Selma leaves viewers emotional and inspired
Movie Poster for Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay, and released in 2015. Web Photo
By Jennifer Turner
The movie Selma is an inspiring story that portrays the struggle of African-Americans in their quest for equal voting rights. In trying to end discrimination in voter registration, a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama took place on March 21 through 25 of 1965. Celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the actual event, this timely movie includes historical information, an interesting storyline, and excellent acting.
While Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay, is based on the premise of gaining rights for African-Americans, it focuses specifically on gaining the vote, which helps to centralize the story. Many were denied the right to vote by poll taxes or literacy tests, and African-Americans simply could not register. As a way to stop this, Martin Luther King Jr. (played by David Oyelowo) and other civil rights activists worked together to end the discrimination. There were peaceful protests staged, but intense violence came from those who opposed. As a result, the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama was planned.
Because of the hatred of segregationists, the marchers faced unimaginable violence. However, civil rights activists eventually reached their goal when President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Voting Act of 1965. DuVernay, the director, was able to weave together a wonderful and engaging story.
Many have criticized the way that President Lyndon B. Johnson (played by Tom Wilkinson) was portrayed in the movie. They have claimed that his intense opposition to passing the Voting Rights Acts is not historically accurate. Despite this inconsistency, the movie does a great job depicting a true story in a touching way. The movie can be very hard to watch due to many brutal scenes and intense violence; however, it is necessary to keep the movie historically accurate. There is enough historical information that the plot was easy to follow. You do not have to know the real story to understand the movie.
There is wonderful acting that helped propel the movie to greatness. Playing a well-known historical person can be hard to do, but David Oyelowo was able to truly bring the character of Martin Luther King Jr. to life. In addition, Oprah Winfrey (who plays Annie Lee Cooper), Tom Wilkinson (President Lyndon B. Johnson), and many others supporting characters contributed excellent performances.
This movie will evoke an emotional response, and leave the viewer feeling the injustice of the time period. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an inspirational movie, or anyone that wants to learn about the Civil Rights Movement. This powerful movie was well worth the watch.
The movie Selma is an inspiring story that portrays the struggle of African-Americans in their quest for equal voting rights. In trying to end discrimination in voter registration, a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama took place on March 21 through 25 of 1965. Celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the actual event, this timely movie includes historical information, an interesting storyline, and excellent acting.
While Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay, is based on the premise of gaining rights for African-Americans, it focuses specifically on gaining the vote, which helps to centralize the story. Many were denied the right to vote by poll taxes or literacy tests, and African-Americans simply could not register. As a way to stop this, Martin Luther King Jr. (played by David Oyelowo) and other civil rights activists worked together to end the discrimination. There were peaceful protests staged, but intense violence came from those who opposed. As a result, the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama was planned.
Because of the hatred of segregationists, the marchers faced unimaginable violence. However, civil rights activists eventually reached their goal when President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Voting Act of 1965. DuVernay, the director, was able to weave together a wonderful and engaging story.
Many have criticized the way that President Lyndon B. Johnson (played by Tom Wilkinson) was portrayed in the movie. They have claimed that his intense opposition to passing the Voting Rights Acts is not historically accurate. Despite this inconsistency, the movie does a great job depicting a true story in a touching way. The movie can be very hard to watch due to many brutal scenes and intense violence; however, it is necessary to keep the movie historically accurate. There is enough historical information that the plot was easy to follow. You do not have to know the real story to understand the movie.
There is wonderful acting that helped propel the movie to greatness. Playing a well-known historical person can be hard to do, but David Oyelowo was able to truly bring the character of Martin Luther King Jr. to life. In addition, Oprah Winfrey (who plays Annie Lee Cooper), Tom Wilkinson (President Lyndon B. Johnson), and many others supporting characters contributed excellent performances.
This movie will evoke an emotional response, and leave the viewer feeling the injustice of the time period. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an inspirational movie, or anyone that wants to learn about the Civil Rights Movement. This powerful movie was well worth the watch.