David Oyelowo is a revelation as a warts and all Martin Luther King Jr in the timely drama, Selma
UNHERALDED British actor David Oyelowo captures the drama, passion and outrage of civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr in Selma.
Leigh Paatsch
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Selma (M)
Director: Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere)
Starring: David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Rating: ****
The walking, the wounded, and the triumphant
In Selma, we are presented with a captivating chronicle of the late, great Martin Luther King Jr. at the height of his powers.
The year is 1965, and King (a star-making performance by unheralded British actor David Oyelowo) is at loggerheads with US President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson).
The sticking point between the pair is a brutal set of obstructions preventing African Americans from exercising their right to vote.
Though Johnson acknowledges King is in the right, the President is reluctant to act on the matter because he believes the timing isn’t correct politically.
However, down south, in the town of Selma, Alabama, time has already run out.
On the afternoon of March 7th, a group of civil rights protesters have planned an 80km march from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery.
The peaceful procession only makes it as far as the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the outskirts of Selma. Once there, they are set upon by Alabama state troopers and aggrieved members of the general public.
The marchers are beaten with clubs, jabbed with cattle prods and kicked repeatedly while on the ground. Those who try to make a run for it are either hit with tear gas or pursued on horseback and hauled back to the melee.
Martin Luther King was not there as these horrifying events unfolded. However, the cameras of most major American news services were rolling throughout.
For the many millions watching on television, this was the first time they had been confronted with the ugly reality of race relations in the US. For some, consciences were pricked. For others, prejudices hardened. The voting rights of blacks was now the pressing issue in the country.
King’s next move would be prove to absolutely crucial: leading another attempt at a march along the same route. Only this time, with the ranks bolstered by people of all colours and creeds who had travelled great distances to ensure history changed for the better.
Powerfully acted and written, Selma captures the turmoil, injustice and lasting significance of these events in a forcefully memorable manner. In particular, Oyelowo’s channelling of King’s majestic oratory skills is a spine-tingling wonder to behold.
It is never lost on the viewer that much of the injustice and heroics that transpired in this era happened in full view of the whole world.
While there has been some streamlining of the facts for the sake of storytelling efficiency, an outraged and righteous heart beats strongly throughout.
Originally published as David Oyelowo is a revelation as a warts and all Martin Luther King Jr in the timely drama, Selma
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