Among the many artistic and political accomplishments of Ava DuVernay’s Selma is the full embodiment of grassroots activism. After generations of society’s dismantling of the breadth of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s political and ethical contributions down to a single sound bite (that is routinely misappropriated), DuVernay has done King and the world a favor by recreating not only a portrait of the man, but of the moment in history that is equally vital to his memory.
After the passage of the Civil Rights Act, King (David Oyelowo, who deserves every award coming his way) receives his Nobel Peace Prize and establishes a working relationship with President Lyndon Johnson (Tom Wilkinson). LBJ, proud of the work they have accomplished thus far, attempts to convince King to back away from racial issues to support the ostensibly color blind “war on poverty.” Though legal segregation has come to an end, systematic suppression of black voter registration continues, as does racially motivated violence. King cannot agree to LBJ’s deal, so he and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) head to Selma to fight for the most basic constitutional rights in a struggle that would culminate in one of the crowning achievements of the 1960s, the Voting Rights Act.
At its best, DuVernay’s film is as powerful and overwhelming as it must have been to attend one of MLK’s legendary speeches, though she wisely steers clear of suggesting that the movement in any way belonged to him or giving him superhuman levels of insight. His decisions are occasionally unpopular or tactical mistakes. The only measurable misstep the film makes is portraying supporting characters more as historical foils than humans, but in cutting straight to the political message, it is rarely a distraction.
Much has been made of LBJ’s depiction by Wilkinson. I will let those who are more versed in political history decide if it is fair to his character, but the role he plays in the narrative is dramatically justifiable as an illustration of how white allies attempt to deflect an antiracist movement’s goals or set conditions for involvement. He demands an end to radical grassroots action in favor of a cause that King agrees with on paper, but even if it means well, it is a subversion of the struggle. King rightly believes that it is in white interest to combat anti-black racism as it is a threat to racial, political and economic justice. Attempting to subvert that with a more neutral message misses the point as glaringly as white people who attend marches with “All Lives Matter” signs. Of course they do, and everyone is welcome in solidarity, but must we always dilute the message every time black people gather to demand their rights to avoid offending white sensibility?
Most remarkable of all of Selma’s qualities is that it feels as though it sprung into existence by sheer force of the current political climate. Mainstream commentary—such as it is in this day and age—is full of those who attempt to push the dangerously naïve notion that the recent civil unrest over police brutality and racial discrimination is a wholly new phenomenon, that has nothing in common with what they consider respectable struggles of the past. The Civil Rights movement, the notion goes, had actual grievances and a nonviolent, moderate, morally upright leader to look up to, while today there is no such thing as segregation, political confidence among the discontent is painted as “rage,” black culture is “thuggish,” and somehow Al Sharpton is responsible for everything any black person says ever.
Selma illustrates every one of these tactics being used by the enemies of MLK and the SCLC. Stunningly, people who parrot the above do not consider themselves racist, even as they borrow plays from the racist playbook, just swapping out some of the racial slurs. Even when it stumbles, Selma is as much an artistic revelation as it is a call to action, and a guidebook for activism to come.
Playing this week
Annie
Big Hero 6
The Gambler
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Penguins of Madagascar
Taken 3
Unbroken
Wild
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
244-3213
