The nightmare before the dream

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2015)

Quickie Review:
Selma chronicles a crucial moment in Martin Luther King's campaign for equal voting rights. In a time when civil rights movement was gaining momentum, M.L.K. still had many obstacles to overcome, both personally and politically. Despite the opposition that resulted in innocent casualties, King leads the march from Selma to Montgomery that would go on to become a significant victory for civil rights. David Oyelowo excellent portrayal of M.L.K. brings us the relatable human behind the icon and leader for peace. Selma is a deeply engaging biopic showing both behind the scenes of the movement and the burden of responsibility that M.L.K carried as a leader. This is a film that does great justice in depicting a vital moment in American history.
Full Review:
Who hasn't heard of Martin Luther King? Everyone has heard of him. He led the ambitious peaceful protests to give every American citizen the right to vote, regardless of their skin color. However, I wouldn't be surprised if many of you didn't know much about the man himself. I certainly don't and that's why I had to see this movie.
In history class we have all learned about the revolutionary leaders such as Gandhi, Mandela, and M.L.K. We know of all the freedom fighting movements they led in their countries and the seemingly unsurmountable obstacles they had to face. So we easily start seeing them as being more than human without any weakness or breaking point. The greatest strength of this movie is David Oyelowo because he showed us the vulnerability of M.L.K. Just in his silence he communicates the overwhelming doubts he had about his involvement. It wasn't only his life at risk, but also the lives of his family and his supporters. I liked seeing this side of him because it helped to understand his motivation to continue his campaign. Oyelowo portrays M.L.K. as a relatable human being with very real fears, but also his almost superhuman nature in the way he picks himself up and faces the threats head on.
The approach to biopic is rather unorthodox for Selma, when compared to others out there. It doesn't tell the whole life story of M.L.K. from birth to death. Instead it concentrates on a 2-3 month period during the civil rights movement. By concentrating on this singular event of the Selma march it refines the storytelling and provides us with a concise, well-paced flow to the movie. I should also mention the depiction of the racial violence in this film. It was definitely graphic, at times difficult to watch. Even when considering setting of the time I was left speechless. So if you are sensitive to that you've been warned. Still it was the extreme reality that thousands of people had to face every day. Hence I appreciate that the director did not hold back on showing the horrible atrocities at its most violent.
Filming wise, Selma is well directed and brilliantly acted. However, bearing in mind the historical significance of the events covered, this movie needed to be more than well-filmed, and it absolutely is. This is an important film to watch to understand the man behind the movement, and by choosing to showcase the culmination of King's work, the Selma march, there is not a single wasted moment.
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