The Power of the Written Word

I finally sat down to watch a ‘Ronge’ critiqued movie by the title of Freedom Writers. A frank story about a young idealistic teacher, played by Hilary Swank, who started off her teaching career at an experimental volunteer-integration high school situated in a much racially maligned area of America (Long Beach.)

The story is not new and it does end in true American tradition of happy-endings. But the refreshing part is that it highlights what the world is about and what can be achieved if people learn to accept responsibility for their own actions.

The story mostly tries to disentangle some of the intricacies of racial tensions, of abject bigotry by those who should know better and the awkwardness of the establishment in dealing with matters of race, quality of life and what is – Bureaucracy, veiled objections riding the skirts of good-intentions, divorce, self-worth and of doing what has been done before because it is comfortable to do so.

The story also attempts to unravel the age old paradox of ‘worshiping two gods,’ choice and the causality of both actions.

Personally I felt moved by the movie for its frankness of subject. It never tries to be what it is not. It rather focuses on the trials and tribulations of young teenage kids who, through no choice of their own, have to live in areas where open warfare is common, where racial wars are fought for no rhyme or reason other than skin colour, and where the consequences of living in a world where nationalism (family) is used as a tool of subterfuge.

The kick for me came at the conclusion where I realised that the movie was based on a true story of a teacher (Erin Gruwell) who pushed her students past their perceived abilities, never judged them for whom they were, and used her intellect to push past red-tape, negative experiences and personal hardships.

The slight negative was when the Holocaust was used as a simile to what was happening to the kids: the Anne Frank Diaries was one of the books that the kids had to read.

In the end, the movie was all about Democracy, its effects and perceived entitlements e.g. freedom without responsibility does not work. The movie also showed up that westernised Pollyanna euphemisms mean nothing to other national groups.

As a reminder to the insanity of life, the movie worked wonders. As a reminder to the power of the human spirit; frailties and all, the movie worked wonders. As a reminder to the fact that the paternalistic axiom of ‘for the good of all’ is a polished emblem of mumbo-jumbo, the movie worked wonders. And as a reminder that to overcome our present destructive situation we, the people, need to stand together, the movie worked wonders.

The high point of the movie was the big picture inference to the power of the written word, for it is a medium that remains as a testimony to existence long after the candle of life has been blown out.

*The ‘Freedom Writers Diaries’ was published in 1999*