The 15th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing all Americans the right to vote was ratified in 1870, and yet almost a century later (1965) when the events of "Selma" transpired, no more than 2% of African-American citizens were registered to vote in many deep-South counties. And as we see in the beginning of Selma, you practically had to memorize the U.S. Constitution to satisfy the county registrars, but that still might not be good enough. So, as depicted in this dramatically stirring film, Martin Luther King has to mobilize his marchers in Alabama and incur horrendous beatings from the Alabama troopers, and thereby dramatize the injustice of the voting impediments that are brought to bear on black Alabamans. This elicits the nation's political attention and white sympathy. All of this culminates in the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.The British actor, David Oyelowo, seems to be the reincarnation of ML King. He looks remarkably like him, and even sounds like him, even when he's portraying King's masterful oratory. In Selma, King's tactical shrewdness is depicted to great effect. He protected the safety of his followers, to the extent he could, but he realized that the Bull Connor's (Birmingham) and Sheriff Clark's (Selma) were, in a macabre sort of way, the best arguments for the 1960s civil rights movement. I wonder how long segregation would have persisted in the south with national television.There's a debate in all historically-themed films on how much scope to give to artistic / dramatic license and how much faithfulness a film should give to the historical record. I'm not a strict pedant on historical accuracy, and thus I acknowledge that films can appropriately push their dramatic momentum by slight or modest revisions in the historical record. But Selma goes too far in its unfairness to President Johnson. Sure, it makes for more dramatic tension to have an quasi-adversarial relationship between LBJ and King, but they were far more partners than adversaries. LBJ wanted a voting rights act as soon as the Democrats piled up huge Congressional majorities in the 1964 Goldwater election. Not a lot of things went right for LBJ in his 2nd term; let's at least give him some credit for working with King to get the voting rights law enacted.A final delicious moment that Selma reminds me of: in the special Alabama senatorial election in December of 2017, Doug Jones defeated the noxious Roy Moore largely with the votes of black Alabamans, especially black women, who had the voting power they sorely lacked in 1965.

The metaphorical march to justice is a slow one; but a significant step was taken on an actual march, from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama in 1965, when a public protest triggered action that finally allowed black Americans to vote, after many years in which they had been prevented from doing so. You could hardly go wrong in telling this story, a microcosm of the broader civil rights campaign: in this drama, you have many of the major figures in the wider battle: George Wallace, Malcolm X, Lyndon B. Johnson, and of course, the charismatic Martin Luther King, who naturally takes centre stage in this movie. He's quite well brought to life by David Olelowo, who certainly looks the part and acts it convincingly (though the film mostly elides his private life). Tom Wilkinson is slightly less successful as Johnson, a more generic politician than the larger-than-life figure who emerges from Robert Caro's biography. Even though the narrative is straightforward: a fierce and violent struggle, then the good guys win, there's still something very moving when the story reaches its conclusion. But in the age of 'Black Lives Matter' and the presidency of Donald Trump, maybe also shocking at how much still needs to be done.

I had high expectations for this movie and I was still impressed. Though slow at times, boredom is never felt. The movie took its time to deliver an poignant film. David Oyewolo was simply amazing as MLK. His presence and his charisma through his portrayal was very sincere. Carmen Ejogo was the surprise for me here. Her acting was top notch and faultless.Even minor characters were supported by extremely talented actors. Thus throwing the spectator for 2 hours in an important part of history. The make up artists and costume designers really worked hard on this one. It has been mentioned by others already but I mention it again.Overall a very good movie that does not disappoint. 7/10

Selma (2014): Dir: Ava DuVernay / Cast: David Oyelowe, Carmen Ejogo, Tom Wilkinson, Oprah Winfrey, Tim Roth: True story account of the historical march in Selma lead by Martin Luther King, Jr. Set in the mid 1960's when African Americans still struggled with racial crimes in the South. King is a pastor seeking help from President Lyndon B. Johnson to pass a bill that allows African Americans the right to vote. King riles the spirits around him yet his encouragement and leadership is met with brutality from locals and law enforcement armed with tear gas, guns and clubs. Director Ava DuVernay does a spectacular job at capturing the period including a bombing scene shot in slow motion. The march is riveting as King dares to face the opposition guarding the far end of the bridge. David Oyelowe gives a powerful performance as King who believes what he preaches and stands up for what is right but suffers much to change history. Tom Wilkinson plays off the frustration of President Johnson with a touch of amusement as he walks the line between pleasing King and the American people. Thankfully he proves that his power can indeed make for a better future. Carmen Ejogo plays King's supportive yet frustrated wife who wonder how much longer this can go on. Oprah Winfrey plays an elderly woman who has weathered the physical and emotional pains of racism yet still stands strong. Tim Roth plays Governor George Wallace who is strongly oppose to the bill being passed. The result is a powerful film flawed only with some forced stereotypes but prevails with the news that one man can lead a march over top of racism and hate crimes. Score: 9 / 10