“Mine eyes have seen the glory”

SELMA

Director: Ava DuVernay

Screenplay: Paul Webb

Cast: David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth, Tom Wilkinson, Oprah Winfrey

Rating: 5/5

Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous ‘I have a dream” speech does not feature’ in Selma, which may come as a surprise to viewers walking into this not knowing too much about the history of the American Civil Rights Movement. Dr King did more than give that speech, and the events of _Selma _in fact come after that landmark moment and the march to Washington. Ava DuVernay’s new film instead focuses on the Selma to Montgomery marches that took place that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

Despite the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, African-Americans are still being refused when trying to register to vote, as evidenced by Annie Lee Cooper (Oprah Winfrey, in a brief but important role), who is unfairly quizzed and discriminated against at the voters registration office in Selma, Alabama. Dr King sees Selma as the new battleground, and sets up base there with his supporters. Meetings with President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) are never as fruitful as he would hope, with the President never promising, but only cautiously reassuring Dr King that things will change with time. Peaceful demonstrations are organised, ones that inevitably end up in blood-soaked tragedy as certain members of the law refuse to see past people’s colour.

David Oyelowo is mesmerising as King, disappearing into the iconic role as the takes centre stage. His commanding, inspirational lead performance is an award-worthy one, and the lack of an Oscar nomination in the Best Actor field for Oyelowo will become something that will always appear in the ‘snubbed’ lists for years to come. His character is put through a lot; he has many speeches to make in front of crowds; but he also has the behind-the-scenes, more intimate, personal look at his private life, and the toll this Movement is taking on him, and Brit revelation Oyelowo is faultless in every frame. He is backed by a strong supporting cast that includes two Brits in the roles that stand in the way of Dr King’s dream. Wilkinson is stoic and dignified as the President caught in a difficult situation. It would be lazy to label him as simply the villain; the film does well to explain his predicament throughout the film. Whilst Dr King’s goal is a simple one, POTUS instead has a lot of things to juggle and people to please. The real antagonist here is Tim Roth as Alabama Governor George Wallace, who does his absolute best to come across the most detestable man imaginable, and Roth succeeds in that respect.

Most surprising however, is how Dr King’s wife, Coretta Scott King’s (Carmen Ejogo) role is handled. The clichéd long-suffering spouse of a famous historical figure is a tiresome one, but here Ejogo is given more material than would usually be given for a supporting performance. She is right to be worried for her husband and for her family, but there is an air of warmth and genuine concern that surrounds Ejogo’s effortless performance.

DuVernay’s film and the images it portrays is shockingly relevant even to this day. A young black teen getting shot at point blank range by a white police officer echoes the countless shootings that have happened in the States of late, and there is no getting over how such a thing only became a national issue in the 1960s, merely five decades or so in the past. The marches themselves are a sight to behold, with people from all over the United States coming over to join in the fight. There are unexpected casualties, and an infuriating body toll where even one death is one too many. Even audience members far removed from this part of history will find something to admire and appreciate in the stirring Selma, an under-appreciated film that is not getting nearly as much attention as it should be.