Winters bone essay

Jack Talbot

How far does Winter’s Bone rely upon an understanding of its social context?

The social context of Winter’s Bone is the working class people from rural Appalachian America. The film takes place in a grittier, basic, simple Southern commune. The simple things in life are what make it worth living and tradition I a big part of life.  Jobs are hard to come by and most forms of food and consumption come from the wild itself. The community is financially strained, and is troubled by drug abuse. The tough times have taken a toll on the residence off the commune to turn to illegal substances, such as meth and cocaine. It has ravaged households and families, revealing a dark side to small town America, causing family issues and hostility towards one another. Although drugs have ruined the residents of the town, it’s still a taboo subject, which is shunned. People rely on hunting for a source of food, and gun safety is casually taught to some of the youngest people. There is a great emphasis on the importance of closeness within the family. The law is a fierce, maybe somewhat corrupt thing, which is feared by the people in the commune, as it can seriously ruin lives.

Winters bone relies upon an understanding of its social context to a large extent. This can be seen in the scene when the police officer confronts Ree, and asks her about the ownership of the house and the whereabouts of her father. The officer tells Ree that her father has been “cooking again”. This is means that Ree’s father has been using meth, a commonly used drug in the states. We see the need for money, when the officer says that the father needs to pay the bond for the house. It’s also clear that the family struggle economically, as they reside in a basic primitive cabin.

The major divide in the family is visible, when the officer talks about needing the father to show up for the court case. The divide of course is caused by the father’s constant use of meth. The nature of the father’s behaviour means that he’s never there for his family, meaning Ree has to fend for the children and her mother.

Just after the officer leaves, we are given a shot of a distant neighbour, whose curiously looking at the commotion on Ree’s porch. He fits into the southern working class ‘redneck’ stereotype as he’s skinning a buck, which we can only presume he has hunted himself, and is in industrial attire, with a baseball cap. This depiction of typical residents of the town really demonstrates how mundane, yet hard it is to survive out there. We also see Ree’s younger brother collecting wood for the fire. This is an indicator of how basic this family is living. It portrays life to be a hard thing, as they even struggle for warmth.

The younger brother questions the neighbours about giving meat from their freshly hunted buck. He asks Ree if the neighbours will share the meat. This just demonstrates further how desperate times are for this family. They’re now questioning asking their neighbours for meat, if they were in a better financial situation, they could maybe afford to buy whatever food they wanted from a store, and nit have to prepare and eat the deer.

If we look at the opening scene of Winters Bone, we see shots of the children playing, and making the most of what they’ve got. We also hear some none diegetic sound. There is a folk song being sung, one that you could imagine the locals knowing. This subtle addition to the film really helps emmerse the viewer into the small town America setting.

In addition, throughout the film, we hear a soundtrack, composed of traditional American instrument such as banjos. Banjos are seen and heard in many films set in rural America, Such as The Good the bad and the ugly and Deliverance. This further helps the viewer see how truly American the film is.