Movie Review: Hidden Figures

Of all the unsung heroes of America’s heroic efforts to win the space race in the 1960’s, few are as unsung as the African-American women who did the math that computers were not yet ready to do, calculating the trajectories and orbits of space capsules. With the publication of Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures, and now the release of Theodore Melfi’s eponymous film, the extraordinary story of the vital role these women played in launching American astronauts into orbit and toward the moon has finally been told.

Hidden Figures focuses on three of these women, each of whom would go on to long and distinguished careers with NASA, Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), a math prodigy from an early age, Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), an unrecognized supervisor who becomes a computer expert, and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), a young woman with the then unheard of ambition (for an African American woman) to become an engineer. Of course, in addition to actually doing the hard work required to get these jobs done, these women had to deal with the racism and sexism that was still a pervasive feature of American society in the 60’s. Johnson is the primary protagonist, and we follow as she is assigned to a work group that is trying to calculate the trajectory that will allow John Glenn to become the first American to orbit the Earth. Working with a group of people who barely recognize her existence, she manages to create the math that allows Glenn to succeed.

Hidden Figures has a rather light tone, which works well in telling a story about the triumph of intellect and hard work over prejudice, and highlighting the absurdity of rules that segregated restrooms and coffeepots. The performances are in line with the tone, but uniformly excellent. The leads have great chemistry, and Kevin Coster, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons and Mahershala Ali all excel in supporting roles. Although never heavy handed, Hidden Figures deals honestly with the American legacy of racism and oppression, and shows how talented and capable individuals overcame that legacy to achieve great things. A-

Selma: 100 Word Movie Review*

Director Ava DuVernay's Selma tells the story of the historic 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other noted civil rights activists. The film also covers events in the three months leading up to the march, including King’s continued efforts to secure support for voting rights legislation from President Lyndon Johnson. Although uneven in spots, the film is an authentic and powerful look at a critical juncture in the civil rights movement. David Oyelowo is excellent as King, as is Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, but the film suffers during the scenes they share from the unfortunate lack of chemistry between them. Many of King’s personal moments on screen seem rather muddled, perhaps an attempt to inject a sense of self-doubt that was rarely visible in public, but I’m not sure that this is entirely effective. Overall though, Selma is a well-done chronicle of these events, and a timely reminder of a history that still has strong influences on American society.

*100 word reviews are 100 words long, more or less. Often more.

Reconsidering Columbus

The burden of history must be a difficult thing to carry, even for the dead. Few historical figures would know that better than the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, the man who led an expedition that connected the civilizations of the Old World with those of the New in 1492. In the five hundred years that followed, the inhabitants of those New World civilizations were enslaved, infected, massacred and displaced by the Old World Conquistadors and colonists that followed. Although no reliable estimate of Western Hemisphere populations before Columbus has been determined, it is clear that the death toll from the meeting of these civilizations was well into the millions.

Landing of Columbus, John Vanderlyn

But how much of the blame for that history can be laid at the feet of Columbus? Yes, his was the expedition that brought the divided populations of the Old and New Worlds together, and yes, his own treatment of native populations (enslavement, torture, executions) was appalling, but is it fair to bind him to all of the deaths and atrocities that followed? Even an idealized and peaceful contact between European and American populations would’ve have resulted in death by disease for many, as both European and native societies lacked the medical capacity to control the spread of infection at the time. And were the Europeans who followed Columbus to the Americas merely following his lead, or were they acting based on the flawed moral foundations of their own civilization?

The Europe from which Columbus sailed was a collection of violent authoritarian kingdoms loosely bound into a single civilization by Christianity and their historic connections to the ancient Roman Empire. For almost 500 years many of those kingdoms had been involved in a crusade to reclaim land in the Levant from the Muslim civilization that had conquered the region. Spain, the country that sponsored Columbus’ expedition, was a fairly new kingdom (the union of Castile and Aragon), occupying territory that was also once ruled by Muslims. In the same year that Columbus sailed, Spain forcibly ejected all Jews who refused to convert to Catholicism, and subjected many of the conversos who remained behind to persecution and torture in the years that followed. The entire continent was a hotbed of war, oppression, torture, and religious persecution.

It was almost inevitable that connecting the civilizations of the Old World and the New World would end badly for one group. Given the violence of the Europeans, their marginal technological advantage and the susceptibility of Native American populations to Old World pathogens the outcome was almost a forgone conclusion. For that we may assign Christopher Columbus an appropriate portion of the responsibility, but ultimately we should not embrace the attempts to vilify him more than he is due for the overwhelming failures of his civilization. It is, after all, our civilization, the one from which we have descended and from which we have acquired so much material prosperity at the expense of the natives.

Book Report 1/16/14

Completed Reading (nonfiction): Carthage Must be Destroyed by Richard Miles

Spoiler Alert: Carthage was destroyed. Hannibal’s 15 year adventure in Italy, however brilliantly conceived and executed, was not enough to prevent the destruction of Carthage and the rise of Rome.  He never really pressed his advantages there, and a Roman army’s conquest of Barcid Spain cut him off from resources and reinforcements. Recalled to North Africa to defend Carthage from another Roman Army (under the command of Publius Cornelius Scipio) Hannibal was defeated at the Battle of Zama, and Carthage was marginalized as a power in the Western Mediterranean. It survived until the 3rd Punic War, an event largely contrived by the Romans to justify the total destruction of a broken enemy that still gave them paranoid nightmares. But Carthage survived symbolically (and to an extent still does) as the one adversary that helped Rome define itself. For anyone interested in ancient history and the rise of Rome, this book is a good read, very accessible to the amateur historian and general population.

Currently Reading (fiction): The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larsson

Still slogging through this one. Spent more of my reading hours finishing off Carthage than Salander. These Dragon Tattoo books are all somewhat overwritten, much longer than they ever needed to be, but this one is the worst, since there seems to be so little happening here. Talking heads everywhere. Our investment in Salander is largely the result of the first two books, but even if I hadn't seen the movie there’s not much suspense regarding the outcome of the novel. I’ll continue to read. Once I've started a book it has to be quite bad or boring to not finish it.

On the Horizon (nonfiction): Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff

I accidentally received this book through the Quality Paperback Book Club when I failed to decline one of their featured selections. But it looks interesting, so I decided to keep it. It is about LeDuff’s return to his hometown, and a chronicle of its decent from one of the wealthiest cities in America to one of the poorest. First Carthage, now Detroit. I guess I’m fascinated by stories about the destruction of great cities.

Book Report 1/9/14

Book Report 1/2/14

Book Report 12/26/13

Book Report 1/9/14

Currently Reading (fiction): The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larsson

I’m about halfway through this novel. Definitely the weakest of the three. Salander is not as interesting a character when cooped up in a hospital room as she is running around loose creating chaos. And Blomkvist just seems to be going through the motions, working to help Salander but not developing much beyond a one dimensional character. So far the novel just follows too many threads of too many rather bland characters. At least Zalachenko and Niedermann provided some interesting villainy in The Girl Who Played With Fire. Most of the antagonists in this book appear to be bureaucrats.

Currently Reading (nonfiction): Carthage Must be Destroyed by Richard Miles

Finished the most interesting and possibly the most anticipated chapter in the book, In the Footsteps of Heracles. This covers Hannibal’s march from Spain to Italy, across the Rhône and over the Alps, and the many battles fought against the Romans on Italian soil. Even though Hannibal lost more than half of his forces in transit, it was nice to see things generally work out well for the Carthaginians. Of course the Romans made so many mistakes that you almost feel sorry for them. That the two commanders of the Roman army at some point not only disagreed over strategy, but took turns commanding the army every other day was clearly a recipe for disaster. It all culminates in a huge Roman defeat at the Battle of Cannae, which may have led to the downfall of the Roman Republic had Hannibal been a little less cautious.

Book Report 1/2/14

Book Report 12/26/13

Book Report 1/2/14

Currently Reading (fiction): The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larsson

I’m still reading this, going through about a chapter a day. Book generally meeting my expectations based on what I remember from the film (well over a year since I viewed that). I find the overuse of the phrase ‘glass cage’ to describe the editor’s office at Erika Berger’s new place of employment a little annoying. I think I get the point. Also I’m not entirely sure how the Berger subplot is relevant, will work into the resolution of the main story about Lisbeth Salander. Seems like an unrelated subplot that is just wasting my time, but maybe Larsson will surprise me and it will tie significantly into the main plot by the end of the novel.

Currently Reading (nonfiction): Carthage Must be Destroyed by Richard Miles

Have not read any additional chapters here. You expect more time to read during the holidays, but sometimes you have less.

On the Horizon (nonfiction): A Writer's Guide to Characterization by Victoria Lynn Schmidt

New book on the craft of writing (first I have purchased in a couple of years). Looks like it will provide character archetypes that might be useful in creating characters and give some solid advice on how to make these different character types interact with one another. Full report pending.


Book Report 12/26/13

Book Report 12/26/13

Finished Reading (nonfiction): Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking by Daniel Dennett

Dennett’s latest offers a variety of tools for thinking about deep questions regarding consciousness, evolution, free will, artificial intelligence and other topics he’s tackled as a philosopher. Some of his most intriguing ideas are the ones that go right over my head. Still, it is a good book for anyone looking to refine their capacity to use logic and think clearly.

Currently Reading (fiction): The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larsson

Last book in Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, and the only one I’ve started to read after watching the movie based on it. I’ve had the Kindle file on my iPad for well over a year, but never got around to starting it until this week. Larsson’s prose skills leave something to be desired (or maybe it‘s just mediocrity in the translation) but it’s a quick read. I’m only 70 or so pages in, so far, and having seen the film I expect the story to hold few surprises.

Currently Reading (nonfiction): Carthage Must be Destroyed by Richard Miles

Miles provides an in-depth history of the rise and fall of Rome’s greatest adversary, Carthage. I liked Carthage better before I started reading the book and became aware of how incompetent the Carthaginians were. Just getting to the chapters on the 2nd Punic War and Hannibal’s crossing the Alps. Although Carthage was in fact a fairly successful society, existing for several hundred years, for some reason it reminds me of the Confederacy, a failed state with little more going for it than the military genius of a single general.