The Butler (2013)

The Butler is the second movie which I decided to analyse in my B.A paper. The film is 2013 American historical drama, directed and produced by Lee Daniels. Loosely based on the real life of Eugene Allen. The film tells a story of black butler who serves eight presidents over three decades. He is a eyewitness of the most important events in American history ( for example : the civil war, mass demonstrations of blacks, war in Vietnam ) We meet Cecil (main character) when he was 8, he worked with his father on cotton plantation (South).  His father tried to oppose the landowner, and consequently he was shot. After this traumatic event Cecil decided to leave his home and seek better future. He ends up as the butler in the White House.  The movie shows two different perspectives on racial discrimination. On one hand, we have Cecil who wants  to lead calm and decent life.  He was a servant in the white house but he was not humiliated by his employers.  His job was appreciated and he received good salary, so he had an opportunity to maintain his family. On the other hand, Louis Cecil’s son Louis didn’t agree on racial discrimination and racial segregation.  Ha was a freedom rider, he takes part in Freedom Riders (civil rights activists travel by mixed racial buses to challenge local laws and customs). The movie shows to strictly different approaches towards the issue of discrimination, the old one versus the new one. What is more we can are able to observe two different attitudes of white people towards blacks. I would like to focused on this issue in my B.A paper. I will try to write about this subject In my next post.