Mass: Notes from the Screening

By Cheryl L. Dixon, DC Film Society Member

Gun violence. Mass shooting. These buzzwords trigger horrific, terrifying images too often seen in mass media. The subject of the emotional impact/fallout of such violence, as two sets of parents gather to talk in the aftermath of such a tragedy is explored in the movie, Mass, and at a DC Film Society In-person screening and Q&A, held on September 30 at the Landmark's E Street Cinema. The post-screening Q&A and discussion, moderated by NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee, featured Filmmaker Fran Kranz, actors Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, and Hope and Heal Fund Chief Equity & Program Officer Refujio “Cuco” Rodriguez.

Be forewarned, Kranz noted: this movie is not for the faint of heart. We’ve become increasingly numbed by the frequent reports of gun violence and the severe toll it takes on both its victims and survivors. This movie is told more so from the perspective of the collaterally-damaged survivors (who are also victims), the parents of one deceased victim and the parents of the deceased perpetrator, both recovering years later from the trauma of the shooting and its lasting impact. The dialogue is raw, honest, and uncensored. It depicts, quite deftly, the confusion and anger in the tangle of the emotions present in grief, as well as the hope of recovery from trauma as an outcome of the outpouring of buried grief.

The ensemble case is terrific, able to realistically portray ordinary people experiencing extraordinary circumstances. Trying to find a way out from the pain of grief and loss, with the full range of emotions incurred within the grieving process. To get through to the other side of grief, talk is necessary, so everything from the meaning of life to the messy details of what happened, step-by-step, are on the discussion table.

Chatterjee started off the discussion with the questions of the “why” and “how” of the movie. Kranz stated that he was influenced by an actual shooting incident and decided to examine it from the survivor perspective with its inherent guilt and conflicting emotions, but with an in-depth view of the collateral damage inflicted on the family members associated with both victim and perpetrator. Rodriguez provided searing commentary of the disparate impact of gun violence present in the Black and Brown communities and the seemingly callous disregard of “the system.” A tearful Dowd acknowledged the disproportionate impact on these communities of color and emphasized that there was a deep sense of caring about what happens in these communities, but she thought individuals felt powerless and frustrated as to what could be done in these communities to improve the situation. The audience had their opportunity to weigh in on the discussion. Commentary included Super fan praise for Isaacs, citing his work in “The Patriot,” other questions followed on the link to the theater background with the superb acting quality seen in the film, specific motif imagery, the significance of the movie’s title, and the long-term impact of gun violence experienced in communities of color on a continual basis.

Grief, loss, pain. This is a movie for these times, when recovery both from trauma in general and the grief process have become achingly familiar to so many in these pandemic times. Tough subjects, yes, but the movie instills the powerful and uplifting message that there is hope for recovery.

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