By JENNIFER HALLEY Copy Editor
I went to see “Selma,” the recently released Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, assuming the horrific end to such a powerful man would be the main focus of the film, but I was wrong.
This movie is a breath of fresh air, in regards to the presentation of someone so prominent. It is beautifully written, teemed with a core of talented actors, and wonderfully carried out via unique cinematic photography.
Directed by Avery DuVernay, Selma is set in Alabama in 1965. The audience follows Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo, “Interstellar”) as he, his wife, Coretta (Carmen Ejogo, The Purge) and both the black and white communities fight for equal rights and, ultimately, the right to vote, focusing especially on the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
Oyelowo’s portrayal of King Jr. is spectacular; everything from the way he carries himself to his speech is a genuine and true depiction of who King was.
Ejogo is a wonderful supporting actress and introduced the audience to a small glimpse of what it felt like to be the wife of such a known, powerful and hated man – information not always talked – or thought about – when on the topic of Martin Luther King Jr.
The emotions in the film are penetrating and palpable, due to the unique and constant close up shots displayed throughout the movie. And even though the film is slow at times, I never felt bored. Each word seems to be precisely chosen, each scene deliberate.
The tension felt between political powers, such as the President, and King Jr. are also displayed, from which the audience can extrapolate how complicated, how nearly impossible, the fight for equality was.
There were some violent scenes, scenes that made me cringe. “Selma” does not shy away from demonstrating how it was back then, how violent and painful living in that time was. But that is how the whole movie went: a realistic depicture of America’s messy and violent history and the powerful men and women who fought hard to create peace.
Go see “Selma”. This film gave me a new appreciation for the legendary figure and those who fought beside him. It is intense, painful and sad. But it is also riveting and exciting. If those are not good enough reasons to see it, then, ultimately, it is an honorable dedication to Martin Luther King Jr. and what he stood for and what we can still stand for.
