Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a movie released on March 16, 2005. There is no particular influence on how this movie came about, but it was adopted from the novel entitled with the same name as the film written by Zora Neale Hurston. This film belongs to the genre of Romance and Drama. In this work, there was an idea or theme that was sent out through the movie and it was never let anyone define your identity. One must be true to themselves and define themselves first. When the movie was first released, it had a great outcome. It received two awards awarding the actress and was rated 4 stars.

By looking at the title of this film, I predicted that the movie was going to be about a holyful couple who always turn to God in their many circumstances. In this first begining of the movie, it starts with actress Halle Berry walking into town with filty beat down overalls and no shoes.As a viewer of this scene, it left me cutious as to where is she coming from, why doesn't she have on shoes and what happened?

There are three vital scenes in this movie that serves to significant meaning. The first scene is when Janie(Halle Berry) dives in the lake and floats over water on her back staring at the sky announcing that she is watching God. This is significant because it shows that this was her most tranquil and peaceful moment where she is able to look at God. The second important scene is when Janie explains to her second husband with a assertive tone saying that he shouldnt mix her doings with her looks. This is significant because she finally stands up for herself and doesnt let her husband define her. She is more than just the mayor's pretty wife and feels that she should be recognized for her other doings and works. The last vital scene is when Tea Cake (Micheal Ealy) took Janie to pick cucumbers with hi. She was so happy and thrilled to go out and do work with him because both of her other husbands refused to let her do work with them. This is an important scene because she was finally elated to do something she wanted with the one she loved and didn't have to be told otherwise.
The climax of the movie is when Janie had to kill her lover, Tea Cake, because he was diagnosed with rabies after a rabid dog has bitten him. Janie had to kill him before he killed her because angered sickness. There was no loose ends in the movie, every detail was told and explained. The movie was concluded when Janie floats backwards across the lake because this was her get a way and care free environment.

Throughout this movie, we were introduced to many characters. These characters served various roles in the movie and were characterized through their actions and words towards Janie. Logan Killicks was Janie first husband. She was forced by her nanny to marry him because he had money and acres to provide for her. Logan Hillicks was a good provider to her but she was not happy nor in love with him. Killicks served a purpose of unhappiness in a marriage that Janie doesnt want to be in and makes her want to go out and find love on her own. Another character is Joe Starks, Janie second husband. Janie meets him and he offers her to run a way with him for  a better living. She was excited and took the offer leaving her first husband. Starks in this movie served a purpose of
 happiness for Janie but only for a short amount of time until she realizes that living the life of Joe Starks is not what she wanted. Another character in the movie is Tea Cake. This was Janie's true lover. Tea Cake served a purpose of true love and affection to Janie. The last character is Janie's friend, Pheoby. In the first beginning of the movie Phoeby was concerned about Janie and why she looked so dragged down but Janie explained her whole story. In this case, Phoeby served as a vent for Janie to express her life story.

There is a motif in this movie and it is when Janie float on water and looks in the sky stating that she is watching God. This occurs like 3 times in the movie, once in the beginning, the middle and the end. This motif shows it significance by showing us her relaxed mode and escape place when she wants to be alone. The central theme of this movie was one must find love and their identity on their own. There was one symbol in this movie and it was the rag that Janie's second husband Joe Starks made her wear. He made her wear it so that her pretty hair was not shown for others to see and admire. It was only for him and her to view. This symbolized a part of Janie that was blocked from her because of her husband. But when he died, she had stop wearing the rag and was eager to let her down once again.