This extraordinary wonderful new film that finally brings Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Martin Luther King centre stage in a Hollywood movie focuses on just one of the most crucial periods in his life. After the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act had made segregation illegal, most of the South simply ignored the new Law and still followed the old Jim Crow statutes of discrimination, and so towns like Selma in Alabama remained very dangerous places for it’s vast black population.
The movie shows the dissent behind the leadership’s decision to stage the March and particularly vocal were the less confrontational local Student Committee who were opposed to King’s plan but when both all final attempts to persuade Johnson failed, and some local fruitless mediation stalled, everyone came on board for the March.
Back in Selma, King used the public outcry about the violence as a national rallying cry to clergy across the country to come to Alabama to support his people, and they did just that in droves. Now that the crowd was no longer full of just African/Americans no-one knew how the second attempt at the March would turn out, least of all King who surprised everyone by changing his mind enroute.
The most remarkable thing about this magnificent flawless and totally inspirational movie is that it was directed by Ava DuVernary an ex film publicist with who has just directed two small indie movies too date. Ms DuVernary who did such a stunning job in capturing this essential part of our country’s history with such authenticity and compassion was also responsible for re-writing much of Brit Paul Webb’s script. She also made some great casting calls especially with her lead actor David Oyelowo who had also starred in her second movie the critically acclaimed ‘Middle of Nowhere’. Oyelowo, a Brit, has these wonderful piercing eyes which seem to speak as much as his words in this powerful mesmerizing performance that has you riveted to the screen. Coretta is played by another Brit, the beautiful Carmen Ejogo, known mainly for her television work including a made-for-TV movie called ‘Boycott’ in 2001 in which she also played Mrs King. Amongst the other Brits in the cast : superb Tom Wilkinson as a lanky and rather annoyed President Johnson and a brilliant Tim Roth as the self-righteous George Wallace, there were also a fair sprinkling of illustrious American talent too. Including Oprah Winfrey (also a Producer) with a impressive dignified performance as hospice worker Annie Lee Cooper, Giovanni Ribisi as Johnson’s Advisor, Alessandro Nivola as John Doar, André Holland as Andrew Young, Martin Sheen as Judge Johnson and an almost unrecognisable Cuba Gooding Jnr. playing it straight as lawyer Fred Gray.
Filmed on location in Selma, credit is due to some particularly memorable photography, especially of the violence that occurred during Bloody Sunday, from cinematographer Bradford Young, and also an impressive soundtrack that so beautifully sidestepped all the usual cliches protest songs.
DuVernary’s brilliant movie deliberately means to disturb you from the shocking opening that sets the tone for the whole 127 minutes of this potent story. She tells it with such passion and dignity and as the actual archive newsreel blends in at the end, you are reminded that this is not fiction at all, but real life, and something that somehow fills us with both shame and pride at the same time.
Unmissable
Labels: 2015, biopic, drama, dramatized reallife
