Blake Cavender
HIST 2112
20 November, 2017
Prof. Scallet
Selma: Injustice, Oppression, and the People That Changed a Country
No matter where in the world or what period in time, there is always someone being oppressed or experiencing some form of maltreatment or discrimination. Throughout history, people have been judged or had their basic human rights infringed upon. That is why movies like Selma are so important because they shine a light on these events and transgressions, that need to be brought to people’s attention. The movie Selma was a real eye-opener in terms of the events that took place during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s. It presented many of its arguments in ways no adaptation of the story had successfully done before. Many of the actor portrayals of historical figures were so veracious it was as if the figures themselves were carrying out the plot of the movie. The overlying themes of the movie were also very apparent and easy to, if not to relate to, at least understand and empathize where the characters were coming from in a sense. Not only the dialogue, or strictly what you see being depicted on screen alone make the movie so gripping and emotionally poignant, things such as the music, or how the movie is put together and laid out to affect the emotions of the viewers.
Extreme injustice, such as the events depicted in Selma, is, at its core, a relatively easy target for emotional manipulation. However, Selma did not take the traditional approach on the matter, nor in its portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The movie instead took a more personable approach in depicting Dr. King, showing his human side and some of his character flaws. This helps the viewer even further understand the struggles the Dr. King went through and brings him off of the “larger than life” pedestal that he is normally placed on. The movie rather focuses on the man in place of the media legend of Dr. King that is so commonly used in most adaptations of his story. In doing this, Selma sets itself apart from almost all other recollections of the events that took place during this time. Viewers got to see the vulnerable side of Dr. King as he questioned himself but then saw him transcend these obstacles and become a leader truly worth following.
The central argument of the film is based on the premise that, for something to be changed, there has to be someone or some people that stand up to the norm and attempt to change it. The particular person in this case was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as the head figure of the SCLC, SNCC, and the African American community as a whole. Even as the organizations as individuals feel they are making an impact, Dr. King influences them and tells them to keep pushing and trying harder in order to make the change they wish to accomplish. This central argument continues to occur throughout the entire movie through events such as speeches and marches, pushing the people to keep acting against what they believe is wrong. Without this attitude, nothing would come of all the struggle and hardship in pursuit of a common goal. If no one is willing to push towards that goal, then who is to say that the struggle is worth reaching that light at the end of the tunnel. There is a great quote that describes Martin Luther King’s attitude perfectly, “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
Another important character in Selma is that of Lyndon B Johnson. This man is one of many obstacles impeding upon the goals of Dr. King and the whole African American community. When Lyndon B Johnson appears on screen, he is shown talking to what the audience can only assume to be his assistant before his meeting with Dr. King. He is shown as being visibly perturbed at having to have this meeting. The scenes before this one go to show how wrong Lyndon B Johnson is with his standing on the matter, showing the church bombing and Annie Lee Cooper attempting to register to vote. The director chose to put the scenes in this order in hopes of showing the audience that Lyndon Johnson had the chance to learn about these horrible events that had transpired and he still was annoyed with Dr. Kings complaints about how mistreated they are in the south. The dehumanization of Lyndon Johnsons contrasts the humanization of Dr. King in such a way that it makes the audience resent him even more.
One of the main themes of the movie is that of freedom, an American conviction older than the country itself. This is the main goal of the African American community throughout the film and what makes the fact that they are having to work so hard to achieve that goal so heartbreaking is that so many American people have that freedom since the country was founded. The director employs so many different devices to show how truly not free the blacks are in that time period, from violence to horribly gross persecution. The injustice that is present throughout the entire film is depicted in such a way that evokes a true sense of how terribly people were treated and the lack of respect present between the races of Americans.
Another prominent figure in this time period was Malcolm X. Malcolm X was notorious for taking a very extreme position when it came to how blacks were treated in America. He was known for speaking out against Dr. King’s nonviolent tactics saying they would not be effective in advancing the goals of the African American people. However, in the movie, Malcolm X is presented in a very humbling scene with Coretta Scott King in which he apologizes for saying those things and says he stands before her hat in hand and asks to join the movement and give a speech in front of the protesters. Coretta is hesitant to comply due to Malcolm’s past of violence and extremism, but he offers reconciliation in saying that “eyes can see in a new way”, implying that he has changed and truly wants to join the nonviolent cause.
Selma pays ode to Martin Luther King’s upbringing as a reverend by showing many scenes of church songs, praying, and even scripture quoted. This helps stress the point made that God created us all equal in his image, so often emphasized by Dr. King. That philosophy was such a huge part of how Dr. King went about giving his speeches and protesting, he did not want the blacks to be considered better than anyone else, only equal. The religion aspect of the film is tested when implications of Dr. King’s adulterous actions while married with children play out and are shown to have extremely negative consequences. Religion as a whole is one of the main driving forces throughout the full movie.
All in all, Selma does a remarkably wonderful job depicting not only the events that occurred throughout this miserable time period, but the emotions that the film was able to capture through actor portrayal are as moving as they are touching. Whether it be through dialogue, facial expressions, or some other medium, Selma drives home just exactly the message the protestors wanted to get across, and it does so quite inspirationally. The characters presented in this movie are shown in many different ways, some such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, are shown in what could be a new light for some viewers. Others, such as Lyndon B Johnson are portrayed as expected, but portrayed eloquently nonetheless. The movie drives home its themes through emotional turmoil and triumph, taking its audience through a rollercoaster of feelings, leaving them angry at the injustices that were so often overlooked at the time they were happening.