Oscar-baiting... It sounds like a real dirty word, like the kind of thing you’d be panicked about your parents walking in on. In many cases for films released during Oscar season it is a dirty word. Yes Selma is Oscar-baiting, but not in a bad way.
Unfortunately though the film has been overlooked for the Oscars with several major snubs being part of a larger discussion. Of course with 93% of the Academy being white, 76% being male and the median age being 63 it’s understandable that they need to ensure that they make room for Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper especially considering they absolved their white guilt last year with ’12 Years a Slave.’
Based on the events of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s protests, demonstrations and speeches in the lead-up to securing equal voting rights, we find ourselves in Selma, Alabama, where even 50 years ago, people of colour were not allowed to vote. Documenting the political perspectives and approaches from both sides of the fence this film does really well at not rushing through or glossing over the important factors depicted in this film.
The cast and performances are all impressive, none more so than David Oyelowo whose depiction of Martin Luther King is pitch-perfect. From his mannerisms to the intonation in his voice to the sheer delivery of his lines you can close your eyes and hear Dr. King or simply mute the sound and believe you are watching the genuine article. Tim Roth brings the slime as Governor George Wallace so much so that you just want to punch him in his stupid, smarmy red-neck face whilst Tom Wilkinson plays President Johnson with both authority and layers. The rest of the cast is solid in every way shape and form with some surprise cameos from quality actors who you know said yes because Oprah picked up the phone to some great Wire alumni serving as Dr. King’s council.
There are some uncomfortable moments within the film due to the nature of the violence however it is the clever use of cinematography that often leaves a lot of the violence and disturbing thematic themes implied and left to our imagination. One of the other great aspects of the film’s cinematography is the use of framing, often choosing to give us very tight close-ups of character’s faces; this could be considered confronting at times but what it does so well is remind us as an audience that this is a human story.
And finally for once we have a Biopic that doesn’t begin at a pivotal moment in a person’s life and then flashes back to see how they got there. This is something that has almost become cliche in Biopics, this film begins with an important moment in the life of Dr. King and then tells the story chronologically. This is a very wise choice because the film focuses on the events in Selma; the discussions, debates, violence and repercussions of the struggle that occurred. Flashing back to Martin Luther King’s childhood serves no purpose in this story and it’s great to see the filmmakers not caving into the pressure to conform to the modern-day Biopic.
Beautifully shot, powerfully performed by everyone involved and delivering more detail and insight than last year’s ‘Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom‘ this is one of those films that has the right to claim that it was overlooked by the Academy.
Selma gets Four and a half out of Five impassioned speeches.
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