Hidden Figures Review, by Nickolas L
A Brief Summary of the Film
Hidden Figures (2016), is a film directed by Theodore Melfi which is set in 1961 and based on the true story of three African-American women, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan who faced many challenges through working at NASA as women in the workforce. This movie is based on Margot Lees’ non-fiction book, ‘Hidden Figures’. During the time, these three women worked eagerly in the line up of sending John Glenn, the captain of the spaceship, ‘Friendship 7’ into space. This movie gives us a visual depiction of their experiences in working at NASA’s research centre as women working in a segregated state. Since Virginia was still a segregated state during the time, they had to utilise ‘coloured’ facilities such as cafeterias, work spaces and bathrooms, which thus reveals the situation at the time.
My Opinion of the Film
The three women in the movie are accurate representations of their historical figures and their characteristics make an incredible film. Although Hollywood over-representing these characters, it teaches audiences about the African-American people and their struggles during the Civil Rights Movement and the commemoration of the contributions of these women. Therefore, I rate this movie 5 stars.
Director’s Interpretation
The director, Theodore Melfi, aimed to change the fact that the women’s contributions have not been sufficiently acknowledged, and so he portrays Mary Jackson as a strong and confident woman in the challenges of adversity, trying to be recognised as an Engineer at NASA. As well as Dorothy Vaughan who is a proud and confident leader, coping with the stress of keeping her ‘computing’ group together.
Theodore Melfi was adamant in presenting Mary Jackson as the witty, resilient and ambitious woman who she was. Melfi stated that he was “Blown Away” by his lead actors and was sure that Janelle Monae would be the ideal fit for the role due to her personality and willingness to speak. He made sure that this was most notable in her most powerful scene in the court where Mary had given her reasonings and her utmost feelings about the situation of her attending the courses at the segregated Hampton High-School. Melfi did this by creating an unwavering and powerful speech to convince the segregated-jury and the judge himself so she could attend such course. She was eventually granted permission to attend the courses where on the first-day, she was met with confused and odd looks, enhancing the discrimination and adversity she faced during the time. Throughout the movie, Melfi often utilises medium, close-up and low-angle shots to convey her sense of power and strength through this adversity and throughout the movie to portray her personality and emotive language.
Melfi pictured Dorothy Vaughan as a bold and tenacious leader who tried her very best to keep her ‘computing’ group together whilst also fighting for her role as a supervisor, initially asking for recognition as an African-American female in the workforce as a leader yet segregation was still alive at the time. Melfi made sure to convey her attributes in a scene where she was interrupted by her supervisor, Vivian Mitchell, that there was a temporary supervisor reassignment for the IBM (International Business Machine) leadership role where she was given the role of supervisor, which was so longly awaited. She was proud in taking the role due to her being allowed to bring her entire West Computing Group, giving the sense of connectedness and unity in the workplace. Melfi often used mid-close up shots to evoke her emotions, throughout the duration of the movie she had many senses of disappointment and sadness due to her not having the appropriate role or sense of leadership that she desired, but was content in some scenes with the use of high-key lighting due to her close colleague, Katherine Johnson who was advancing in her role at calculations and trajectory points.
Essay - Assess the Historical Accuracy of Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures, a movie created in the year 2016 and directed by Theodore Melfi, gives us a visual representation of three African-American women in the year 1961 during NASA’s race to get into space. Hidden Figures is very historically accurate as it is based on true events and contains representations of real-life people such as Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, yet there are some limitations. This is notable throughout the entire movie as the main characters. Theodore Melfi specifically depicts each of the real-life mathematicians and their past work, roles and events that happened at NASA and during their life.
Firstly, Katherine Johnson that is portrayed in the movie gives us an accurate representation of the actual mathematician and how the movie utilises real life situations that Katherine actually experienced in her time at NASA. A notable example of this is from a scene within the movie where an engineer, Paul Stafford was double checking all the trajectory points and the landing calculations were perfect, however there was a slight mistake in one of the landing calculations. Al Harrison, the lead of the Space Task group notified John Glenn of the delay, and he requested that Katherine was to ensure the landing calculations were correct due to her high intellect and wit. According to a Newspaper Article from the time of March 10th, 1962 labelled, ‘Lady Mathematician Played Key Role in Glenn Space Flight’ states how Katherine Johnson helped scientists that within two miles, was the initial location of John Glenn’s landing location after orbiting three times around the world. This article helps decipher the accuracy of Hidden Figures and the correct interactions and interpretations of real life events that were incorporated into the movie as well as helping in understanding Katherine’s role at NASA and her vital knowledge that was used to ensure at the last moment before lift-off, she saved a whole operation through one calculation. Therefore, Katherine Johnson that is portrayed in the movie is very historically accurate and her interactions and situations she had experienced are shown throughout the movie.
Additionally, mathematician Dorothy Vaughan is portrayed accurately in the film, including her story, role and situations that she experienced at NASA. An illustrative example of this would be in the scene where Dorothy was about to leave her west computing group room yet she was stopped once again, by her Supervisor, Vivian Mitchell. There was another assignment awaiting Dorothy, and it was the role of permanent supervisor for the IBM (International Business Machine) group. She gladly accepted this offer and that she was able to lead her and her entire computing group in a proper workplace setting, leaving the scene with a melancholic tune. In 1949, Dorothy had been appointed the role of supervisor where she and her colleagues moved to work at the IBM. There are many photos of her standing next to the IBM proving how she was actually appointed supervisor in real life. Also, her and her colleagues had created a handbook for algebraic methods for calculating machines such as the IBM, this handbook is still used today further adding to the proof that she was appointed the role of supervisor. The photos of her and her colleagues, as well as the handbook she created, helps us understand that Hidden Figures is an historically accurate movie and a visual depiction of Dorothy’s role at NASA and her appointment to give her that sense of respect and unity in the workplace.
Finally, Hidden Figures is mainly historically accurate in its portrayal of the character, Mary Jackson and her journey to becoming NASA’s very first female engineer. A significant example of her journey in becoming an engineer would be in the most powerful scene where she had to plead her case in court and in front of a segregated-jury to attend the courses at the all-white, segregated Hampton-High School. After an excellently delivered speech, she was granted permission to attend the night-classes at the high-school. She was excited to be able to pursue her career as an engineer and to be known as a key contributor to the launching of a spaceship as a woman. Her success is evident in a photo taken from 1974 where she and her aerospace engineer colleagues were standing in front of the Langley research centre building. This photo helps assess the historical accuracy of Hidden Figures and how it accurately illustrates that Mary Jackson was an aerospace engineer at NASA and how she did end up graduating from the segregated highschool in order to become a part of the High Speed Aircraft Division. Therefore, Hidden Figures is very historically accurate in the portrayal of Mary Jackson and her journey to becoming NASA’s first African-American female engineer.
In summary, Theodore Melfi’s Hidden Figures is very historically accurate in the representation of the characters, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson and their incredible contributions, roles they had at NASA and their lives in Virginia, a segregated state of the United States of America.
Bibliography
March 10, 1962 Pittsburgh Courier article about Katherine Johnson 1962, Newspapers.com, viewed 31 March 2024, https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-pittsburgh-courier-march-10-1962-pi/16403745/?locale=en-AU.
Dorothy Vaughan - NASA 2023, NASA, viewed 4 April 2024, https://www.nasa.gov/people/dorothy-vaughan/.
Dorothy Vaughan - NASA 2016, NASA, viewed 4 April 2024, https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/dorothy-vaughan/
Sher, S 2020, Top 10 Things Hidden Figures Got Factually Right & Wrong | Articles on WatchMojo.com, WatchMojo, viewed 4 April 2024, https://www.watchmojo.com/articles/top-10-things-hidden-figures-got-factually-right-wrong/katherine-running-half-a-mile-to-use-the-bathroom-wrong.
Dorothy Vaughan 2024, WOMEN ON THE MOON, viewed 4 April 2024, https://thewomanonthemoon.weebly.com/dorothy-vaughan.html.
Mary W. Jackson: NASA’s First Female African American Engineer - NASA 2021, NASA, viewed 4 April 2024, https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/mary-w-jackson-nasas-first-female-african-american-engineer/.