Selma Movie Review & Film Summary (2014) | Roger Ebert 17/11/2017, 3)19 PM

In Memoriam 1942 2013 | Roger Ebert loved movies. |

SELMA

SELMA (2014)
Cast
David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King , Tom Wilkinson as Lyndon Baines
Johnson , Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King , Andre Holland as Andrew
Young , Omar J. Dorsey as James Orange , Alessandro Nivola as John Doar
, Giovanni Ribisi as Lee White , Colman Domingo as Ralph Abernathy ,
Oprah Winfrey as Annie Lee Cooper , Common as James Bevel , Keith
Stanfield as Jimmie Lee Jackson ,
Director
Ava DuVernay,
Screenplay
Paul Webb,
Drama, History
Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material including violence, a suggestive
moment, and brief strong language
127 minutes

| Odie Henderson

December 24, 2014 | 72

In a perfect world, Selma would exist solely as a depiction of darker days long since past, an American
history lesson that concludes with reassurances that its horrors will no longer be perpetrated, tolerated nor
celebrated. Alas, perfection eludes us on this mortal, earthly plane; Selma shows the evolution of change

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Selma Movie Review & Film Summary (2014) | Roger Ebert 17/11/2017, 3)19 PM

while beaming a spotlight on the stunted growth of that which has not changed. Its timeliness is a spine-
chilling reminder that those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it. Its story provides a
blueprint not only of the past, but of the way forward.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Theres a reason why Ava DuVernays film is called Selma and not King. Like Spielbergs Lincoln,
Selma is as much about the procedures of political maneuvering, in-fighting and bargaining as it is about
the chief orchestrator of the resulting deals. Selma affords Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the same human
characteristics of humor, frustration and exhaustion that Lincoln provided its President. This relatable
humanity elevates Kings actions and his efforts. It inspires by suggesting that the reverence for Dr. King was
bestowed on a person no different than any of us. If he can provoke change, we have no excuse not to as well.
As King, David Oyelowo is a revelation. Like Anthony Hopkins in Nixon, he channels the essence of his
character rather than a dead-on visual interpretation. In recreating Kings speaking voice, Oyelowo resists
the preacherly curlicues one might be inclined to use based on hearing Kings speeches. Like any good
pastor, Oyelowo saves those cadences for his speech scenes, the last of which is so stirring and powerful it
knocks the air out of your lungs. Oyelowo channels a conflicted King, a tired man with the weight of the
movement on his shoulders, then merges that with defiance, humor, strength and strategic expertise. In
Oyelowos excellent performance, King becomes a complex, flawed man whose faith in God kept him from
utter despair.
Known for her superb indie dramas I Will Follow and Middle of Nowhere, DuVernay has proven herself a
master of small, intimate moments. Selma never loses focus on the interpersonal dynamics between King
and his followers, his detractors and his family. While touching base with details on SNCC, the SCLC and the
organization of the Selma to Montgomery Marches, DuVernay gives memorable scenes to a wide variety of
character actors in real-life roles. Andre Hollands Andrew Young, Stephan James John Lewis, Colman
Domingos Rev. Abernathy and Commons James Bevel stand out, but eagle-eyed viewers will also notice
Dear White Peoples Tessa Thompson, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Martin Sheen and Wendell Pierce. Even
comedian Niecy Nash shows up as a gracious, funny host who invites King and his cohorts into her home.

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Selma Movie Review & Film Summary (2014) | Roger Ebert 17/11/2017, 3)19 PM

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Selma continues DuVernays exploration of female empowerment by devoting time to Kings marriage to
Coretta Scott King (a powerful Carmen Ejogo). Were reminded that the movement is as hard on her as it is
for her husband, especially since she is home with the kids and the constant victim of harassment from
citizens and the government. In one of the films best scenes, King is asked a very hard question by his wife.
The actors and the director take their time here, with Oyelowo and Ejogo silently and masterfully working
the uncomfortable pause between question and answer. In another very good scene, Coretta Scott King
meets with Malcolm X (a convincing Nigel Thatch), and their dialogue is an informative piece of strategizing.
In addition to reminding us how good she is with drama, DuVernay puts Hollywood on notice by mastering
huge sequences heretofore unseen in her work. Her staging of Bloody Sunday on the Edmund Pettis bridge
is a spectacular mini-movie that could stand on its own as a short. Narrated by a journalist calling in the
story, the scene takes on documentarian proportions. With this scene, and her horrific staging of the
16th Street Baptist Church bombing, DuVernay and her editor Spencer Averick make you feel the intensity
and chaotic terror of the violence. Dozens of kneeling, peaceful protests fill the screen end to end, and the
juxtaposition between the historical depiction on the movie screen and the current images on todays TV
screens does not go unnoticed.
During the fight for voter rights, King has several meetings with President Johnson (a jarring but effective
Tom Wilkinson). Their scenes, and Johnsons scenes with J. Edgar Hoover (Dylan Baker) focus on the
political gamesmanship required to bring about change. Selma points out the medias role in influencing
the hearts and minds of the American people, and how easily that can be manipulated. King knows about
this media power, and how his team handles it is a precursor to todays social media shenanigans.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Selma Movie Review & Film Summary (2014) | Roger Ebert 17/11/2017, 3)19 PM

The prescient timing of Selma could not have been planned. Its opening scene is a casual reminder of what
life was like before the Voting Rights Act, with poll taxes and absurd literacy tests suppressing the Black vote.
Miss Sofia herself, producer Oprah Winfrey, shows up in the opening scene as a woman on her fourth
journey to the voting bureau to take the test that will give her a right she already had. Winfrey disappears
into an ordinary persons countenance, and her gradual disappointment as she realizes once again she will
be denied is both heartbreaking and a warning.
Selma works as both an epic and a small scale drama, and credit must be extended to DuVernays longtime
cinematographer, Bradford Young. Youngs camera loves Black skin, and he lights it in beautiful, fearless,
shadowy Gordon Willis flourishes the likes of which I have not seen in Hollywood cinema. His stylistic
touches during the action scenes are startling and original. That there hasnt been more talk about his work
(he also shot Aint Them Bodies Saints) is something of a travesty that Selma should correct.
This is an emotional movie that aims to anger, sadden and inspire viewers, sometimes in the same scene.
Selma takes no prisoners and, while it welcomes moviegoers of all hues, it has no intention of sugarcoating
its horrors for politically correct comforting. This filmone of the years bestis an announcement of a
major talent in Ms. DuVernay, but its core message will not be lost nor hidden by the accolades it receives.
Through the noise, Selma speaks to us: From the top of the hill of progress, it is just as easy to slide down
backwards as it is to move forward. Attention must be paid.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Selma Movie Review & Film Summary (2014) | Roger Ebert 17/11/2017, 3)19 PM

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