Set in the
rural South, “Monster’s Ball” uncovers the deep-rooted prejudice
that still lingers to this very day. However, despite the infuriating display
of hatred by some of its characters, a very effective romance between a white
man and a black woman takes shape. In what could be the most fascinating love
story of the year, “Monster’s Ball” does not opt to be a cry for
liberalism, but rather it is a film that attempts to explore the mysteries of
the heart.
Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton) is a correctional
officer at a local penitentiary. His job entails keeping a close monitor of the
inmates, as well as making sure that peace and order are maintained at the
facility. However, Hank’s personal life and relationships are far from
being unruffled. Raised under a bigoted household run by his father Buck (Peter
Boyle), Hank has been instilled with being prejudiced against blacks. Although
not as big of a racist as his father, Hank has learned to hold his thoughts on
the matter to himself as work brings him in contact with an integrated society.
His only son Sonny (Heath Ledger), on the other hand, does not hold the same
disposition, and Hank and his father consider him to be “weak”.
Hank’s relationship with his son can best be described as aloofly abusive.
Then one day, the Grotowski’s are hit by a tragedy, and Hank is forced to
evaluate his life.
On the other side of town, Leticia Musgrove (Halle
Berry) takes her young son to the penitentiary where her husband will be
executed later that night. Quite a downtrodden life considering her other
problems: an overweight son, an overheated car, an eviction notice and
impending unemployment. Leticia’s days are marked with struggles, but she
refuses to give up. Then one day, tragedy hits home.
It is through
these misfortunes that Hank and Leticia’s paths cross, and the romance
that ensues becomes the backbone of “Monster’s Ball”.
Like I mentioned earlier, the film never steps up to the pulpit and
sermons about the evil of racism. This is not the objective of
“Monster’s Ball”. Rather it uses the prejudice to set up the
extreme disparity between Hank and Leticia; two people separated by societal
standards, but united through personal losses. It is a touching and
unpretentious story. We never quite understand the reasons for some of the
film’s happenings, but so is the unpredictability of human nature.
Of course, another highlight of “Monster’s Ball” are the
leading performances of Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry. They opened the
race for all the year-end awards by winning the National Board of Reviews’
honors for Best Actor and Best Actress early in December. Talk about a one-two
punch. Billy Bob Thornton gives a great performance for a very demanding role.
Although not as muted as his character in the Coen brothers’ “The Man
Who Wasn’t There”, Thornton still presents us with an intriguing
character; cold yet sympathetic. The same goes for Halle Berry, who delivers
her best performance yet. By tackling one of the year’s most powerful
roles, Berry has proven that she has more than a pretty face to offer cinema. I
hope that the Academy voters take note of these two for their work, but
“Monster’s Ball” might be a bit too obscure for them to
remember. Also, Thornton’s two powerhouse performances this year might end
up canceling each other out.
There are some scenes in the movie that
are a bit too long and could have been edited out, hindering the film’s
progression, but nevertheless, “Monster’s Ball” is a refreshing
love/human story devoid of clichés and powered by emotion.
Film
is Rated R for strong sexual content, language and violence.
