So I finally watched Fences today till the end after years of procrastinating . I love Viola Davis and Denzel Washington, I goggled films they starred in together and Fences came up. I downloaded it and left it on my hard drive ever since. I remembered it recently and I had to sit down for it.

It follows a working class African-American father who tries to raise his family in the 1950 while coming to terms with the events of his life.

Fences is a portrayal of family – of characters and how they view their roles as individual family members and how they define their commitment or duty.

Fences symbolized a different meaning to each character. To Rose, it was love, a means of safeguarding her family inside. To Troy, it was barriers, keeping him locked in literally and metaphorically, to Cory, it was just a dragging chore. To Bono, it was a means for keeping people out.

Troy struggling with his inner demons is typical –one of the many struggles of man. His intrusive thoughts pushed everyone away. He really did Rose dirty and he showed no remorse even when she came along to patch things up. He was set on not going behind the fences again. Alberta provided him with the comfort and freedom he sought. All Rose wanted was a happy home with love and laughter. Troy ruined that. She tried her best apparently it wasn’t enough.

Cory just wanted to play baseball. Troy played too in his youthful age but circumstances killed that dream so he stopped his son’s dream at all cost. It only drove a wedge between father and son.  Resentment for his father drove him to make something of himself in life. Troy’s passing brought him home. Troy wanted Cory to be everything he wasn’t and at the same time everything he was in his own skewed way. He only gave what life gave him; the cards he was dealt with. 

Lyons went down the same path as his father and soon realized his folly.

Raynelle offered a second chance for Troy. 

Rose has a good heart (I can’t think of another woman who would raise another woman’s baby as her own after what Troy did). 

Fences was a great film, really thought-provoking. The result of Viola and Denzel in the same room is a resounding applause. Those two sabi act.💯

10/10

I loved it.