Seven reasons you will love Selma

Selma director Ava DuVernay
check out her website: http://www.avaduvernay.com/press/

           Don’t go to the movie Selma because you think you should. Take all the “shoulds” out of this equation. I should go because it's an epic depiction of American history. I should go because it’s a story that hasn’t yet been told on the big screen. I should go because the director is a black woman. I should go because I’ll look like a schmuck if I don’t go.

No, no, no, and no. 

Don’t go for any of those reasons. There will be no shoulds attached to this film. Go for one reason and one reason alone: because it's good. I'd like to offer seven artistic reasons why:

1.     Clever use of cinematic devises – To tell this story, the director Ava DuVernay utilizes double layared strategies to move the plot forward. She uses FBI logs, typed along the bottom of the screen that serve several purposes. In this way, the dialogue could move forward seamlessly, while the identity of the characters were made know to the audience. One example was the character Mahalia Jackson, who Martin Luther King called “to hear the voice of the Lord” late at night when he was afraid. While she sings a hymn over the phone, you the viewer are seeing FBI log being typed on the bottom of the screen, almost serving as subtitles. There are so many familiar characters, you want to make sure you know exactly who they are. (Although I’ll give kudos to Bob who guessed Mahalia Jackson correctly, before the log was typed in at the bottom of the screen.) The second purpose of the FBI log is, obviously, to point out that there was an FBI log. And that it tracked every move of Martin Luther King. Another plot devise was the reporter, pen and notebook in hand, he almost looked like a live-tweeter of the day. Ava DuVerney utilizes his voice, as he talks to his editor over a pay phone, to narrate the butchery as it occurred during the first march over the bridge. This account, told in an objective, dry, unemotional voice of a reporter was played over the visuals of the carnage. It reminds you of how important reporters are, because if its not reported, did it really happen? (This ties in with other scenes that demonstrated the media savvy of MLK and his colleagues.)

2.  Use of slow motion -- The third devise I noticed was Ava DuVerney’s use of slow motion, which I imagine a no-no in film making, because it’s so over-used and so often badly used to force a fake intensity on something that really isn’t dramatic. (For example show motion makes me think of campy stuff like David Hasselhoff running in slow motion on a Bay Watch beach, or a Will Farrell satire.) Ava DuVernay turns that formula upside down. She uses slow motion and even silence to give the audience a way to grasp the harshest parts of the film – the four little girls blasted to pieces, the elderly people beaten with clubs, the mass of humanity chased down like animals, gunned down, beaten dead. I still had to plug my ears and close my eyes on some scenes, because that’s me, but there was nothing gratuitous about the depicted violence. Given the topic, there could have been much more ferocity, but it’s actually kept at the bare minimum needed to make the story work. No more and no less.

3.     Basic human connection – One of most moving scenes for me was when MLK went to visit the 85-year-old grandfather at the coroner’s office, next to the body of his dead grandson who was a murder casualty in the human hunt that occurred following the first march. That grandfather, the way his eye glasses didn’t fit property, the way he couldn’t even speak discernable English, the way his love for that dead boy slid down the screen and into the souls of the audience. That was one amazing scene and the way MLK responds to this devastated grandfather is exactly how you the viewer want him to, because even though you know it’s a movie and the grandfather is an actor, you really feel this man's grief.

4.     Treatment of Christianity – The film made a special point of depicting how the faith community showed up for the second march, to bear witness to their beliefs. Priests, nuns, pastors, clergy of all types. This is the way the Christians I know wish to be depicted. I can’t even think of one other example in mainstream media, of an ernest peace and justice depiction of Christianity. We are mostly relegated to the roles of tradition, nicety, and so called family values on one end of the spectrum. Or extremism, political strategy, or comedic caricature on the other end. This movie, in my opinion, showed Christianity for what we want it to be, what it’s supposed to be: giving up one’s resources and/or life for the benefit of others. Love your God with all your heart and soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. "Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd."~ Common (Not saying I'm personally up for that, but I long to be. I’m a bad Christian. MLK and his followers, however, were not.) 

5.     The music of Common –  I’d never even heard of Common until last week when he gave that incredible speech at the Golden Globes, where his song Glory won (in collaboration with John Legend). He also acts in the movie and has a dynamic screen presence. Ava DuVernay also integrates music in interesting ways, blending the original marching songs with the modern sounds of today’s music. You get the vibe of a movement, like you want to join up. It really worked to give a timeless affect. Relevant today as it ever was, the music seemed to say.

6.    Finding yourself in the story – It’s human nature to look for yourself in stories. Whether you know it or not, that’s what you do. You want to understand yourself, or cling to a character who makes you feel better about yourself. You may think this movie is not about you. I’m not black, you may say. I’m not from the south. I’m not a man. I’m not from this time. You may think this movie is not about you, but I say it is. The way Ava DuVernay masterfully crafts this movie, with so many layers of characters and scenes, you will find yourself in Selma. I chose to find my better self. I found two examples of who I would like to be, if I had the courage and/or opportunity. I would be the reporter. Or I would be the white woman, whose fate was typed-out in practically the last scene of the movie. I won’t give it away because it was another stunner told with such understatement.

7.     Somehow, the movie makes you feel light – How Ava DeVernay can take this subject and make you leave the theater feeling lighter than when you arrived, I don’t know. I’ll go back to the artistry, which makes time float and leaves you wanting for more. I was surprised it was over, when it ended. Seemed like there would be another half hour or so to go. I couldn’t help but to contrast this flick with Unbroken, which I couldn’t sit through. While I appreciate Angelina Jolie’s choice to elevate her amazing subject, I simply couldn’t slog through all that human torture. I ended up waiting in the lobby for the entire last half of Unbroken, with all due respect to everyone involved with that project. Selma wasn't like that for me. Selma made me see the beauty and feel the hope. Maybe it was the spectacle of all those people marching. (The extras were present-day residents of Selma.)

So, those are my seven reasons. 

I’d like to briefly address the concerns that some have with historical accuracy as it has to do with the portrayal of President Lyndon Johnson. Ava DuVernay addresses that squarely in an interview with Fresh Air (terrific conversation, google it). Basically, it’s a matter of point of view. Every story is like a kaledescope, with a zillion perspectives that constantly evolve. The job of the artist is to figure out how best to render the greater truth. All historical movies have critics for the perspective of truth, including Argo, which blatantly bended facts (with that silly airplane runway race), and still won the Academy Award for best picture. (and I still loved it, by the way, and so did my family.) Another lauded movie, Lincoln, is also cited for taking artistic license on historical interpretation. I think that is an artificial concern for Selma and one that should be put away. (There’s my one should.)

So, I guess my upshot is this: don't go to Selma because I'm telling you to. Go because you love a great movie. 

Thanks for coming over to my blog.

Yours truly.