Fruitvale Station Essay

Aaron Hutchins
Fuitvale Station DPI
Fruitvale Station is a film directed by Ryan Coogler. The movie is based on a true story
of a 22-year-old man who was is tragically shot and killed by Police officers on New Year’s Eve
in 2008. The film details the events of Oscar Grant’s life in the hours prior to his untimely death.
All the components to the film combine to make it an overall grasping and successful film.
While watching the film, it is noticed that Coogler did not take much time to incorporate
background music. The few instances in which the director does include music appear to accent
the positive aspects of Oscar’s day, particularly when he is interacting with his daughter and his
family. The music is rather subtle but upbeat, which works

to express the joyous aspects of
Oscar’s life. Towards the end of the movie, after Oscar is killed, the music switches to a more
somber tone which reflects the nature of the tragedy.
The casting director for the film, Twinkie Byrd, did a proficient job with choosing the
leading actors for the movie. Oscar Grant was played exceptionally well by Michael B. Jordan.
Jordan realistically captures Oscar Grant’s character in the waning hours of his life. The
performance did not go unnoticed, in that Jordan won two awards for his acting role in the film.
As a whole, each of the characters embraced their roles in an extraordinary manner. Their ability
to display intense emotion throughout the film contributes to the overall success of the film. The
favorable acting of the cast was able to significantly influence the emotion of the audience.
Coogler’s intention of the film was to provide a sense of naturalness by including the
audience in the events of Oscar’s life. Coogler achieves this by emphasizing the use of camera
angles. When following the actors with the camera, a sense of realism is created which gives the
audience the feeling of being a “fly on the wall” in Oscar’s life. During scenes with heightened

Aaron Hutchins
action, the camera becomes more frantic, creating a chaotic aura. In the opening scene of the
movie, Coogler incorporated real footage from the tragic death of Oscar Grant caught from a cell
phone. This sets the tone for the film and embodies the realism of the event. In the closing scene
of the film, Coogler includes real footage of Oscar Grant’s family at a vigil following his death.
By portraying the pain of Oscar’s family at the end of the film, Coogler reinforces the
heartbreaking tone set by the reality of the events.
Based on a true story, the script was captivating and informative while highlighting the
true affairs leading into Oscar Grant’s death. Because of the film’s underlying purpose to
entertain, the writers and director exaggerated some of the events in the script. However, I do
believe that the director incorporated regular pedestrian scenes, such as hanging out with friends,
quarrels with his girlfriend, and shopping for a birthday card, in order to highlight the fact that
Oscar Grant is a regular person. I found it interesting that Coogler did not shy away from
including Grant’s darker impulses in the film, particularly his multiple felony drug charges that
he ended up in prison for. Overall I believe that the script was well written and representative of
the affairs.
The film was accurately shot in the Bay Area, California where the tragedy of Oscar
Grant transpired. Specifically, at the exact train station, Fruitvale Station, where Oscar was shot
and killed by police. This setting allows for the audience to get a precise visual of the
environment, which heightens the realism of the misfortune. After Oscar’s death, the contrast of
the film changes and becomes more dark and ominous. There are no more bright colors and the
scenes become more depressing. The costumes in the film were reflective of the time frame and
the actual attire of Oscar and his family and friends. Oscar and his friends are dressed in all black

Aaron Hutchins
in the scenes leading into the shooting. This is purposely done by the director to foreshadow the
imminent death of Oscar.

The film “Fruitvale Station” serves to offer a different perspective on the incident in
which Oscar lost his life. The media portrays the story from the officer’s perspective which often
distorts the public’s opinion surrounding the circumstances. Rather than following the path of the
media, Coogler depicts Oscar’s point of view and presents the story in a different light. By
witnessing things from Oscar’s angle, the audience can realize the injustice of the situation that
led to his death. The director depicted his humanity rather than portraying Oscar as a thug as the
media did. Though the film shows negative parts of Oscar’s life, such as cheating on his
girlfriend, going to prison, and selling drugs, Coogler presents these mishaps as aspects of
Oscar’s past. In the film, Oscar made a decision to give up his old ways and strive for a more
righteous future. However, whether or not his future is more righteous or more legal, the reality
of his destiny would be just as horrific to the viewer. After watching this film, the viewer can
expect to experience the more disheartening reality of the circumstances of Oscar’s last
moments, which enables them to gain a better understanding of the corrupt and unjust nature

of
the current society.