Selma will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln; both are great films about using strategy and tactics to create a more racially equivalent country. Selma and Lincoln also feature a prominent civil rights activist, portrayed exceptionally well by their respective actor. The key difference to Selma is the basis of its strategy; Lincoln featured a primarily political angle with passing of the 13th amendment, while Selma possesses a media-oriented approach, used by Martin Luther King Jr. and his followers to influence citizen and politician alike on eliminating race-based voting restrictions. Director Ava DuVernay's approach is fascinating to say the least, and drives the film as more than simple bibliography while simultaneously diving into King’s life.
Selma’s plot revolves around three men: the first is our protagonist Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo), who with the great help of his friends and followers has chosen Selma, Alabama as their battlefield. Such battle will be fought for black citizens who can’t vote due to white supremacy and Jim Crow laws; yet King and his followers will use peaceful strategies rather than violence to win. The second is Alabama governor George Wallace (Tim Roth), a bigot whose goals opposite those of King’s (including his means of weapons, which absolutely includes violence). The final man is President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson), the middle man of the two. LBJ agrees (to a degree) with King’s sentiments, yet feels there is more important work to be done; as such he views King as a political obstacle, one which may require stopping. The film revolves around these three in a battle of strategy, politics and media.
Here’s a man who took peaceful protests one step further in effectiveness; King follows the way Gandhi did decades before, yet incorporates the advantages of improved technology and mass media. Protests and rallies can change the laws, but without proper influence may take years, even decades; King doesn't have time to wait years, he wants equality for himself, his family, and his fellow people now! King provides his peace tactics with much needed fierceness and determination, using his influential way with words to encourage followers while being the backbone of the Civil Rights Movement. He’s not going to act with violence, but he’s certainly not about to back down for compromise; King’s on a mission for equality and won’t stop till it happens. David Oyelowo does a terrific job portraying such a powerful individual; when he preaches, Oyelowo begins soft and subtle, before erupting into a fury of passion! His speeches are incredibly rousing, demanding attention just as King’s did in reality. From such a passionate performance, it’s easy to see how King’s followers could feel invincible following him, or why southern bigots felt threatened and terrified. The film doesn't make King a saint upon men however, exploring several character flaws including his strained relationship with wife Coretta (Carmen Ejogo). Admittedly Selma underplays these weaknesses, such as reducing the real King’s multitude of affairs to one ambiguous phone recording (which fictional King even denies is him). Perhaps it is a good thing DuVernay chose not to over-focus on such aspects, yet part of me wishes she had. Character flaws are a part of everyone, and seeing such personal struggles in great people makes them all the more complex and relatable. Nonetheless, King’s personality and speeches are spot on, with Oyelowo giving his finest performance to date (one which definitely deserved a best actor nomination).
Strategy, or “tactics” (as one of King’s friends calls it), is the key to victory for not only King, but Johnson and Wallace. All three realize blunt force won’t win the people over (though it doesn’t stop Wallace from trying), especially with the media watching, broadcasting the conflict in Selma throughout television and paper. King requires the nation’s attention and approval, showcasing his peaceful protests for equality against Wallace’s brute violence for discrimination. The city of Selma is not chosen at random, it’s a calculated decision by King and his friends; a place strong with black support, where the enemy is likely to make a mistake. Selma’s sheriff is an ornery racist, one Wallace’s assistant claims would beat up Jesus himself if Christ said to let blacks vote. Such hot-headed intolerance is exactly what King wants; a law enforcer who’s neither patient nor clever, but one who’ll make mistakes and make them big! In a way King wants to be attacked, though he still makes his followers’ safety a number one priority, refusing to lead a march when it looks suspiciously like a trap to starve and kill them. On the other hand, Wallace is not as dumb as his stubbornly ignorant ways suggest; he fears King’s power yet realizes King’s the source of media attention, taking advantage of his absence from town to launch a brutal assault while the cameras are away (resulting in a protester's death). The film applies little censorship towards the violence inflicted by Selma’s police on King’s followers. The “Bloody Sunday” march is an incredibly disturbing scene to watch (with masked troopers using tear gas while beating the hell out of any protester in range), yet the message is effective for both theater viewers and the fictional viewers in the film. It’s a tragic event, yet successful in rallying civil rights support across the country, many of whom come to personally join the march.
