Critical Analysis of Precious

“Precious”

Introduction

This is the critical analysis paper that is focusing on the movie “Precious”. Precious is a grim yet ultimately triumphant film about abuse and inner-city life, largely bolstered by exceptional performances from its cast.

Movie Summary

The movie Precious is based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire, which was written in 1996. The main character is Claireece Precious Jones called Precious. She is an overweight teenage girl, who lives with her mom in a tenement in the slum of New York, the Bronx. Precious suffers from both psychically and sexual abuse from both her father and mother, and she has had two children, both with her father at the age of 16.

At home Precious mom beats her, and treats her terribly, but Precious is also having a hard time at school. She is stuck at 9th grade when she actually should be in 12th grade. After all Precious still has dreams for her life. She is fantasizing about being a singer, model or just being a famous celebrity. During the movie, you see small clips of Precious imagination. The clips are very bright, happy and colorful compared to the rest of the movie. I believe these fantasies, and the light setting in them is a symbol for Precious hope for the future. But at the same time the happy bright dreams is a reflection of Precious true personality, hidden behind all of her anger and sadness.

She is desperately hoping that one day someone will break trough to her, or she will break trough to someone. Her life is grey and sad, and these dreams are her way of holding on. When something bad happens, she dreams herself away to a better place, because the truth is too hard to handle.

One of the times Precious dreams herself away is during the flashbacks of the rapes by her farther. The scenes of the sexual abuse, is blurred and in dark sad colors. These clips are like a contrast to her bright happy dreams; except for Precious the bad dreams are the reality. I believe the scenes are blurred because these are memories berried in Precious, but it is memories she wants' to forget.

At the end of the movie, Precious is told she has aids. I believe this indicate that she won't ever completely be able to get out of the bad circle she has been a part of since she was born. Every time life gets brighter and it finally looks like everything is turning around something bad happens and throws a shadow over her life again. This is where you can talk about marginalization. I don't believe Precious will be able to get out of the social class she is in, and move her way to the top like she dreams about. Even though her things may be getting better, she will still have to fight her way through life to make it good.

Literature Review

Pitched somewhere between the misery melodrama of a true life confession and a gritty slice of ...