Breaking Barriers and Stereotypes: the Film Hidden Figures
The film Hidden Figures, by Allison Schroeder, Theodore Melfi, and Margot Lee Shetterly, is set in the United States of America during the Cold War with Russia. It is about three extraordinarily smart African American women, Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson, who battle their way through gender and racial barriers of the time while working for NASA. These mathematical geniuses served a vital role in calculating the launch of astronauts into orbit safely for the very first time in history.
One of the most powerful standout moments regarding the usage of audiovisual elements of the film was a flashback in the life of Katherine Johnson that came at the very beginning of the film. It demonstrated not only demonstrated her unique ability to solve mathematical problems from a very young age but also foreshadows her successful future when the teacher says, “In all my years of teaching, I’ve never seen a mind like the one your daughter has… you have to see what she becomes”. He was able to look past the “issues” of her being a black female and see her for her mind. This was something that the majority of men, and the mass of people during this time in general, were not willing to do. It is almost unimaginable to think that slavery was abolished in 1865 but yet these women in the movie and every other African-American in the nation were still suffering from racial discrimination a century later. America is supposed to be the land of the free but yet people like Katherine Johnson had to run a mile to the closest “colored bathroom. ” This of course was not nearly the worst of what they had to deal with, but it was something in the movie that really stood out; it was something so simple that almost everyone takes for granted today and white people took for granted back then, but was such an inconvenience to her as it took up all of her lunch break every single day.
Katherine G. Johnson became the first woman to infiltrate the Man’s world that is NASA’s launch team. This was something that was unimaginable any female of the time. However, through her determination and her one of a kind mind she was able to overcome the gender barrier and prove to the males around her that she belonged. This was a monumental moment for females as it inspired many more women to enter the field of science. However, today we still face a massive imbalance between males and females in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematical fields. Hopefully, this issue is one that can be fixed within a century. However, when it comes to massive issues, such as gender and race that this film addresses, often take generations to fix as they require society as a whole to open up.
In conclusion, I believe that this films usage of audiovisual elements, such as flashbacks and foreshadowing, only enhance the story that is told in this film. I personally thought that the movie was an overall success at delivering its themes of overcoming the societal barriers of race and gender. It did this through portraying the lives of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson in a comical at times, yet very serious manner. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie as it shined a light on women that made a difference not only in scientific history but our nation’s history as well, that otherwise would not have been brought to the attention of the public.
