Mudbound

True to its name, this gritty, earthy tale is harsh, bitter and uneven.

Mudbound opens with a thunderous, darkening storm descending on a southern farm just following the end of World War II. Brothers Jamie (Garrett Hedlund) and Henry (Jason Clarke) dig a grave for their father (Jonathan Banks). Henry is the elder, strong and no-nonsense. Little brother Jamie is handsome, save for a fresh shiner on his left eye, and distracted - by what we don’t know yet. Jamie offers a voice over where he shares his view of his brother and the world.

Henry refuses to bury his father in what they discover is a slave’s grave - claiming there’s nothing his father would have hated more. The overt and brutal racism that follows backs up Henry’s claim and then some.

The film sharply flips to Henry’s wife, Laura (Carey Mulligan), via her voice over. She tells us what she thinks of the farm and the mud that perpetually coats everything - she’s not a fan. As the brothers struggle to lay their father to rest, the Jacksons, a black family who sharecrop down the road, roll by on a horse-drawn wagon. Henry stops them, against Laura’s wishes, to ask for help. The tension between the families is thick and will drive the main narrative...after these messages.

Director Dee Rees with Mary J. Blige.

Director Dee Rees puts the story in action out of order, which has worked in many great films. It’s a structural technique to foreshadow what will come. That part is okay by me - it’s the voiceover that quickly becomes a distraction.

Voiceover is tricky, with conventional filmmaking wisdom saying when it works it’s a convenient shortcut to the inner workings of a character and plot. When it doesn’t, it’s a poor substitute for what film does best: be a visual medium. Voiceover is classic tell vs. show. Multiple voices without grounding or development can spell trouble because it begs the question, who’s story am I following?

About 15 minutes into the film, Ronsel, the oldest of the Jackson’s sons, gives his first V.O.. Florence, Ronsel’s mom, gives her VO about a minute later. A minute or so after that, it’s Henry’s turn. By this point, I was quite irritated by Rees decision to not just trust her audience to watch and understand the action rather than force spoon feed us.

When the characters are left to their own devices and truly interact on the screen, it is a magnificent and challenging film. Jamie and Ronsel develop a beautiful friendship, forged by separate war experiences that have left them both haunted. But unfortunately, Rees can’t decide which story she wants to develop or use the VO to great effect, and the opportunity to allow a sustained emotional experience is missed.

In terms of performances, the film has excellent talent throughout and Rees certainly deserves credit for helping her cast deliver those. Calling out Mary J. Blige’s performance, in particular, though seems like a forced effort. She does a great job, but no more so than several of her castmates.

It’s not a bad film, by any means. Unfortunately, it’s just a bit bogged down by the way it’s told.