Film Review: Selma

Summary

Selma takes place in Alabama in 1965, following the story of Martin Luther King. The beginning of the movie shows Black voter suppression along with the movement to make change. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers organized a giant march from Selma to Montgomery. But that is not the only plot in this story— there are many layers. King deals with threats to his children and family. He has to be a father and a husband on top of it all.

About Duvernay

Ava DuVernay was born in 1972 in Long Beach, CA. Her aunt showed her and gave her the love for all art at a young age, inspiring her films now. She attended UCLA in the early 1990s, majoring in English and African-American studies. She is well known for her film Selma along with 13th and A Wrinkle in Time. While making Selma, she was also making history. She was the first African American woman to win Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival, the first to be nominated for a Best Director Golden Globe and to direct a film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. DuVernay said, “I’m not the first Black woman capable of making a 100 million dollar film, I’m not the first Black woman to make something so beautiful. It’s just the time, it’s just the time that I happen to be here.”

Review

This is an emotional movie that angers and inspires the audience all in the same scenes. Ava Duverany wanted to show what the history really was. She made the movie raw and real, not just the one speech we hear in school. One thing that stood out to me in this movie is the cinematography. The film is shot in a captivating way in order to spread a powerful message. The color schemes, angles, sound effects pull the movie together. Even by watching the trailer, you can tell the movie and scenes are well-made. I usually avoid heavier topics in films, but Selma handled the history well and was definitely worth it. This movie is emotional, educational, powerful and inspiring, all in just 2 hours. I highly recommend this movie to everyone.

Collage by Evie Bird