The Impact Of Martin Luther King Jr.

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2015)

When I first heard of Selma, I didn't exactly know what the movie was about, other than Martin Luther King Jr. so I didn't expect much out of it other than the usual recap of history. But Selma went above and beyond my expectations,
Selma is a masterpiece, and I don't use that word lightly. Powerful doesn't begin to describe this movie. It seems every year we get some sort of film that touches on racism but no movie I have personally seen has effected me quite like this. This tale of Martin Luther King Jr. doesn't follow his entire life, but it doesn't need to. It follows a very important moment in his fight for equal rights in Selma, Alabama to give blacks the same rights to vote as whites. While the story was indeed engaging and had me in it from start to finish, its the respect they give the characters that really shines. David Oyelowo delivers a tour de force performance as the great man himself, but it was his interaction with his followers and the grand speeches that really made my jaw drop. Few performances can actually leave me speechless, this was one of them. He undoubtedly needs to receive some attention come award season. You could fight about what is accurate and what wasn't, but at this point I have come to accept that no biography in cinema will ever stick completely to the true story. If it means a more entertaining experience, I am all for it. This film had me involved emotionally, it didn't shy away from the truths of violence, it delivered its messages respectfully, and best of all it gave us the best portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. to date. David Oyelowo should be commended, as should director Ava DuVernay for giving us a real depiction of bravery and what a true hero really looks like. Selma is a work of cinematic art in my opinion, and it never once backed down from the reality of life and the life of a great man.