Emotionally gripping film that held my attention

Rating: 7/10 (6 April 2015)

This historical film, clearly aided in demonstrating the feelings of fear, suspense, and uncertainty that were evident through the Civil Rights Movement. As multiple characters associated with each other, the feelings among characters became evident. These feelings played an ever increasing role in the film as families were broken up and friendships were lost. It was these dramatic events though, that led to an increasing feeling of despair, until a remarkable moment of triumph was witnessed. I found that David Oyelowo, the actor playing Martian Luther King Jr., was extremely powerful with his words, drawing me into the screen, and enabling me to envision that I was there in the moment. One thing that I found interesting, and frankly unbelievable, was that after multiple incidents with police and angry white men, Annie Lee Cooper, played by Oprah Winfrey, was still alive. However, this, in addition to a false relationship between Johnson and King (President Johnson supported the Civil Rights Movement more than was made evident in the film), was the only inaccuracy that I could clearly identify. Overall, the film was very well done. I would definitely categorize this film as an inspirational, yet historical, film. This is definitely a film that would inspire one to try to make a difference in the world. Happy viewing!