【電影簡(jiǎn)介】

《幫助》又名《相助》，改編自Kathryn Stockett的同名小說，講述20世紀(jì)60年代美國(guó)密西西比發(fā)生的社會(huì)現(xiàn)象。一位大學(xué)女孩Skeeter非常看不慣美國(guó)社會(huì)對(duì)黑人女傭的不公平對(duì)待，想通過寫書來幫助這些女傭脫離困境。

故事發(fā)生在1962年的美國(guó)南方密西西比州，這里的社會(huì)依舊深受“黑人奴隸制”陰影的籠罩。黑傭在許多家庭里的依舊存在且遭遇著不平等的待遇。22歲的白人女孩史基特-費(fèi)蘭（艾瑪-斯通飾）就是生長(zhǎng)在這片土地上的普通女孩兒。如今，她已經(jīng)完成大學(xué)的學(xué)業(yè)返回家鄉(xiāng)。接受了良好教育與思想啟蒙的她一直夢(mèng)想著成為一名出色的作家。但在思想依舊保守家鄉(xiāng)的母親眼里，一樁好婚事才是女人最靠譜的歸宿。史基特從小由黑人女傭帶大，黑傭也因此是她傾訴心事的好朋友，但這次返鄉(xiāng)，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)女傭不告而別，沒有人知道去向。

機(jī)靈能干、內(nèi)斂沉著，曾帶大17個(gè)白人小孩的黑傭愛比琳-克拉克（維奧拉-戴維斯飾），在史基特的朋友家當(dāng)幫傭，照顧她兩歲的女兒。另一名黑傭米妮（奧克塔維亞-斯賓瑟飾），是愛比琳最要好的朋友，有著一手好廚藝，但他潑辣的個(gè)性使她常常丟掉工作。個(gè)性善良的史基特一直對(duì)待黑傭如家人，但她發(fā)現(xiàn)為白人一手帶大小孩兒的黑傭，不論在生活或態(tài)度上，時(shí)常得到不平等的待遇。甚至連和白人共用廁所的權(quán)利都被剝奪。

對(duì)此深感不平的斯基特，決意著手一個(gè)大膽的寫作計(jì)劃：采訪在白人家庭工作的黑傭們的甘苦遭遇，并寫成一本書。以一種平靜而同樣充滿力量的行動(dòng)去幫助他們發(fā)起一場(chǎng)民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)……

【音頻文本】

There is nothing particularly exciting about Tate Taylor's movie 'The Help." Although it involves the topic of racism, the conflicts are downplayed, for reasons we'll talk about later. Somehow the movie feels like a peaceful river that has flowed quietly through an undisturbed meadow for centuries. But in reality it is a lengthy 137 minutes—precisely why you'd better see it when you are in the right mood.

For those women captured in the original novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett, life wasn't peaceful at all. Back in the 1960s in Mississippi, black women served as maids for white families. They cooked, cleaned and looked after white babies. In return, they were paid next to nothing and remained "separate but equal." If they used their bosses' bathroom, they got fired. If they asked for civil rights, they risked their lives.

Many viewers may deem "The Help" a movie about racial discrimination, but I'm convinced there is more. Certainly, the story goes to considerable length to depict the unfair treatment the black women were subject to, but it only serves to prove how little education plus an empty mind can be a dangerous thing. Most of the white women in the movie, represented by Bryce Dallas Howard's character Hilly Holbrook, are prejudiced against the black maids as well as girls with working-class origins. They seem to say, "Excuse me, if you are not white middle class, you don't belong to our club."

There are exceptions, people free from prejudice. The character Skeeter, played by Emma Stone, grew up under the care of a black maid and was determined to be an independent working woman. As a "homemaker hints" columnist for the local newspaper, she constantly needs help from maids Aibileen and Minny. In the process,she learns more about the injustices they have been made to suffer and decides to help them in return by writing about their stories. What she does is illegal at the time, but she insists on helping the maids inher own way. And the maids eventually identify with her cause and help her finish a book she is writing.

So that brings us to the keywords of this story: women and help. As women, the maids do not take drastic measures to deal with their misfortune. Instead, they endure and hold on to each other. That explains why hardly any serious conflict takes place in the movie. Even historical events such as an assassination are quietly placed on the back burner as Skeeter's book slowly takes shape. There have been numerous movies on racial issues, but "The Help" certainly takes a very different approach.

Viola Davis's character, the maid Aibileen, tends to be passive about all the injustices she has suffered during her life, but her unrelenting kindness moves the audience to tears. On the other hand, Octavia Spencer as the fighter maid Minny attracts plenty of laughter and admiration. Compared to them, the character Skeeter appears much weaker, while the prejudiced ones simply fade into stereotypes.

Perhaps when you are indeed in the right mood, 'The Help" will be a good way to pass an lazy afternoon, and maybe you'll learn something about the tender power of women. On a scale from one to ten, I give "The Help" a seven.

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