Selma (2015)
Selma (2014)
Ava DuVernay's film Selma is a good movie about an extraordinary event, but its most captivating and interesting parts are not actually in the movie. What makes Selma such a good movie is its ability to encourage discourse on race relations and understanding of history. DuVernay's aim was "to elevate it from a page in your history book and really just get it into your body - into your DNA" (NPR.org). Selma accomplishes this in many ways.
One of the multidimensional aspects of Selma is the films questionable historical accuracy. After the films release many questioned the legality of DuVernay's depiction of President Johnson. The Washington Post's Joseph a. Califano Jr. says, "the film falsely portrays President Lyndon B. Johnson as being at odds with Martin Luther king Jr. and even using the FBI to discredit him." Califano Jr. is so disturbed by this "false representation" that he concludes "the movie should be ruled out this Christmas and during the ensuing awards season" (December 26, 2014). The Washington Post is not the only one complaining about Selma's representation of history. Slate Magazine, the LBJ Presidential Library Director Mark Updegrove, and New York Times Review writer Elizabeth Drew all attack the film for its apparent inaccuracies of LBJ. In response, I would like to point out that since D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation (1915) many Hollywood films have horribly misrepresented African-Americans. Its interesting that Selma, a film about race, has received so much scrutiny for its representation of white Americans.
Additionally, this years award season has placed the film under additional fire. At the Golden Globes Selma was nominated in almost every category, but only won best original score. This week's Academy Award nominations list left Selma out of the running. Though the film was nominated for best picture, DuVernay was not considered best director. Even further, critics are taking special attention to the the overall whiteness and "maleness" of this years selectees.
Selma is much more than a film about Martin Luther King Jr., its a film about our contemporary consciousness. The films characters dress in period 1960s clothing, but the events that took place fifty years ago look amazingly like 2014. One of the heart-wrenching scenes from the film is when protesters attempt to walk to Montgomery but are stopped and brutally attacked by police. Watching this scene one can't help but be reminded of the massive 'Hands Up Don't Shoot' protests,' Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. The films modern hip-hop/rap soundtrack and suggest further evidence that Selma is a film for and about modern times. The films Golden Globe award song "Glory" by Common solidifies this idea by suggesting "Selma is now."And even the films posters suggest that Selma was made to remind us "Why do you march?"
Selma has encouraged audiences to reexamine how we see our past and our present. Despite the negative backlash, the film has led to discussion about how we make movies, who makes the movies, and who wins the movies. It also questions what a History Film means and what we expect from them. Though these events are concerning, the fact of the matter is DuVernay is succeeding in her mission to resurrect Civil Rights from the pages of our books. The bottom line is, DuVernay's Selma got us thinking about race, representation, and history in a new way.
Califano Jr., Joseph A. "The Movie Selma has a Glaring Flaw." The Washington Post. December 26, 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-movie-selma-has-a-glaring-historical-inaccuracy/2014/12/26/70ad3ea2-8aa4-11e4-a085-34e9b9f09a58_story.
Drew, Elizabeth. "'Selma' vs. History." January 8, 2015.
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2015/jan/08/selma-vs-history/?insrc=wbll
Mendelson, Scott. "Why Ava DuVernay's 'Selma' Oscar Snub Matters." January 15, 2015.
htmlhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2015/01/15/why-ava-duvernays-selma-oscar-snub-matters/
"Selma Movie." http://www.selmamovie.com/
Ava DuVernay's film Selma is a good movie about an extraordinary event, but its most captivating and interesting parts are not actually in the movie. What makes Selma such a good movie is its ability to encourage discourse on race relations and understanding of history. DuVernay's aim was "to elevate it from a page in your history book and really just get it into your body - into your DNA" (NPR.org). Selma accomplishes this in many ways.
One of the multidimensional aspects of Selma is the films questionable historical accuracy. After the films release many questioned the legality of DuVernay's depiction of President Johnson. The Washington Post's Joseph a. Califano Jr. says, "the film falsely portrays President Lyndon B. Johnson as being at odds with Martin Luther king Jr. and even using the FBI to discredit him." Califano Jr. is so disturbed by this "false representation" that he concludes "the movie should be ruled out this Christmas and during the ensuing awards season" (December 26, 2014). The Washington Post is not the only one complaining about Selma's representation of history. Slate Magazine, the LBJ Presidential Library Director Mark Updegrove, and New York Times Review writer Elizabeth Drew all attack the film for its apparent inaccuracies of LBJ. In response, I would like to point out that since D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation (1915) many Hollywood films have horribly misrepresented African-Americans. Its interesting that Selma, a film about race, has received so much scrutiny for its representation of white Americans.
Additionally, this years award season has placed the film under additional fire. At the Golden Globes Selma was nominated in almost every category, but only won best original score. This week's Academy Award nominations list left Selma out of the running. Though the film was nominated for best picture, DuVernay was not considered best director. Even further, critics are taking special attention to the the overall whiteness and "maleness" of this years selectees.
Selma is much more than a film about Martin Luther King Jr., its a film about our contemporary consciousness. The films characters dress in period 1960s clothing, but the events that took place fifty years ago look amazingly like 2014. One of the heart-wrenching scenes from the film is when protesters attempt to walk to Montgomery but are stopped and brutally attacked by police. Watching this scene one can't help but be reminded of the massive 'Hands Up Don't Shoot' protests,' Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. The films modern hip-hop/rap soundtrack and suggest further evidence that Selma is a film for and about modern times. The films Golden Globe award song "Glory" by Common solidifies this idea by suggesting "Selma is now."And even the films posters suggest that Selma was made to remind us "Why do you march?"
Selma has encouraged audiences to reexamine how we see our past and our present. Despite the negative backlash, the film has led to discussion about how we make movies, who makes the movies, and who wins the movies. It also questions what a History Film means and what we expect from them. Though these events are concerning, the fact of the matter is DuVernay is succeeding in her mission to resurrect Civil Rights from the pages of our books. The bottom line is, DuVernay's Selma got us thinking about race, representation, and history in a new way.
Califano Jr., Joseph A. "The Movie Selma has a Glaring Flaw." The Washington Post. December 26, 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-movie-selma-has-a-glaring-historical-inaccuracy/2014/12/26/70ad3ea2-8aa4-11e4-a085-34e9b9f09a58_story.
Drew, Elizabeth. "'Selma' vs. History." January 8, 2015.
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2015/jan/08/selma-vs-history/?insrc=wbll
Mendelson, Scott. "Why Ava DuVernay's 'Selma' Oscar Snub Matters." January 15, 2015.
htmlhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2015/01/15/why-ava-duvernays-selma-oscar-snub-matters/
"Selma Movie." http://www.selmamovie.com/
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