Winter's Bone Assessment
How far does 'Winter's Bone' rely upon an understanding of its social context? Set in the rural Ozarks of Missouri, ‘Winter’s Bone’ stars Jennifer Lawrence as Ree, a 17-year-old girl forced with looking after her sick mother, and her two younger siblings, all while tracking down her Father who has to appear in court otherwise they’ll lose their house. The film explores many different themes and social issues such as poverty, gender and power, drug abuse, and family, both distant and close. One scene that highlights the social issue of poverty, is when Ree has an interview for army recruitment and is adamant in learning more about the money involved. The scene begins with Ree being called up for her time, and straight away it is clear that she doesn’t quite fit in. Every other person having an interview are men, and to further add to the gender divide, Ree appears beaten up slightly implying she cannot take care of herself and that she is not powerful enough to