MovieChat Forums > Fences (2016) Discussion > What a horrible man. And the movie paint...

What a horrible man. And the movie paints him as heroic?

posted 8 years ago by MethAndOxy
34 replies | jump to latest

The story is way too forgiving of this horrible man. It tries to make you understand him and feel sympathy for him, but it doesn't succeed. I do not know why the black community seems to rationalize their father problem but here it is "he is a monster but its ok thats just how it is"

[–] kylen48 8 years ago

Yeah, he was flawed, but thats life. They did a ot of showing why he was the way he is with his past and his father. He wasn't heroic, rather forgiven.

I felt like he walked the line of being goofy dad and stern, tough love father. same with being supportive and cheating husband. he walked a lot of different lines that contradicted each other and it was hard to hate or love him.

I think Rose still choosing to love him after his affair and death is what made her a strong character.

Also, I'm kind of tired of people not being able to talk about this movie (or other movies with majorly black casts) without constantly bringing up that its a "black movie". I'm usually pretty frustrated with overly PC people, but can't we just call it a movie?

[–] marfrie56 8 years ago

It tries to make you understand him and feel sympathy for him, but it doesn't succeed.

For me, it did succeed. That's one of the movie's greatest successes. While it's true I was often frustrated by his behavior, and felt he was in the wrong as far as Conner's advancement in life - but as Rose said, "he filled the house". Yeah, he was heroic. Heroic, but certainly imperfect. And we saw the results and harm of his imperfections. Many movies have characters who are mostly (or completely) protagonists or antagonists. That's not life. In life, people are acting according to their self interests and beliefs. I got that from these characters. Troy was a complicated man and I definitely felt sympathy for his plight.

[–] sunchick116-872-583383 8 years ago

I'm watching the film now and I don't think this movie can just be applied as a 'black' movie. I'm hispanic and see both my parents in Troy. I'm disabled and my own father has turned me down for money, saying 'go get a job and earn it'.Troy had a tough life and it wore him down. sometimes tough love is all people know. i've seen it with my own two eyes.

[–] Bruce7 8 years ago

Very Depressing Film. It's Like Several Characters Have to Feed Off each Other To Function Somehow. And Then Several End Up Running Off The tracks.
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