At this point, Selma is almost more a collection of controversies than a film. Whether it’s harsh accusations of historical inaccuracy or Oscar snubs that have sparked outrage on social media leading to hashtags like #OscarsSoWhite, the film itself is nearly eclipsed by the goings-on surrounding it. And that’s a real shame, because Selma is an achievement, and one of the best films to come out of 2014.
Selma is a film about humanity. History is sometimes difficult to understand because the people involved are often deified or villainized beyond comprehension. The success of Selma is its constant reminders that the people involved weren’t simply “good” or “bad” but human. Martin Luther King Jr. isn’t portrayed as a god, but as a man with many imperfections. Despite all the critique of his portrayal, Lyndon B. Johnson isn’t the villain, but a politician stuck in a difficult position.
It’s a film that understands the Civil Rights movement wasn’t fought by infallible warriors but by everyday people. It makes their acts of heroism that much more inspiring and their losses that much more emotionally devastating.
No scene captures that emotional devastation better than the recreation of “Bloody Sunday.”
This is one of the most impressive sequences I’ve ever seen on film. It would be easy to be exploitative when depicting a scene in which hundreds of black bodies are beaten, but the director, Ava DuVernay, manages to keep the focus away from the physical pain being inflicted, instead conveying the pain that these people are feeling. And with that focus, the scene ignites a visceral fear and sorrow in the audience bearing witness.
DuVernay needs to be commended for the way her film effortlessly moves from large set pieces like “Bloody Sunday” to intimate scenes between Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta. I’m probably beating a dead horse, but it’s truly baffling that she didn’t get an Oscar nomination for Best Director.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the heart of this movie, and that is David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. Oyelowo doesn’t look like King and he doesn’t sound exactly like him, but he captures the soul of King and there is never any doubt.
Selma is a film mired in controversy but it’s important to not let that controversy overshadow that it is a mighty work that must be appreciated now and for many years to come.
