There are films about women, and the challenges of sexism they necessarily have to face. And there are films about blacks, and the atrocities that they have suffered over the centuries. And there is a film that brings both of them together: Hidden Figures. The film tells the story of smart, brainy women working with NASA at a time when it is in a race with the then USSR to launch into space in the early 1960s.
Being bright enough to do some serious work for NASA, was however, not good enough. There is a lot of what you would expect to see in this film – segregation, unthinking racism, sexism glazed with entitlement, as instances. Its story deals with how the determined women at NASA get ahead despite the obstacles that stand right in front of them.
Consider the main lead: Kathrine, who is a mathematical child prodigy working as a human computer at the agency. At a time of segregation, she has to run from one building to another just to relieve herself, because there are no bathrooms for coloured people where she works. She is not paid at par for the work she does, because, black (and female?). Her co-worker thinks nothing of helping himself to the credit for work she is doing, because that’s just the way it is. And she is not allowed in crucial meetings because, for whatever reasons, she doesn’t have the necessary clearances despite her contributions to the space programme.
Does she get cut up about all this? Of course, she does.
But she keeps fighting to get ahead. Like the time she has an outburst at her clueless boss who has no idea about the extent to which she tolerates segregation, her insistence on getting her credit after her co-worker tells her pointedly to take her name off a report on which she works and her persistence in ensuring she gets to sit in on important meetings, despite being told off. She even gives a piece of her mind to her then suitor and later husband when she perceives herself as being the receiving end of casual sexism from him.
Then there are two supporting female leads, each with their own story, which complement the lead story. While one of them struggles to be recognised for a superior role she is performing in her organisation, the other one fights for her right to higher education to be in the professional place she is meant to be in.
While the film focuses on the double bias suffered by black women in a white, male dominated society, making it a highlight feminist film, at its heart, it speaks to a bigger audience than that. It is ultimately a film about human spirit, and the spontaneous capacity to push forward in the face of endless, formidable resistance. Anyone who has been unjustly treated, callously disregarded, unfairly repressed and blindly exploited, whatever the colour of their skin or their gender, will find a strain of identification with the film.
The fact that Hidden Figures is based on real life events makes it all the more powerful, not to mention inspiring. And that, because, it is an example of the fact that the persistence of odds is exactly what makes trailblazers out of regular people, who are otherwise only out to lead regular, decent lives.
The film also tacitly recognises the contribution of a supportive community and environment that enables the women to go and battle it out yet another day. Loving husbands, perceptive children, devoted mothers, strong communities and even the friendship among the women themselves are all part of the rich tapestry of these ladies’ lives.
The running time of Hidden Figures is a tad long, some scenes are repetitive and it might even be lacking punch in some places. But it has won an Oscar Nomination for a reason, despite some obvious gaps. And that reason is enough to watch the film.
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