Impressive history lesson

Rating: 7/10 (21 March 2015)

If there's one thing Americans are really good at, it's making films about their own history. There are countless interesting films about important periods in the history of the US. This thought crossed my mind, because in 'Selma' we see both Malcolm X and J. Edgar Hoover, about whom excellent films have been made in the past, enabling me to put everything in the right context. To have the history of your country documented with excellent films, is a great thing.
'Selma' is an outstanding contribution to this tradition. It documents an important period in the civil rights movement: the march from Selma to Montgomery, a protest march to obtain legally sound voting rights for the black population in Alabama. It concentrates on a rather short period in the life of Martin Luther King, and doesn't include too many side-stories. That's a wise choice: the viewer doesn't get the chance to lose attention or to be distracted. The screenplay intelligently switches between the goings-on in Alabama, where the black population stands up against the suppression by white racists, and Washington, where King puts pressure on president Lyndon B. Johnson to start the necessary political process.
David Oyelowo is impressive as Martin Luther King. He convincingly shows all aspects of King's personality: the preacher, who is able to inspire crowds with his speeches; the politician, who knows how to play power games if necessary, and the husband, who realizes he has disappointed the woman he loves. By the way: a peculiar detail is that four major parts are played by British actors: King, his wife, president Johnson and governor Wallace.