While films centered around the African-American family showcase different dynamics, a common theme that can be viewed in many is that of the relationship between father and son.
As the play adaptation of August Wilson’s 1983 play Fences hit the big screen in December, the film explores various topics that are relevant in society and the black community up to the present day.
Set in the 1950’s, the production showcases the black experience from the standpoint of a 53-year-old working-class African-American man, Troy Maxson. In the film we see the many parts of Maxson as a best friend, brother, husband and most importantly, a father.
The relationship between he and his two sons Lyons and Cory play a prominent part in the way viewers see Maxson. While some may view him as a tough-as-nails father who is hard on his sons to instill responsibility and work ethic in them others may see him as a father fit to crush dreams, who lives with the guilt that his seeds may blossom into men much better than he.
Unlike other films centered around the black experience, Fences tells the story of black fatherhood that many shield away from. Not the tale of the father who left home never to return to his children or the dad who remains a prominent figure in raising his children–this film, in fact, does both.
As a 53-year-old black man, Troy Maxson has been absent from the life of his oldest son completely and present with a harsh tone in raising his teenage son. As he struggles to remain a force in both of their lives, he never realizes that a father’s work is never done. He consistently tries to mold his children into a man as strong and hardworking as he is when in reality, he is still growing himself. Healing from the scars of his damaged relationship with his own father, he covers up the pain with alcohol and a secret life. Not once does he come to terms with the man he has turned into and upon death, his sons still loathe the man he was.
It is important that films like Fences are adapted for the world to see that there is more than one kind of father-son relationship within the black experience. While some may be filled with consistent love, affection and understanding others may be littered with baggage, guilt and abandonment. However, these stories must be told.
