Movies can often stir up emotions and speak to a current culture’s issues and climate. Often times this is a conscious choice, but in the case of a film like Selma, which comes at a time where protests and racial conditions have factored into the news cycle, a film can hit a portion of the zeitgeist. Thankfully for audiences Selma is more than just a film that people are using to explain the now, it’s a wonderfully made picture with crackling energy and a larger than life performance at the helm.
It’s 1964 where the movie sets our scene. In the aftermath of the bombing of a church, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has had about enough and recognizes that the next battle for African-Americans should be ensuring the right to vote. To do this, several of his advisors and fellow activists help him set up camp in Selma, AL and they quickly realize that in order to achieve their goal they’ll have to do more than just stage some rallys or talk in churches. It’s from this that King empowers the community to demand the vote and leads to the incredible five day march from Selma to Montgomery amidst one of the most tumultuous eras in the United States.
Ava DuVernay, longtime friend of the industry turned indie filmmaker, has found a studio picture that doesn’t overwhelm her in terms of scope but challenges her in every way. DuVernay excels tremendously with the various elements of the film from the performances to the crafting of tension and shot selection. SHe’s aided in this by DP Bradford Young, who makes Black people look amazing, while servicing the story. More than just the technical aspects, DuVernay manages one of 2014’s best feats, showing the amazing diversity within the community. I cannot tell you how important DuVernay’s humanizing of these larger than life characters was to show that even when a community has a singular goal that there’s diversity of opinion amongst them. It’s not an easy task making all of these view points valid but DuVernay seems to do it with ease.
It helps of course when you have amazing actors to work with. I’m speaking of the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Carmen Ejogo, Corey Reynolds, Common, Tessa Thompson, Wendell Pierce, Stefan James, Trai Byers, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth and Nicey Nash. I’m missing a few names but to really understand the power of Selma, the ensemble had to give their all and their all do they give. This lays the ground work for whomever was playing MLK to have the support to deliver a great performance. David Oyelowo, the near ubiquitous actor, mentioned in interviews that this is a dream role and when you’re done with Selma you’ll think you were in a dream in which an actor could do no wrong. Oyelowo is masterful as MLK, presenting the man as more than a speech making preacher (though he makes wonderful use of the speeches). Perhaps the most humanistic look at an icon in some time, Oyelowo plumps the depths of this man’s psychosis and shows us the inner fire and faults. Selma is a movie about a movement but I would have been nothing without the man behind it and Oyelowo makes us realize the power that is necessary to change.