As per Oscar season tradition, we are graced with yet another biopic of a famous historical figure. This time however it is of one that has never emerged in his own feature length film before, Martin Luther King. With his infamous speeches, peaceful protests and iconic voice, King is alive and well in Ava DuVernay's Selma. However, with the recent success of films such as 12 Years a Slave and The Butler, does Selma merely come across as preachy or does it push through and stand on its own merits?
Selma follows MLK (portrayed by David Oyelowo) through 1964-65 in his quest to allow Black citizens to register to vote unencumbered in the Southern states (Alabama most prominently) in spite of intimidating and violent law enforcement, an immovable state Governor in George Wallace (played by Tim Roth) and a reluctant President Lyndon Johnson (played by Tom Wilkinson). When King desires to launch a 50 mile peaceful protest march from Selma to Montgomery, he learns just how much the Black vote is truly worth in a state where tradition outranks law…
First and foremost, I wish to say I am so shocked. I am sad and heavily disheartened to see that David Oyelowo has not been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar this year. Even amongst such company as Eddie Redmayne and Michael Keaton for The Theory of Everything and Birdman respectively, Oyelowo's performance as MLK is nothing short of breathtaking; for a British actor to adopt an accent/voice so accurately and for any actor to adopt a historical character so completely is seldom seen. Every scene he's in, Oyelowo not only convinces us that he is this legendary figure, but he also provides an endless depth of warmth and humanity, giving us a natural and complex connection to a man that we would otherwise treat as a do-no-wrong legend in American history. DuVernay has done what very few director's in her shoes would do; she has given her lead role the closest to perfect casting imaginable. I am saddened that he wasn't chosen by the Academy. At least the Golden Globes got it right.
Secondly, DuVeray's direction and cinematography is so smooth and awesome to watch. While it is not quite up there with Steve McQueen's faultless direction of 12 Years a Slave, DuVernay goes off and does her own things. She takes the time to make the film look and feel like it's playing out in real life, while the cameras merely happen to be in the right places. The factual confirmation in the film is just one part of that; any scene from a meeting to a phone call might be visually logged as a factual time-and-place event. This grounds the film in a documentary feel and really sells it as real-time events. Without Oyelowo's intrinsic performance, this visual documentation style just wouldn't have worked the way it did. DuVernay's visual style is excellent and the shots are all so well chosen, including a two beautifully depicted bridge crossing scenes during the peaceful march sections of the film. Another beautifully shot scene is a moment where MLK visits the father of a dying man in hospital to pay his respects.
The cast as a whole is outstanding. Tom Wilkinson is an inspired, brilliant choice as President Johnson, whereas Carmen Ejogo brings a gritty, wonderful portrayal to King's wife. The entire supporting cast is genuine, memorable and most importantly, grounded in reality. No actor feels unnecessary or badly chosen. It really does come across that DuVernay has taken the time putting together her cast and everyone gels beautifully.
Along with the historical documentation style that DuVernay has applied visually, the primary fundamental that separates this film from other historical biopics is it's distinct lack of soft edges around it's protagonist. MLK is by no means a perfect man and this film shows that; he makes decisions that have consequences and he has pressures weighing down on his personal life away from the speeches and the protests. DuVernay sets this tone in the opening shot of the film, with a snippet of an MLK speech, directly into a touching scene with King debating with his wife on whether or not his ascot is suitable for receiving his Nobel Peace Prize. Selma, in the end, comes off more as a character drama than a historical biopic, though the visual style would say otherwise. This benefits the film as a whole and ultimately partners with the documentary visual style as if it were meant to be. Everything just comes together so ideally it is difficult to compliment it enough.
The only criticism I have of this film is that while it is far from preachy, there are a couple of shots (I mean it, just some individual shots! Talk about nitpicking) that do border on too much. My least favourite shot, purely for 'hammering home the message' needlessly, is where a young Black man gets shot and he falls against a wall covered in news reports of African American success stories. This was, in a film with so much emphasis on subtlety and understatement with regards to 'the movement', just a little too obvious for my taste. As I say, this is pure nitpicking and simply a result of me actively seeking a fault to mention.
Overall Selma truly is an outstanding piece of cinema. Accurate with its historical content, perfect and inspired in it's casting. Visually stunning, with an Oscar robbed 2015-stealing performance from David Oyelowo and a obvious best Director snub for Ava DuVernay. It never comes across as too preachy nor as a White guilt trip, just a strong character driven biopic that humanises the legend and blatantly avoids any attempt to Hollywood-ise King's journey.
I Have a Dream… that more films will be made to this standard in future.
Selma follows MLK (portrayed by David Oyelowo) through 1964-65 in his quest to allow Black citizens to register to vote unencumbered in the Southern states (Alabama most prominently) in spite of intimidating and violent law enforcement, an immovable state Governor in George Wallace (played by Tim Roth) and a reluctant President Lyndon Johnson (played by Tom Wilkinson). When King desires to launch a 50 mile peaceful protest march from Selma to Montgomery, he learns just how much the Black vote is truly worth in a state where tradition outranks law…
First and foremost, I wish to say I am so shocked. I am sad and heavily disheartened to see that David Oyelowo has not been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar this year. Even amongst such company as Eddie Redmayne and Michael Keaton for The Theory of Everything and Birdman respectively, Oyelowo's performance as MLK is nothing short of breathtaking; for a British actor to adopt an accent/voice so accurately and for any actor to adopt a historical character so completely is seldom seen. Every scene he's in, Oyelowo not only convinces us that he is this legendary figure, but he also provides an endless depth of warmth and humanity, giving us a natural and complex connection to a man that we would otherwise treat as a do-no-wrong legend in American history. DuVernay has done what very few director's in her shoes would do; she has given her lead role the closest to perfect casting imaginable. I am saddened that he wasn't chosen by the Academy. At least the Golden Globes got it right.
Secondly, DuVeray's direction and cinematography is so smooth and awesome to watch. While it is not quite up there with Steve McQueen's faultless direction of 12 Years a Slave, DuVernay goes off and does her own things. She takes the time to make the film look and feel like it's playing out in real life, while the cameras merely happen to be in the right places. The factual confirmation in the film is just one part of that; any scene from a meeting to a phone call might be visually logged as a factual time-and-place event. This grounds the film in a documentary feel and really sells it as real-time events. Without Oyelowo's intrinsic performance, this visual documentation style just wouldn't have worked the way it did. DuVernay's visual style is excellent and the shots are all so well chosen, including a two beautifully depicted bridge crossing scenes during the peaceful march sections of the film. Another beautifully shot scene is a moment where MLK visits the father of a dying man in hospital to pay his respects.
The cast as a whole is outstanding. Tom Wilkinson is an inspired, brilliant choice as President Johnson, whereas Carmen Ejogo brings a gritty, wonderful portrayal to King's wife. The entire supporting cast is genuine, memorable and most importantly, grounded in reality. No actor feels unnecessary or badly chosen. It really does come across that DuVernay has taken the time putting together her cast and everyone gels beautifully.
Along with the historical documentation style that DuVernay has applied visually, the primary fundamental that separates this film from other historical biopics is it's distinct lack of soft edges around it's protagonist. MLK is by no means a perfect man and this film shows that; he makes decisions that have consequences and he has pressures weighing down on his personal life away from the speeches and the protests. DuVernay sets this tone in the opening shot of the film, with a snippet of an MLK speech, directly into a touching scene with King debating with his wife on whether or not his ascot is suitable for receiving his Nobel Peace Prize. Selma, in the end, comes off more as a character drama than a historical biopic, though the visual style would say otherwise. This benefits the film as a whole and ultimately partners with the documentary visual style as if it were meant to be. Everything just comes together so ideally it is difficult to compliment it enough.
The only criticism I have of this film is that while it is far from preachy, there are a couple of shots (I mean it, just some individual shots! Talk about nitpicking) that do border on too much. My least favourite shot, purely for 'hammering home the message' needlessly, is where a young Black man gets shot and he falls against a wall covered in news reports of African American success stories. This was, in a film with so much emphasis on subtlety and understatement with regards to 'the movement', just a little too obvious for my taste. As I say, this is pure nitpicking and simply a result of me actively seeking a fault to mention.
Overall Selma truly is an outstanding piece of cinema. Accurate with its historical content, perfect and inspired in it's casting. Visually stunning, with an Oscar robbed 2015-stealing performance from David Oyelowo and a obvious best Director snub for Ava DuVernay. It never comes across as too preachy nor as a White guilt trip, just a strong character driven biopic that humanises the legend and blatantly avoids any attempt to Hollywood-ise King's journey.
I Have a Dream… that more films will be made to this standard in future.