The lyricism of Wilson’s language, an urgent rhythm steeped in the poetry of the street, sometimes gets lost when Washington opens up the story with beautiful but unnecessary shots of snow falling outside windows or swelling bursts of music. Alas, on the big screen, the narrative loses some of its relentless pace and drive. The play made its world premiere at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre almost 30 years ago before winning a Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Still, “Fences” is a powerful drama with themes of racism and inequality that, sadly, could not be more relevant. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis turn in masterful performances in the Washington-directed “Fences,” adapted from the famed August Wilson play. Paramount Pictures But as a director, he sometimes loses the propulsive cadence of Wilson’s text, letting this prestige picture flag just when it should punch us straight in the gut. It burns with gravity and regret, and Washington lights a fire in Troy, a proud man whose long-repressed rage is destroying him from within. Var _ndnq = _ndnq || _ndnq.push() ĭirected by and starring Denzel Washington, this haunting if flawed drama marks the first major film based on August Wilson’s 10-part play cycle depicting 20th-century African-American life.
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