Film review

The movie that I selected is called 42. This movie was released on April 2, 2013, in the United States. This
movie was written and directed by Brian Helgeland; the producer of this film was Thomas Tull.

The main plot of the story was to show a powerful and inspiring story of Jackie Robinson, the first
African-American baseball player in the modern era. Throughout the exceptional and brilliant
performance along with the eye-catching cinematography, the film also shined light on the racial
struggles and life struggles that Robinson would experience along with the impact that Robinson would
bring by breaking the racial barrier between sports and society. The movie was shot in various historical
places and cities like Alabama to mirror the setting in the 1940s. The movie’s purpose was to show the
Brooklyn Dodgers, the team where there was only one negro baseball player which was Jackie Robinson.
At the very beginning of his bright career, he was considered an outcast who didn’t belong there, which
made his entry into professional baseball very difficult but through his hard work, he was able to prove
many wrong and even managed to serve a milestone in the fight of civil right and racial equality in
America.

The main conflict that was highlighted in the story was the racism and injustice that Robinson
experienced in his baseball career that he had to overcome. The other conflicts that were discussed in
the film were racial slurs, hostility from fellow players, and even being threatened by fans that he would
have to endure daily. The resolution however to these conflicts was the personal resilience that Robinson
showed by refusing to retaliate towards any of the racial taunts being screamed and maintaining his
composure on and off the field. The other solution was the support from the team players, which
happened over time, from his team player Pee Wee Reese who demonstrated solidarity in the public to
show his support towards Robinson (. However, their many other factors that played for Robinson to get
the support of his team players and the fans, ultimately the main resolution to the conflict was Jackie
Robinson's unyielding determination and passion, he had toward baseball. Through his strong courage
and skills, he was able to prove that the sport of baseball doesn’t have a color.

Throughout the film, there were many scenes that stood out to me the most but in the end, I ended up
choosing the 2 scenes shown below because these two scenes really showed the pivotal moments in the
film that was able to carry significant emotions and thematic weight. These scenes not only showed
Jackie Robinson’s resilience but also able to highlighted the theme related to the Civil Rights Movement
and racial integration in American history.

(42, 01:00:25) Jackie Robin’s first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers

This scene in the film was a very pivotal moment. It was Jackie Robin’s big historical debut in Brooklyn
Dodger on April 15, 1947, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. This scene was seen as powerful for
several reasons.
- The symbolism of breaking the color barrier- This scene in the film represented the breaking of
the color barrier in the major league of baseball. It marked a big milestone not only in Robinson’s
life with the struggles of civil rights, and racial inequality but in the history of the sports industry
along with the American society. Mr. Ricky says to Jack: “You made me love baseball again”
- Emotional impact- The emotions that were conveyed by the actors and creating this feeling in the
atmosphere made it impossible to forget the tension, excitement, and apprehension felt by
Robinson, as well as the crowd, which was shown with great authenticity.
- Unity and solidarity: The huge amount of support that was received for Robinson from some of
his team players especially Pee Wee Reese who put his hand on Robinson’s shoulder to show his
appreciation and gesture of solidarity, which gave off the symbol of a potentially powerful
change in the unity.
- Resilience and Determination: This scene in the story also highlights Jackie Robinson’s amazing
resilience and determination. Despite facing many racial injustice and immense pressure he steps
on the field with great confidence to show the world that he belongs here.
(42, 38:07) Robinson’s encounter with the young fan

In this scene, Jackie Robinson meets a young fan who idolizes him. The boy was wearing a Brooklyn
Dodgers cap to show his support for the team and his awe for Robinson. This scene impressed me for the
following reasons:
- Inspiration of hope: The interaction between Robinson and the young fan showed the profound
impact of his achievement on the African-black community, especially the younger generation.
This proved that Robinson’s success not only inspired but also created hope for the future
younger generation.
- Breaking down barriers: The scene also illustrated how Robinson’s presence in baseball broke
down many racial barriers and challenged stereotypes. The boy’s admiration towards Robinson,
emphasizes potential positive change through representation.
- Humanizing Robinson: This scene was able to show what Robinson was really like, being a role
model and a mentor to the younger generation of fans.

These scenes stood out me to the most since they were able to capture and show the audience some of
the core themes of the film; racial inequality, the courage to break down race barriers, and the power of
representing and being an inspiration to others. This also showcased how Robinson was not only a
baseball legend but also a transformative figure in American history.

If we were to choose any of the factors that played an important role and how it was able to reflect all
the characteristics of the film along with its goal, the goal would definitely be of social influence along
with primarily focusing on portraying the life of Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in major league
baseball. The movie sometimes talks about the social context that discusses racial segregation and
prejudice. Here are some of the specific ways in which the film reflected the social factor.

- Racial segregation: The film portrayed the racial segregation that happened in America in the
1940s. The film also showed how African Americans weren’t allowed to participate in the major
baseball league but how the entry of Robinson into the baseball league changed the
discriminatory practices in the league.

- Discrimination and prejudice: The movie's goal among many was to dig deep into the intense
discrimination and prejudice that Robinson had faced from his teammates, coaches, fans, and
lastly players from other teams. The film also highlighted how throughout all the problems
Robinson would face in his career, he would have to maintain calm and tremendous courage
throughout his career so that he could stay in the team and get people to stay by his side.
 - Impact of the civil rights movement: Jackie Robinson’s successful career in baseball made many
big impacts on the civil rights movement. His breaking of the color barrier between sports and
society inspired many young black individuals to go after their dreams. His major success also
became the symbol of hope and progress in fighting racial inequality.

- Cultural shift: Robinson’s entry into the major baseball league caused a significant change in
American society. It managed to challenge the long-standing racial norms set by society and even
force people to confront their own biases. The film captures the society's tension and resistance to
the major change, as well as the slow acceptance of admiration that Robinson has earned from his
wins.

- Changing perspective: The film showed how Robinson’s outstanding talent and character slowly
changed of perception of those around him. His skills on the baseball field and his dignified
demeanor challenged stereotypes and even forced people to re-evaluate their beliefs about race.

The movie “42” was said to portray historically accurately Jackie Robinson's entry into Major League
Baseball and the challenges he faced. The film accurately captured the racial prejudice and
discrimination that he had encountered, as well as the tremendous determination and courage he had.
However, like many historical films, “42” does take some creative parts in the effect. For examples.

- Timeline compression- The film condensed some of the scenes and events in the film by
shortening some of the events for the audience to remain engaged and emotionally impactful
throughout the narrative.
- Character representation: Like many historical films, some of the characters had compositions of
real individuals, which happens in many historical films. For example, the character of Branch
Rickey played a huge role in Jackie Robinson's integration into the major baseball league, which
is historically accurate. However, some of his scenes or dialogues may have dramatized some of
his interactions for the narrative purposes.
- Dialogue: While the film was able to capture the essence of the racist tension and comments
being made, some of the specific dialogues had been adapted or fictionalized for the audiences.

Like every other film, there are always values and limitations that are shown throughout the film for
example, one of the values that the film “42” showed was cultural representation throughout the film,
by showing the racial tension faced by Robinson as he was able to break down the color barrier in the
major league baseball. It’s clear that the movie was able to capture the broader societal context of that
time, illustrating various racial prejudice African- Americans would have experienced. The other few
values that I noticed throughout were the use of an inspiring narrative that showed the individual
courage and determination of Robinson in the face of diversity. Lastly was the cultural impact that
Robinson brought into sports, the film was able to highlight the significance of sports as a platform of
social change along with uncovering Robinson’s success paved for other African-American athletes.

Now looking over the limitations that were shown in the film the lack of broader context, the film didn’t
really dig deep surrounding the political issue related to the civil rights movement. This made the
viewers understand the lack of additional historical sources to grasp and get the full scope of the
complexity of the movement at that time. The use of having a simplified narrative for creating more
dramatic effects meant condensing some of the events and the characters which left a lot of in-depth
information for Robinson’s success story.

Works Cited

“39 Facts about the Movie 42.” Facts.net, 6 Oct. 2023, facts.net/movie/39-facts-about-the-

movie-42/.

“42 (Film).” Warner Bros. Entertainment Wiki, warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/42_(film).

“42 Jackie Robinson Character Analysis | Ipl.org.” Www.ipl.org, www.ipl.org/essay/42-Jackie-

Robinson-Character-Analysis-PCA5TYCTZT. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023.

IMDB. “42.” IMDb, 12 Apr. 2013, www.imdb.com/title/tt0453562/.

Renner, Brian D. “Everything You Need to Know about 42 Movie (2013): Apr. 20, 2013 -

Added the U.S. Soundtrack Release Date of April 9, 2013.” Movie Insider,

www.movieinsider.com/m2500/42.