In the film “Selma,” released on Jan. 9, the events that unfolded in a southern town in 1965 are reenacted and retold in an intriguing film. The movie follows Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists’ attempts to create awareness and sympathy towards blacks living with racism.
In “Selma,” Dr. King works to get a bill passed to allow African-Americans the right to vote. The movie takes place in Selma, Alabama; it incorporates several speeches, marches and the horrifying racism and violence that plagued African-Americans. Dr. King visits the town of Selma after deciding it is the perfect place to expose the violence African-Americans endure every day.
Initially, he is met with resistance from both sides; the white citizens loathe Dr. King and want to see him dead; the black leaders in the town resent him for being able to do the job they couldn’t and they disagree with his methods. In addition to facing the stress of his campaign, Dr. King also deals with stress in his household.
The movie was both heart-wrenchingly inspirational and horrifyingly depressing. It shows the brutal truth of the violence and injustice that African-Americans endured for decades without sugarcoating it at all. On the other hand, it also shows the awe-inspiring bravery of those who stood up to racism and faced the consequences. The movie definitely wasn’t light-hearted, but it had motivational moments that helped to lift the somber mood of the film.
The actor who played Dr. King, David Oyelowo, had a spectacular performance; he even looked like Martin Luther King Jr. His acting was full of raw emotion and pain that helped show who Dr. King was. The other actors demonstrated the panic and terror seen in the movie extremely well; there was never a moment where I thought anything was cheesy or poor acting.
One of my favorite (depressing) scenes was when a group of activists who were on a peaceful march were blocked by the white police, who brutally forced them away from the road they were protesting on. The music in the scene fit what was happening perfectly; it helped amplify the emotions already shown on screen.
The movie had a breathtaking portrayal of the true events that happened in Selma, Alabama; the movie was both motivational and eye-opening. It was a fantastic movie that depicted the events accurately while staying intriguing; I was on the edge of my seat for the entire movie. Martin Luther King Jr. may not be with us today, but his image is still an inspiration to blacks and whites alike.
