The most shocking thing to me that came out of Selma, other than how fantastic it is, is that it is the FIRST theatrically released movie about Martin Luther King Jr. ever. I wanted to argue that when I read about it, but I couldn't think of another film... and there is none. This is a tragedy. We've had biopics about lesser valued and culturally significant people (see Big Eyes) and we've never had one about the man, the myth, the legend... MLK. Not only is this a story that NEEDED to be told, the filmmakers and everyone involved got lucky with the timing of the movie and the racially publicized events of the latter part of 2014. The themes and messages that were begging to be sent back during the civil rights movement are still as prevalent today as they were then.
Selma is, from what I can tell, a perfect film. Its path to perfection began back in the writing stages when it was decided not to do a biopic of Martin Luther King's life, but a significant moment (one that doesn't even have to do with his "I Have A Dream" speech) that envelops everything the good doctor stood for. In a breakout performance, David Oyelowo plays King during the time in his life when he was already recognized as the advocate for peaceful and non-violent protests. He's started working closely with president Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) about passing more rights for black Americans. Johnson is hesitant to pass any new bills as segregation had just ended and black people were given the right to vote. However, surrounded by white bureaucracy, even though it was technically legal for a black person to vote, registering to vote was a whole new ballgame... especially in the South. King then chooses Selma, Alabama as his place of protest because Governor George Wallace's (Tim Roth) outlook on equal rights was quite skewed, and King knew he'd get plenty of media coverage. After many failed attempts, and brutal violence against the protestors, King leads a march of over 700 people 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
It's a beautiful and emotionally charged film led by a very talented actor portraying the late Dr. King. Most of the movie is difficult to watch due to the atrocities committed against the unarmed protestors based solely on their desire for equal rights. Judged solely on the color of their skin rather than the content of their character was damn right when it came to any movement led by King in the south. What makes this movie so great, rather than honoring an American icon is that it works on several levels. Dr. King is not without his faults. He's not painted as the perfect man, especially not the perfect husband. It also works on an educational level. But, it works so beautifully today because the same problems exist now. In the wake of Ferguson and Eric Garner, the film eloquently shows that while times have changed for black Americans (they are now able to vote without issue thanks to MLK) but they still face the same racial and violent hardships they did back in the 60s. We as a nation have this problem of believing we're nearing the end of racism altogether, but when we see a film like this... a film that was made long before the events of Ferguson happened... we're no closer today than we were in 1963.
What's also amazing about the film is there's nothing irrelevant about any of it. Everything works succinctly to tell the story more about the movement than the man who led it. King was essentially just a vessel to get humans to rally together for a noble cause. Director Ava DuVernay does a great job of limiting the scope of the film to this single event rather than tell the entire life story of MLK (much like Spielberg did with Lincoln). Oyelowo plays King to a T. They sound alike and are almost identical visually. Tom Wilkinson is just as great as President Johnson, a man who you can easily tell hasn't entirely made up his mind about the movement. He believes all men should be created equal, but has so much on his plate, enforcing that belief is put on the backburner. Hell, even Oprah shows up to get her face bashed in with a billy club. Black, white, blue, green or otherwise... this is a movie every American should see in order to put our current state into perspective. It's a powerful movie with a great message. I loved every second of it.
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