THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT

US, 2024, 127 minutes, Colour.

Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Dean Norris, Shanice Shantay, Gregg Sulkin, Jay Reeves, Sam Waterston, Susan Sarandon, Oprah Winfrey.

Directed by Tyler Perry.

Inevitably many people who see this film will remember  the 2016 drama of African-American women who were employed as part of the World War II effort, Hidden Figures.

This is a film written and directed by Tyler Perry, a significant influence in making American movies with African-American themes, with his own studios in Atlanta, Georgia, writing, directing, often appearing. While most of his films have had family and domestic themes, his now taken on the portrait of this significant group of women, their volunteering for war service, their treatment by the American military, their experience of racist discrimination and insult, their being given a mission, offered  little support, even hindered, but a fine achievement in distributing in 90 days towards the end of the war, a huge amount of mail to and from those soldiers on war fronts.

While the film is based on actual characters and events, especially the leader of the women, Major Charity Adams, played with strong conviction by Kerry Washington, personal stories are introduced which gives a humane perspective to the military enterprise.

Initially, the film focuses on December 1943, young pilot crashing, his letter being taken by a passing soldier who has come from the trenches and placed it in the mail bag. Then, back to 1942, Philadelphia, the young man, Jewish, and his love for an African-American girl, Lena, her demanding mother and grandmother, who work in catering for events, the lyrical happiness between the two and his going off to war. With no news from him, Lena, Ebony Obsidian, volunteers for the war effort.

Some of the scenes parallel sequences in films about recruits arriving, the conditions, the severe officers, the physical demands on training, the variety of personalities, clashes and working together. Lena is the youngest and there is a focus on a group of women throughout the film, making the story more personalised.

The story is historically situated when the mother of a soldier has not heard from her son for three years, stands vigil at the Whitecap house, asked to see Eleanor Roosevelt, explaining the situation to her, to her husband the President, and Mary MacLeod Bethune, an American advocate for women in the war. (As a bonus, they are played by Susan Sarandon, Sam Waterston and Oprah Wnfrey.)

The key to the story is the women being assigned to go to Europe to work on the distribution of the huge amount of undistributed letters. Some of the heads of the military, especially General Halt, Dean Norris, are particularly demanding, obnoxious, blatantly racist, for example, horrified at black women reading the letters of white men. Obstacles are placed, the mail is kept at an old English school, conditions difficult, the women renovating their headquarters, working out logistics, not succeeding immediately, finding clues, Lena, especially, contributing while eventually getting that lost letter from the opening of the film and finding the young man’s grave.

The women’s achievement is not well acknowledged but they are acclaimed by a group at the railway station. However, the work was minimally recognised until decades later. In fact, there are many photos of the women at the end of the film, newsreel footage, and the actual Lena, aged 100, interviewed and reminiscing about the experience. And the military camp where they trained has had its name changed to include a tribute to Major Adams.

Many audiences were very much moved by watching the film. Those with military background raise quite a number of objections about the stage of battles, funerals, uniforms and many details which prevented them from being moved overall by the impact of this tribute.

1. Based on actual characters and events? The final tributes, comments, photos and newsreel footage?
2. The US, the atmosphere of World War II, those in service, those at home, communications, lack of information? The piling of the letters in England? The need for distribution? Morale for the soldiers?
3. The work of Tyler Perry, producing, writing, directing? African-American stories, African-American issues? Issues of racism? American society?
4. The prologue, 1943, December, the action sequences, the trenches, the soldiers going over, killed, bombings, the plane crash, the young soldier, the encounter with the plane, seeing the letter with the blood, taking it and putting it in the mail? The dead pilot?
5. 1942, the focus on Lena, her age, at school, with her severe mother, with her grandmother, the home scenes? Friendly with Abram? His visit to the house, her riding in the back of the car, the exhilaration, his love for her, her shyness? Catering for the party, the bigoted girlfriend, standing in the way, insulting, the two going outside, the song, You made me love you…? The farewell? The impact on Lena, no news, thinking that Abram was dead, her family, the future, studies, her decision to join the army?
6. The introduction of the African-American women and their war service? The range of those joining up, the film’s focus on the particular group, their characters, backgrounds, interactions, Jonnie May and her brashness, the more refined and religious young women? Lena in this group? The big number of women joining?
7. The buses, arriving, the introduction of Major Charity Adams, in charge, her personality, the responsibility, her self-assurance, yet the continued attacks on her and her confidence, racism, prejudice against women? The development of her character throughout the film, the loyal assistant, the stern drills for the women, the training, her comments on Lena, the later speaking privately with her, affirmation, and her praise for her insight for the distribution of the male through the symbols on the envelopes? The mission, her meeting with the authorities, their contempt for her, lack of letters and orders, on the plane, in the UK, the derogatory remarks about the women, seem on the ship, the conditions, seasick, they’re coming off the ship, marching in order and taking the salute?
8. The importance of the mission, lack of faith in the women, the character of General Halt, his personality, rigorous Army, racist, assertion of the white males, humiliating major Adams, the various confrontations, the final confrontation, Major Adams and her defiance? The possibilities of court-martial? The death of the women in the accident, the funeral, no military support, the chaplain, the severity of his sermon, the attack on Major Adams, her going to the office, finding his mail, spying on her, dismissing him?
9. The logistics of sorting the letters, the vast number, the conditions, King Edward’s School, the cold, the accommodation, the women transforming it, making it habitable, even the beauty parlour, the cold, the vermin, the effect on the mail? Setting up, sorting, the slow sorting, the condition of the mail?
10. The various ideas, names and categories, locations, maps and indications, Lena and her noticing the symbols, the map, greater flow of the letters? Of the continual hindrance by the bureaucracy, the army prejudice, the officers and their words and treatment of the women?
11. Lena, her letter, going to the cemetery, reading the letter? His message? The attentions of Hugh, his background, service, intending to marry, the friendship with Lena, the dance, the song, her grief? The funeral, accompanying her to the cemetery, accompanying her back to the barracks?
12. The women going on strike, Major Adams and her reaction, their applauding her?
13. The background of the woman and not receiving any mail, standing outside the White House, Eleanor Roosevelt, bringing her in, the discussions, the visit of Mary McLeon Bethune, the pioneer for African-American women? President Roosevelt himself?
14. General Hall, the death of Roosevelt, comments on Truman, his ridiculing of the women and their work?
15. The ultimate success, the methods, within 90 days, the distribution of so much mail, the scenes of the men receiving it in the war areas, the families, the woman who stood outside the White House?
16. The women at the station, the acclamation by the crowd?
17. The final information, the lack of acknowledgement of the work, the women? Lena aged 100, the interview, her comments, the photos of the other women? And the renaming of the Fort – and the honouring of Major Adams?