By Danielle Pucillo
“Hidden Figures” is a portrayal of three African-American women who played vital roles in making America’s first excursions into space possible. These women were Katherine Goble, a physicist and mathematician and her colleagues, Mary Jackson, an aeronautical engineer and Dorothy Vaughan, a mathematician and computer programmer.
Set in the early 1960s in West Virginia, the film examines the day to day obstacles characters face due to their race and gender. They strive to keep up with the pressure of working at NASA during the historical “Space Race,” as well as moving up professionally while maintaining their families.
Taraji P. Henson provides a stellar performance, pun intended, as Katherine Goble, child prodigy turned computer scientist for NASA. Her character develops over time, initially a soft-spoken widow of three. For most of her life, she demonstrated her intelligence and value by performing jaw dropping calculations on chalk boards which, from a layman’s point of view, is dazzling in itself. But when asked to perform and verify calculations for the first space launch in the US, she is prompted to defend her position and her rights when confronted by discrimination. She musters the courage and tenacity to find her voice, and when she does it is spectacular. Her character is graceful and admirable, so rooting for her came naturally.
The supporting characters’ subplots do not swallow the main plot, and the roles they play extend beyond that of NASA’s goal to reach orbit while also highlighting how African-American women achieved progress in the context of civil rights.
The most striking feature about this biopic comedy-drama are the visuals. There is a masterful use of contrast and colors, as well as leading lines that focus on objects. The noir-like use of lighting and strategic use of composition hold your attention and compensate for the sometimes dry, jargon-filled dialogue. Images of rocket launches and the glowing earth’s surface instill a sense of wonder, enhanced by the fact that this was during a time when space travel was a revolutionary feat. The cars, fashion and interior décor all reflect a strong feeling of inexplicable nostalgia.
But while the clothes are fitted to perfection and the chrome on the turquoise 1957 Chevy Bel-Air is polished bright, there were also grim reminders of systematic racism and discrimination. Restrooms and water fountains boldly labeled “colored,” snarling police dogs and protestors. This film uses subtle contrast to its advantage to illustrate the division of Americans.
Overall, the film fills you with a lingering sense of joy and conquest. I felt proud of these women’s efforts to revolutionize modern technology despite living in such a pivotal time in our country’s history. The film’s score reflected those feelings. It is uplifting and inspiring, with touches of gospel that go along with the spectacular visuals of outer space that allow you to feel awe. It showed a place beyond the stratosphere that detaches you and provides perspective. I left this film feeling good, with a little more faith in humanity. It was a reminder for Americans how far we have come, and how far we can still go.
