Film Review: Fruitvale Station
Fruitvale Station is the most important film you’ll see this year.
This is the heartbreaking true story of Oscar Grant III, a 22 year old black male who was shot in the back and killed by a Police Officer on New Year’s Day 2009 at Fruitvale Train Station in Oakland, California. The film opens with footage shot by witnesses on the train, footage that was eventually used in court as evidence at the trial of Police Officer Johannes Mehserle. Showing this footage before the opening credits had even rolled was an interesting and bold move from first time writer/director Ryan Coogler. If you didn’t already know how this film would end, now you do, and there’s no way out but to take the journey leading up to this harrowing conclusion.
Rewind 24 hours and we find ourselves in the apartment of Oscar (Michael B. Jordan) and his girlfriend Sophina (Melonie Diaz). For the next 24 hours we spend a day in the life of Oscar Grant. He isn’t portrayed as an angel with a halo above his head throughout the film. The director spent many hours with the Grant family while writing the screenplay, and instead of sugar coating who Oscar Grant really is, we get the truth. He’s cheated on his girlfriend, he deals weed to make ends meet, he got fired from his job for always being late and he’s been to prison. All of a sudden our attention has been subverted from the outcome of this film, for now we have an in depth and very interesting character study.
Oscar’s trying his best to do good. Trying his best to provide for his girlfriend and daughter. Trying his best to kick his weed habit and give up the dealing. But it’s the burden of all these things which can cause Oscar to quickly go from loveable father to intimidating threat. These snaps are confronting, they show a young angry man trying so hard to catch a break, but hitting road blocks at every turn. Despite this he remains positive and puts on a happy face for his daughter Tatiana and his Mother (Octavia Spencer) on her birthday. To Oscar, family is everything.
As the new year draws closer, Oscar and Sophina leave their daughter with Sophina’s sister and head out into the night with friends. They’re off to celebrate in San Francisco, watch the fireworks and unwind. How the night and film plays out in the final act is gut wrenching. We’ve now gotten to know this man and his family, and knowing makes everything that much worse.
You’ll forget at the end of the film that Ryan Coogler is a first time filmmaker or that Michael B. Jordan is only a young actor. Coogler’s constant use of hand held camerawork brings an honesty and realness to the story, as does Coogler’s decision of refraining to falsify Oscar as a prophet. After all, he doesn’t need to. Oscar’s a human being, and that alone is enough for the audience to overwhelmingly sympathise with the utter chaos and lack of humanity shown on behalf of the police officers involved.
The emotional impact this will have on you will far outweigh anything you have seen over the last couple of years. The film was released in the US while the jury for the Trayvon Martin case were deliberating on the fate of the man who killed him, George Zimmerman. The outcome of that case just as frustrating as the outcome of this story. Life can deal brutal and unjust hands to people like Trayvon Martin and Oscar Grant, something a white boy like myself who was raised in the suburbs will never truly understand. However, thanks to this film I get a first hand, truthful account of just how fucked up it can sometimes be.
This is the most important film you’ll see this year.
FRUITVALE STATION
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Written by: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Chad Michael Murray
Released by: The Weinstein Company / Roadshow Films (Australia)