Aibileen Clark

The Help (2012), as directed by Tate Taylor, is a story of African American servants in 1960’s Jackson, Mississippi and their feelings towards the people they worked for. The film is narrated by the convincing housemaid Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) and follows the story of a hometown writer Eugenia 'Skeeter' Phelan (Emma Stone) and the roles they both play in a publishing a truth-be-told testimony about the treatment of African-Americans in Jackson. Aibileen Clark does a good job showing both sides of the civil rights debate, however, she lacks a certain amount of detail when it comes to the whites views, especially the white husbands. The story is naturally biased towards the housemaids but this does not necessarily take away from the plot of the story. Throughout the film, the maids are portrayed as the underdogs and this plays into the final conclusions very well.

Viola Davis is very convincing in her portrayal of Aibileen, her emotions seem genuine especially her love for the babies she helps to raise. Emma Stone is also very convincing in showing the viewer her overwhelming

The use of camera angles is especially relevant with Aibileen’s character, she is often shot from the perspective of the children which conveys a sense of motherly knowledge. This same shot is also used when she talks to the self proclaimed elite white women, which portrays Aibileen as a more empowered character. Eugenia is shot in a more confined, straight on angle throughout the film offering a sense of seclusion which in turn plays into the character's personality. The use of wide shots is also shown in the film, one of the most dramatic scenes involves Hilly on a frantic car ride to Eugenia’s house suggesting her vulnerability. Conversely, the final shot of Aibileen walking down the street after being fired implies a new sense of freedom away from the