"Selma" Review

The word that comes to mind when thinking of "Selma" is elegant. Ava Duvernay's political drama triumphs due to Paul Webb's tightly woven script, which balances the big/small picture dynamics of political chess and vulnerable intimacy. Using this backbone, Duvernay presents an alternative to an idyllic view of the Civil Rights Movement, offering insight into the many cogs turning in the background, whether it come from power politics or systematic oppression.

After an unsuccessful appeal to President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) for legislation prohibiting institutional barriers that prevent African-Americans from voting, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) sets his next battleground in Selma, Alabama. The town, outspoken and often violent in their opposition, allows King a place to highlight the injustices being committed towards Blacks, and bring mainstream (a.k.a. White) awareness for the cause.

King is meticulous, and Oyelowo's efficient performance brings the audience into his thought process. We see him write his speeches, editing often to maximize his impact. A courtroom scene sees King pause at the right moment as he quickly, but carefully, reorganizes his response. From what kind of sheriff resides in town to Selma's geography to the details regarding a protest, King has every detail mapped out so his influence will reach its highest potential.

"Selma"s" best moments come during Martin's interaction with wife Coretta (Carmen Ejogo), who helps calm him down, balance him out. Ejogo is just as, if not even more engaging than Oyelowo as Coretta struggles to find courage and manage the firestorm directed at her, her husband, and even worse, their children. She exhibits a calm resilience: there's no doubt she's a kind woman, but I wouldn't ever cross her. The Golden Globes did Ejogo a disservice by not giving her at least a nomination; let's hope the Academy comes to their senses.

The rest of the supporting cast is chock-full of standout performances, including Tim Roth's sly, demented George Wallace (who sounds like a southern Christopher Walken?), Tom Wilkinson's reluctant, legacy-obsessed Lyndon Johnson, and Henry G. Sanders as the quiet activist grandfather Cager Lee. They serve Duvernay's balance, offering different perspectives and approaches to the issues on the table.

So what are the issues on the table? There's the issue of the institutionalized voting barrier, obviously, but I think Elogo gets it when she denounces hate as "demented" but "ignorant enough to be serious." I think "ignorant" is the key word. King's crusade to spread White awareness isn't only a press move to shake the masses, but get people to empathize. It's easy for people to dismiss racism if they belong to the non-oppressed class. If you don't have a personal stake or reaction to another's plight, you simply can't understand their struggle, and as a result, won't care. 

Now, are events such as the ones that occurred in Selma (and as a follow-up, Ferguson) a simple "black vs. white" scenario? Absolutely not, and "Selma" makes sure to present the issues as complex and muddled as they are. There's no clear answer, only the knowledge that no extreme is correct. Balance, my friends, is the key. to work through these issues; the entire population needs to work through them, but if "Selma" shows us anything, it's that we should overcome ignorance, empathize, and then...well then, we're going to have a lot of work to do. Is "Selma" the Best Picture for the 2015 Oscars? No. Is it an important film? Absolutely.

Thank you all for reading; I'm the Man Without A Plan, signing off.