Marc Forster’s Monster’s Ball Essay -- Marc Forster Monsters Ball Ess

Marc Forsters Monsters BallMarc Forsters Monsters Ball is a photo of one mans journey to overcome his lifelong ignorance, entirely this seems to be the dashs only accomplishment. The grisly drama attempts to source pressing racial issues, but instead it creates a monstrous clear of unanswered questions and unfulfilled plot problems cleverly masked by brilliant playacting and cinematic beauty.The first half of Monsters Ball revolves nigh a family of executioners responsible for the last days of a black death-row inmate. baton Bob Thornton is striking as Hank Grotowski, a native Georgian who has exhausted his life following in his fathers footsteps both as a department of corrections officer in the state penitentiary and as a racist. Peter Boyle plays Thorntons retired father and delivers a gritty cognitive operation that is a welcome change from his role as the wise-cracking Frank Barone on CBSs Everybody Loves Raymond. Heath Ledger is feller Grotowski, Thorntons son, a thi rd-generation corrections officer who never lives up to the familys tough-guy standards and dares to have black friends. Hank and Sonny are part of an execution team assigned to Lawrence Musgrove, a cop-killer skill to the full portrayed by Sean Combs, whose impressive performance suggests that his acting career whitethorn have as much earning potential as P. Diddys certain line of work.Thorntons portrayal of Grotowski is flawlesshis best since 1996s onager Bladeand helps one forget such disappointments as 1998s A Simple Plan. He becomes Hank and leaves no trace of Billy Bob on the screen. Grotowskis dialogue is limited and purposely lacks profundity, forcing Thornton to convey meaning finished action. When Hank descends his front porch to meet his sons two black friends with a s... ...mwhen the monster himself, Lawrence Musgrove, is awaiting death. Chesse creates depth and parallelism between Lawrence and Leticia, bouncing back and frontwards between the activities on death ro w and in Leticias home. The look is reminiscent of Dead Man Walking, but Combs Musgrove is a welcome dismissal from Sean Penns Matthew Poncelet in that Musgrove accepts his fate and doesnt fight death. This allows him to be fully effective in conveying what is the films best line of dialogue as well as its main theme It really takes a human being to really see a human being.Monsters Ball had the potential to be a captivating tale of love alienated and love found, but that potential is lost in a sea of subplots that drowns the main narrative. Forster is left with a film that is little more than a star vehicle for Berrys and Thorntons most compelling performances to date.