constitution.
In another scene, Taylor uses the Point of View Shot technique to depict African Americans entering segregated theatres, revealing their helplessness and vulnerability during that time. Through voice over and Point of View Shot, Taylor effectively portrays the tragic experiences of colored people in the early days in his film, The Help. He exposes the discrimination and segregation they faced, highlighting the biased constitution and the disempowerment endured by the colored race. Taylor further emphasizes this tragedy by illustrating the mistreatment of African American maids. Through dialogue and costume, he showcases the overall disempowerment of colored individuals. Voice over is employed to illustrate the excessive workload and meager pay of African American maids, as demonstrated by Aibileen in a scene where she states, “I work for the Leefolt’s from eight to four, six days a week.”
The text emphasizes the plight of African American maids, particularly Aibileen, who receives a meager wage of ninety five cents per hour, amounting to a monthly income of only a hundred and eighty two dollars. This showcases the audience how these maids were severely underpaid considering the multitude of tasks they performed, such as cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, and grocery shopping. Additionally, the use of costume as a technique by Taylor further highlights the hardships faced by colored women. The African American maids are depicted wearing dull and unflattering uniforms while working, constantly reminded of their lowly status. This contrasts starkly with an scene in which colored women are gorgeously dressed in colorful attire when attending church, illustrating their inability to showcase their beauty due to the discriminatory treatment by white individuals. Through the employment of voice over and costume techniques, Taylor effectively portrays the mistreatment suffered by colored women during that era.
Taylor exhibits his outstanding ability to portray the tragedies faced by African Americans in those days through his amazing film techniques. The audience is shown the harsh reality of their lives, including poverty, insults, maltreatment, and a lack of opportunity to express themselves. However, in his 2011 movie, The Help, filmmaker Tate Taylor also showcases one of the greatest triumphs of African Americans. Through the film techniques of dialogues and voice over, Taylor effectively demonstrates this triumph to the audience.
Inside the church, the technique of dialogue is employed to highlight the triumph being depicted. Preacher Green, in the dialogue, emphasizes that courage is not solely about bravery, but also about doing what is right despite our human frailties. He asserts that God commands us to love and that love, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ, involves being willing to risk harm for the sake of others. This dialogue ultimately influences Aibileen’s decision to share her stories with Skeeter. Another scene in which Taylor showcases this triumph is the concluding moment in The Help, where Hilly unjustly accuses Aibileen of stealing silver. Aibileen defiantly stands up to Hilly and confronts her, stating, “All you do is scare and lie to try to get what you want!…You a Godless woman! Ain’t you tired, Miss Hilly? Ain’t you tired?”
The text demonstrates one of the greatest achievements in the movie, The Help, by depicting Aibileen’s successful book and her triumph over Hilly. Additionally, a different scene utilizes voice over to showcase Aibileen’s triumph. During the voice over, Aibileen states, “Mae Mobley was my last baby…God says we need to love our enemies. That hard to do. But it can start by tellin’ the truth…Once I told the truth about that, I felt free…” This showcases Aibileen’s ultimate victory over Hilly. Taylor effectively employs dialogue and voice over as film techniques to portray the triumphs of African Americans during that era.
Taylor’s extraordinary film techniques allow him to present these triumphs to the audience with breathtaking prowess. In his remarkable film, The Help (2011), Taylor skillfully depicts the African Americans’ courageous stand against white oppression and the abhorrent mistreatment they endured. Moreover, he showcases another victory in the same movie, depicting women breaking free from societal constraints. Through the techniques of dialogue and costume, Taylor masterfully portrays this triumph on screen.
Taylor utilizes the character Jolene French’s dialogue as a means to demonstrate Skeeter’s triumph. Jolene tells Skeeter, “Well, if it isn’t ‘Long Haul’ Skeeter. We never thought you’d leave Ole Miss.” This interaction reveals to the audience how Skeeter successfully surpasses the societal limitations imposed on women from her social background. Among her group of friends, Skeeter is the lone individual who has attained a complete college education. Likewise, the technique of costume is employed to showcase how Skeeter challenges the societal expectations surrounding girls of her social class. Skeeter’s attire stands out from that of her friends, as she opts for business-like clothing in earthy hues, flat shoes, and a more natural hairstyle compared to the other girls.
Tate Taylor’s film, The Help, effectively portrays how women in that era overcame social boundaries through the use of dialogue and costume. The character Skeeter’s unconventional attire is a clear indication that she does not conform to the expectations of her social class. Through masterful film techniques, Taylor demonstrates the triumph of women in breaking free from oppressive societal norms in his 2011 movie. This portrayal serves as a powerful message to the audience about the potential for personal triumph and the pursuit of freedom. Tate Taylor’s exceptional filmmaking skills are evident in his ability to convey such profound triumphs and tragedies in The Help. This film inspires viewers to strive for their own success and liberation, reminding them that they have the capacity to overcome any limitations they may face and create a more fulfilling life.
