"For the Barebones" Selma (2014) Review

By Cliff Yung on January 26, 2015

as found on livebyblovely.com

Shock and awe, through this, Selma delivers. Not much hidden away as the name has done much of the talking for what one might expect from this movie. Selma takes Martin Luther King Jr.’s march to “end” (can be argued that they still exist) the “Jim Crow” voting restrictions during the 1960s and visualizes the events. It is a heartfelt piece, capturing and not hiding the violence surrounding this historic event.

As I mentioned before, Selma relies heavily on shock and awe. Though, using the term “shock and awe” may be a pretty course way to describe this film, Selma still makes use of this technique to deliver a picture of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work. The movie does not hide behind any censors as the attack on the civilians at Edmund Pettus Bridge or with the terrorist bombing killing three little girls at the beginning of the film. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this film comes from the build up to these unrelenting, “shocking,” moments.

Outside these moments of “shock” is a quiet unrelenting atmosphere of waiting. David Oyelowo’s performance was absolutely essential in developing the quiet tension within Martin Luther King Jr.’s own struggle against the many forces attacking and preventing the voting rights from passing. The film would not have survived without this emotional performance from this phenomenal actor. Undoubtedly, the movie would have been less powerful if the actors would have been different.

President Lyndon B. Johnson
as found on cinemaviewfinder.com

I expect that this film would also get diversified reactions particularly by the some of the content that is presented in the film. First of all, the government is shown in a less than legitimate light. Unlike the usual depiction of the government as a shining beacon of righteousness, the government is portrayed, and portrayed pointedly, as conniving and selfish in nature: refusing multiple requests for a peaceful protest, allowing  attacks on Doctor King and his peaceful protesters, and even using underhand tactics such as an illegally obtained (possibly fake) sex tape to tear Martin Luther King’s family apart.  

Selma is an amazingly acted film that does well to discursively realize the emotions behind the march on Selma in the historical perspective. The film may have a negative impact due to some of the subject matter appearing “pointedly” less than favorable (and a few small inaccuracies). However, one must remember this is one perspective of the situation and demeaning a perspective that is shared by many disavowals the ability of people to share their consequent experiences.

The barebones explanation of separating Selma into simple categories as a “shock and awe” film does little to capture the immensity of the project. This film is one to experience in order to understand, empathize, with the march that changed history.

Trailer: Selma

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