Introductory Sentences
References to cultural elements and values are widely used in modern artworks to attract attention to contemporary problems and demonstrate the most recent transformations of the collective mindset. Therefore, analyzing modern works of art helps better understand the peculiarities of social transformation.
Thesis Sentence
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a tragicomedy that combines the actual depictions of life in the United States and exaggeration to demonstrate cultural features and values such as justice and intolerance towards discrimination.
First Main Point
McDonagh’s movie sheds light on problems that still bother people in the United States.
Supporting Details
In contrast to well-known movies that depict the facts of life in the United States in a positive light, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, focuses on social problems that have not been solved yet (McDonagh). The movie presents the story of Mildred, a middle-aged woman whose underage daughter was raped and murdered in Ebbing (McDonagh). Being disappointed due to the reaction of local police officers, the woman uses all of her money to rent three large billboards and locate messages pointing at her daughter’s suffering and the chief’s irresponsible attitude to work. This action leads to a series of events that uncover problems in local police departments, the characters’ personal hardships, and the perceptions of activism.
Second Main Point
The movie emphasizes some cultural features of the United States by hyperbolizing the country’s social problems.
Supporting Details
In the movie being analyzed, focused attention is paid to the manifestations of social problems such as racism, sexism, police brutality, irresponsibility, and the lack of mutual supportiveness between common citizens. Some people can manipulate the mentioned fact to claim that the artwork is anti-American. However, many critics regard this exaggeration as a tool that demonstrates intolerance towards discrimination and the complexity of people’s lives. For instance, according to Kermode, the “cracker caricatures” help create versatility and show the unique struggles of different characters.
Third Main Point
The artwork features the elements of the American culture by depicting the characteristics of small towns.
Supporting Details
The dissimilarities between populated cities and small towns in terms of socio-economic position are among the well-known elements of the American culture. McDonagh’s movie shows some typical characteristics of small residential areas, both positive and negative. For instance, the reaction to billboards is instant since news and rumors spread very quickly in such cities (Kermode). Moreover, such problems as poverty and alcohol abuse are depicted as peculiar to small towns.
Fourth Main Point
The artwork’s main theme is access to justice, one of the core values of Americans.
Supporting Details
The plot is centered on Mildred’s attempts to hold police officers accountable for the unsolved case of murder with the help of billboards, meetings, and even physical attacks. According to Chiou, the director actively criticizes “familial, social connections” that “enable injustice” (10). Therefore, he presents the importance of democracy and access to justice valued by Americans.
Fifth Main Point
The way of depicting racism helps demonstrate antipathy toward it.
Supporting Details
The movie represents racist characters as people with no positive qualities who hate others for no actual reason. For instance, Dixon’s personal qualities are the quintessence of anger and dishonesty since he regards other people as resources and pays no attention to their feelings and concerns (Chiou 2). Therefore, the movie promotes the negative image of prejudice based on race, which aligns with society’s opinions on the issue.
Summary
To sum it up, the movie effectively uses exaggeration and hyperbolization to demonstrate the values of common citizens in the United States, such as the inappropriateness of violence. Moreover, by depicting the life of small towns, the movie states the importance of mutual support between people. Additionally, it is pivotal to note that the characters that abuse their power help the director express society’s negative attitudes to racial discrimination.
Works Cited
Chiou, Grace. “Solidarity Beyond Obligation: Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri.” Journal of Religion & Film, vol. 22, no. 3, 2018, pp. 1-34.
Kermode, Mark. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Review – a Search for Justice Writ Large”. The Guardian. 2018. Web.
McDonagh, Martin, director. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2017.