#SceneStealing MUDBOUND (2017)

Bound By War. 

By TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

(For the second scene of #FilmsForFridays' new feature, #SceneStealing-were we breakdown the best scenes in films in more detail-we take a ride with Garrett Hedlund and Jason Mitchell for Dee Rees' 2017 classic 'Mudbound' on Netflix. WARNING: Specific scene spoilers follow.) 

"Let me give you a lift."

Streaming at your service during this quarantined lockdown, who are you chilling with again? Yes that's right, we're still watching and right now there's two types of films that you can see on Netflix. There's those unsung gems (not 'Uncut', we see you 'Good Time' Safdie Brothers and Adam Sandler. Film of the year), like Dee Rees' 'The Last Thing He Wanted' starring Catwoman, Anne Hathaway and Batman, Ben Affleck. And then there's those Oscar bait classics, like 'The Irishman', 'Marriage Story', 'The Two Popes', or 'Roma'. Or how about the movie that started all this small screen to big one, streaming versus cinematic debate, 2017's 'Mudbound', also directed by Dee Rees. Amazingly adapted from the thick of Hillary Jordan's brutal but beautiful book. This Toronto International Film Festival favourite finally giving 'Roma' and Netflix's big-three before 2020 the respect IT deserved that Idris Elba's 'Beasts Of No Nation' should have earned in 2015 as a Best Actor, concerns two Mississippi families during World War II, one black, one white, on the brink of their own one. As prejudice is farmed as much as their crops which have just a hard time surviving in this brutal American landscape and terrain we still sadly see today like we've gone decades back with raw and rampant racism on all sides, during this corona sonically isolated time keeping us at a distance in more ways than one. At arms length with clenched hearts and fists as we become even more wary and untrusting of each other as we have over the last few years too.

Movies like 'Mudbound' hold up a dirty mirror, but also reflect some hope in these pressure points for troubled times. Hard like the earth when the Summer sun hopes for rain to help all that's dying at the vine bloom, there's so much to take from this movie starring 'Wildlife's' Carey Mulligan and 'Lawless'' Jason Clarke, that it's more than a scene steal. Although we have our share of them for your pick of the bunch. My Lord, like the way a revelation of singing sensation Mary J. Blige says goodbye to her son ('Straight Outta Compton' N.W.A. Eazy-E star Jason Mitchell), sending him off to war and heartbreakingly turning around to look at him no more, because she can't bear to see him go (miss you here in Japan, Mum). Or Netflix Marvel street-level heroes favourite hustler Rob Morgan's glee amongst all that grain, grit and grind on his son's "Amen" return as the joy lifts to the heavens like his prayers or all the weight off his crutch hobbled when he walks shoulders. "Quit fussing now and let him say hello to his father". Still, with all that love between family however, the most stirring scene happens getting in the front of a truck with a new and an unlikely friend, trading war stories over whiskey. And maybe perhaps one of the best you'll ever meet as 'Four Brothers', 'Tron: Legacy' and Netflix's own soldiering 'Triple Frontier' (also with Affleck) star Garrett Hedlund makes a quick trip out for some groceries-like we all are right now-locked down in his own personal hell. The kindly shopkeeper who Mitchell was just as warm to a few scenes back can't quite get her customer service through to Hedlund (although he's not being especially rude, just short and to the point of his shopping...again like we all are right now). "So how long have you been back from overseas?" "Oh just a few weeks." "And how you liking Marietta?" "Oh it's a lovely little town. Just lovely". "Oh I've got that one right there" he says as she tries to brown bag his liquor. "Much obliged Miss Triplebanks. You have yourself a wonderful day." "Take care" she adds with concern as he replies "yep", already walking away as he let's the screen door that Mitchell's character wasn't allowed to leave by thanks to Hedlund's racist, abhorrent father swing as he descends the steps. But then BANG! He hears a shot and ducks to the floor, hands over his head like a cop had ordered him to do so, shopping everywhere like those paper bags didn't stand a fighting chance. "Look at that" some curious, but unconcerned, still sitting on their stoop, unnecessary voices of exposition offscreen say and, "what's that all about" ask. "What's wrong with him" they add as a car starts in the background. "Oh he must have just come back from the war" they say with raised eyebrows and suit jackets Summer strewn over their shoulders. Still not helping him with his things, until one man with eyes rolled they won't look at twice walks into the scene and does so.

"It's alright. It's just a car must have backfired", Mitchell reassures whilst Hedlund begrudgingly gets up without his assistance, dusting off the ass of his pants and looking round in what goes from embarrassment to a realization that those who should be ashamed are the old men still sitting around like the lemonade in their glass not offering a helping hand to the soldier that's just come home after fighting for their lives and rights to sit around like nobody's business, as this is one time they shouldn't mind theirs. Jason hands Garrett his hat that came off in all this fray. But Hedlund can't take his eyes off Mitchell's hands...they're shaking and this young man isn't nervous about talking to no white man. He's been through far worse. "They say it stops eventually," he reassures again (but to who this time? Garrett or himself? With this piss poor medical diagnosis). Hedlund takes his hat. "You're Ronsel! Hap's son", Garrett says after looking back again in anger. "Jamie McAllan, Henry's brother," he nods in reply as they shake hands. "Pleasure to meet you", Ronsel replies in kind. Two soldiers no longer at war in more ways than one. "You walk here" he asks. Looking back one last time with the "concerned" citizens now taking more interest, standing with a cigarette. "Yes sir" Ronsel acknowledges. Walking off without turning around or taking no for an answer, Jamie makes his alliegance known, "let me give you a lift".

"C'mon!".

He won't ask or think twice. This scene or meeting doesn't happen until an hour and fifteen into the movie, but it couldn't be more powerful and poignant. After driving for a bit with Ronsel in the back of the truck Jamie through wartime music and cigarette smoke stops, looks in his rearview mirror and tells him to come on up front. "I'm fine right where I am" a wary Rosel replies thinking he knows his place. "Get in soldier that's an order," McAllan in a friendly way pulls rank. But how does he know he outranks Ronsel wonders? Race? Ignorance? He gets in front burning to know as a Joe DiMaggio baseball game now plays as bases are loaded. "I was a captain. I bet you was a sergeant", McAllan hazards a guess, as Ronsel schools him on the history of black captains, then telling him he was part of the tank battalion. Spearheading for General Patton they, "came out fighting". "So sergeant. How do you like being here in the delta", McAllan says, eyes on the road, changing the awkward subject as he takes a shot and then looks as Ronsel who just looks away with one of those thousand word replies. "Yeah me too" he acknowledges, sucking on the sharp taste, back to the road. They settle a score regarding the racism of McAllan's "papi" and Rosel standing for himself like he should in exit. "He's a disagreeable son of a bitch. I'm sure he had it coming," the captain tells the sergeant before offering him a swig. "Here's to you," Jamie toasts. Ronsel bluntly declines. "Boy are you always this stubborn? Or just around white people trying to be nice? Go on!" He takes a virgin sip. "Now what kind of damn C.O are you", Jamie challenges. Ronsel takes a healthy one. Coughes and chokes like just what the doctor ordered. Spits and spills. "Now don't waste it now that's my medicine...I need every drop" he laughs jovially like he hasn't since he came home. "You tanker boys ever piss in your helmets," he offers in relief. "Many times". Than with scotch smooth Southern charm, a compelling and charismatic yarn is spun and regaled about a time this airman had to go in his helmet (when you've got to) so far up in the air the urine froze line the Tundra. Just over the target he forgot all about it and put his helmet on as he was greeted by an icy cascade of something akin to yellow snow. "I THOUGHT I WAS HIT!" They both laugh like old friends. "You must have caught hell at that offices club?!" "Boy my friends never let me hear the end of it...those who made it back anyway." The mood shifts again. "Yeah I lost some friends too". "Well here's to them", Jamie dedicates with alcohol restrained passion. Raising his glass to his lips again.

Meanwhile Hap back at home learning to read the classics like Dickens' 'A Tale Of Two Cities', startled by the sound of the McAllan's truck pulling up comes bounding out on his crutch and good leg. "Everything alright Mr. Jamie?!" he asks nervously looking at his son who heads in. "Oh everything is just fine", Jamie replies as friendly as they come. "Just gave Ronsel here a little lift from town". "I'll be heading back to town next Saturday afternoon" he adds as father and son look at each other in wary disbelief. "If you like I'll stop by here and see if you want a ride". "It'll be fine". "Well alright". And it's just as simple as that. From there and a few truck stops later these two fast friends get on famously. The second time they meet Ronsel takes Jamie to his secret spot he used to go as a kid when he needed to clear his head. "I like what you've done with the place" Jamie remarks before lighting a cigarette and passing Ronsel another from his pack. "Why are you being so nice to me," Ronsel proceeds with caution. "You look like you could use it," Jamie says tossing him the lighter. "Bulls###" Ronsel replies tossing it back, but not before lighting his. Then Jamie proceeds to tell his war story. He's flying solo, surrounded by enemy fire. His wingman gone. Just devil's and dust. Jamie prayed to the heavens if God saves him and let's him live he'd promise he'd do something good with his life. But the good lord didn't save him. A swarm of P-51's like hornets did. And the tails of those planes...were painted red. Salute! See the George Lucas produced picture if you can't see what he means. It's a sobering scene from a stirring, still headstrong Hedlund. The next time they meet over brandy like a fine girl in that spot they trade love stories. Love in times of war. About how sometimes they miss it over there. Now not for getting shot at. But for amongst other things (being a liberator and not another racist remark), shooting their shot. "Uh, oh. I've seen that look before" a punch drunk Jamie tells Ronsel when he asks him about white woman. "She must have been something special". Turns out she was much more than that as we find out the next time these two meet on the roadside again. This time playing chicken with a foreshadowing heavy rain that soaks like the sweltering, sweat shirt heat of the Delta. "What you doin' walkin' in the rain," Jamie asks his friend after running him off the road in jest. Ronsel hands him a photo postcard of the same good German girl he had to leave after the war ended. Complete with a child in the crib next to her. The moment when Garrett realizes through his drunken haze what is happening and what that actually means is honed acting at its finest, all in the eyes. "Well I'll be. Congratulations, you a father". Giving him that "I got you, but be warned" look before pulling a cigarette out the pack and asking him what he's going to do. "So what's the worst thing you've done" Ronsel asks in reply after telling Jamie his was leaving that woman right there. "Who me", Jamie answers with a charming, butter wouldn't melt smirk. "I'm a saint". "I'll bet", Ronsel agrees through laughs as they drink, drive and wet the babies head, before Jamie warns Ronsel to put his head down after they pass his same racist father on the road. Did they see them? "Well here we are." We don't want to give the end away. You'll just have to let it play and see how it all plays out. "I'm leaving town soon. I want to say good luck to you," Jamie tells Ronsel after the friendship they farmed has yielded fruit in this bitter, strange time. "You been a friend. I want you to know that." "You've been a friend too. You might be one of the good ones," Ronsel admits to his acknowledgement. They shake hands again like when they first met. So long, old friend. "I hope you find your way to your boy...to your family." "Take care of yourself." From the shop to the barn these boys shared in a few short weeks, what some of the best of friends don't in years and although in this burning, goddam Mississippi you can clearly see a heartwrenching and breaking end, there's still healing. We all need that hope. We are bound by the choices we make and have made. And no one gets out the mud clean. But if we choose friendship-especially in times like these-then when we finally come back together, we'll never be this distant again.