Analyse af filmen 'The Butler'

What affected you the most as you watched this film? (227 words)

Most captivating for me was Cecil's ailing relationship with the eldest son, Louis. The paradox is that Cecil Gaines is as close to the country's decision makers as one can be, without having any influence, all the while his son is putting his life on the line to get precisely these people's attention. This is illustrated, among other things, in an excellent way in a scene where there is a cross-cutting between Cecil, who serves for the whites, while the son is beaten by the racists in the Southern States.

The ongoing tension that underlies their relationship throughout The Butler begs the question: Who’s right? Has Cecil wasted his life by adhering strictly to the rules other set for him? Does the White House, the pinnacle of Cecil’s career, really represent his greatest fall: his defeat in the face of the white man? Is Louis’ defiant attitude something to aspire to? What kind of power does Louis possess that his father will never know?

While these questions deserve answers especially in light of the movie Daniels has created, one which creates an obvious divide between father and son, there also exists one more question that needs to be posed: What if both Cecil and Louis are right in how they negotiate black and white spaces presented in the movie? What if both of their approaches are necessary?