Review

'Fruitvale Station': Putting a Face to Injustice

Mayeesa Mitchell

Photo: The Weinstein Co.
Oscar Grant III is lead off of the BART train
by a police officer at the Fruitvale Station.

In a raw portrayal of the chronological events leading to the death of Oscar Grant III, "Fruitvale Station" manages to raise awareness about an injustice while showing that there is never one side to a man.

The film tells the true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), an African American male who had previously struggled with doing the right thing but was taking the steps toward turning his life around. On Jan. 1, 2009, the Bay Area resident’s life was mercilessly taken on the platform of the Fruitvale BART Station by a policeman who shot him point blank while holding him to the ground.

The movie immediately grabs viewers’ attention with the real cell phone video taken on the night of Grant's death that captures the heart stopping gunshot before cutting to complete silence and a black screen.

This scene sets a precedent for the direct, hard-hitting story-telling style of the film’s writer and director, Ryan Coogler, that is seen throughout the film. From racing his daughter down the driveway to helping a young lady learn how to cook Catfish right before begging for his job back, each snippet of Grant’s life that Coogler decides to include weaves a larger picture of who Grant was.

Michael B. Jordan does a phenomenal job taking on the tough exterior and easing into the emotional vulnerability of his character. His portrayal of Grant allows the audience to be a part of his victories, like throwing the weed into the water, and making them mourn his shortcomings, like lying to his girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz).

He makes us believe that even all of Grant’s flaws were not enough reason for him to have died on that train platform.

With the script written by Coogler as his guide, Jordan takes on the unique role of advocating for Grant while becoming him. It is Jordan’s sincerity within the role that makes the film more an honoring of Grant's life than simply a movie about the events surrounding his death. 

Octavia Spencer’s role as Grant’s mother, Wanda, adds another unique element to this film. It was Wanda who told Oscar and Sophina to take the train into San Francisco for the fireworks — a piece of advice she thought would keep him safe after having a few celebratory drinks. '

Spencer falls into the role of a lamenting mother with an ease that many only gain through experience with this sensitive topic. Allowing herself to feel the responsibility of her son’s death, Spencer artfully crumbles under the weight of the guilt that Grant’s mother must have been feeling in those moments following the death of her son.

At a time when, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Sean Bell and many other unarmed African American males are making headlines throughout the United States, this film comes to remind us that these aren't simply names in a judicial trial. These are individuals who had something to live for, people who care about them and a reason to be remembered.

Coogler’s screen-writing and directing along with Jordan and Spencer’s performances make "Fruitvale Station" an accurate and heart-wrenching  portrayal of a life that ended far too soon while helping to continue the discussion surrounding gun violence against African American males. 

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