Movies: "Selma" Full of Spectacular Performances"
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. finally gets a feature film dedicated to him in “Selma.” The film tells of King’s famous civil rights march from Selma, Alabama to the state’s capital, Montgomery. But it also tells of all the politics and drama surrounding the event and the lead up.
Almost out of the gate this film was getting universal praise from critics, and even now it stands at a 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
I won’t lie: there was a part of me that thought the film was mainly getting praise due to the subject matter and how one or two elements have parallels to recent events. Also it could have easily fallen into what I call, “m’kay” movies—you know, films like, “Racism is bad, m’kay?” or “Addiction is bad, m’kay?” They’re films that deal with big issues but don’t do much outside of just saying they’re important issues without going any deeper.
Thankfully, this film does not fall into that category. While, yes, this film does deal with issues that are sadly topical, it is a film that shows what happened outside of the more infamous moments. It also shows the lead up to it, and it provides a wonderful and complex portrayal of one of the most important men of the last century.
A film I kept thinking of is Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln”—mainly because both films are biopics of notable men and deal with a very important, if not defining, moment in their lives. Both films also play it smart and portray the leading men as real human beings.
Many biopics portray their subject as a saint among men, who is flawless. But with this film, Ava DuVernay, the director, wisely shows that Dr. King was a man who had moments when he doubted himself. He was also a man who had his own troubles outside of events related to the movements.
Speaking of the portrayal itself, David Oyelowo is absolutely flawless in his portrayal as King. And, yes, I do feel he was robbed of an Oscar nomination.
Now like a lot of biopics, it has been the subject of controversy, mainly in the portrayal of then-President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson). The movie portrays him as somewhat reluctant to take immediate action on the civil rights issues in the South when many actually say he was very involved and worked a lot with Dr. King.
As for me, I thought it was a fair portrayal. The movie doesn’t ask us to hate him or view him as the bad guy. You get an understanding that he isn’t ignoring the issue; it’s just that he’s the man who is currently in charge of a nation with a lot of issues going on.
The only people who are vilified are the ones who should be, and by that I mean the people who were rather racist, such as then-Alabama Governor George Wallace (Tim Roth).
It’s a wonderful film that handles its subject matter well and has a group of actors giving spectacular performances. Give it a watch.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
More ucba-activist News Articles
- Rihanna's Iconic Style Turns Heads
- Modern Television Dominated by "Reality"
- Spectre Is a Fun but Forgettable Bond Film
- Music World Fills with New Releases
Recent ucba-activist News Articles
Discuss This Article
MOST POPULAR UCBA-ACTIVIST
Diversity Focus Groups Report Scheduled for Jan. 14 By Activist Staff
A Look at UCBA's History Shows Growth and Demographic Changes By Ben Rigney, Activist Staff
UC Football Future By Ben Rigney, Activist Staff
Rihanna's Iconic Style Turns Heads By Brett Cummins, Activist Staff
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST UCBA-ACTIVIST NEWS
RECENT UCBA-ACTIVIST CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
- Stroke & Dementia in Black Men: Tips for Staying Healthy...
- Hispanics and African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye...
- African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye Disease
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- 7 Reasons Renting an RV Should Be On Every Family’s S...
- Don’t Let Diabetes Shortchange Your Golden Years
- No Child is Forgotten By Marine Toys for Tots
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
- Young Author Translates 4,000-Year-Old Text to Reveal...
- Keeping Cool and Energy-efficient Amid America’s “...
- Addressing Sarcopenia with a Healthy Diet
- Subway’s New Wraps Elevate Eating on the Go
- Family Teacher Conference Topics Beyond Academics
- Youth Take Down Tobacco
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK
- BLUMHOUSE AND AMC THEATRES LAUNCH FIRST-EVER HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN FILM FESTIVAL
- THE GEN Z IMPERATIVE: LISTEN TO FEELINGS AND GIVE GEN Z A VOICE