The real problem many critics have with this film is that its too black and too strong. Our popular reimagining of the civil rights movement is that its something we all did together and the battle is over; thats just not true. Selmas two biggest set pieces showcase the depth and breadth of institutional racism in America then and now. The first depicts the brutal violence that police meted out against peaceful protesters on Bloody Sunday, the March 7, 1965 demonstration on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The second highlights the triumphant March 25 speech by King in Montgomery before 25,000 people. The first instance reminds us, in the aftermath of Ferguson and Eric Garner grand jury decisions, of the way in which anti-black state violence can impact society even with a sympathetic president in the White House. The second instance, in this Age of Obama and #BlackLivesMatter, is remarkable for what DuVernay does not do and what so many critics have ignored. Rather than linger on Kings victory in Montgomery, Selma drinks in the moment as a collective achievement, not only for black Americans, but for democracy and human rights. She offers a courageous and much needed corrective for our time. Selma reminds us to honor not just the heroic figure making speeches, but the collective will of so many who made progress possible. Ultimately, the beating heart of this film rests not with its portrait of LBJ, or even King, not with what group has been left out or ignored, but with the larger truth that the civil rights movements heroic period reflected our collective strengths and weaknesses as a nation, something Americans are loathe to recognize let alone acknowledge. Selmas greatest gift is that, even when it reimagines some moments of history, it remains unflinching in its examination of Americas racial soul.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 03:11:57 +0000
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