Selma
Selma follows Martin Luther King’s strive for true voting
equality, particularly in the south via removing restriction or tests. It looks
at a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
The film is true but the adaptation to the screen is
unsympathetic, frantic and challenging. It follows a line of keeping MLK
unsure, questioning his decisions and conviction, instilling a fearfulness of
his own death and the possible end to the civil rights movement. David Oyelowo
just amazed me in the role. It is courageous, grounded and portrays a drive and
morality that was above all else, pure. It also looks at his marriage and the
love for his wife, Coretta who was shown to be as driven but conscious of his
actions.
Many of the visuals and settings of this film are beautiful,
some of the church scenes and those of the march are captivating, drawing your
attention to the great man and the echo of his words. The music is very well
suited to this film and allows the film to move with a harsh grace that brings
you back to the simplicity of a cause.
I wish to make reference to 12 Years a Slave. It won the
Best Picture last year at the Oscars and Lupita Nyong'o won Best Supporting
Actress, yet this year there is not a single nominee who is Black, Brown or
anything other than White. The director of Selma is Ava DuVernay and she didn’t
receive a nomination for Best Director despite in my opinion, this film and its
direction being better than The Imitation Game. By omitting her, we are now
looking at the Whitest Oscars since 1998 and are neglecting any diversity in
gender or race. I find it aggravating.
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