'Selma'
A+
Before I even saw “Selma,” I was comparing it to “12 Years a Slave.”
Both are exceptional, award-contending — and winning, in the latter’s case — films that powerfully document the black struggle in America, from two different, dark periods in our nation’s history.
I, however, wasn’t much of a fan of “12 Years a Slave.”
I found the story to be absolutely remarkable — obviously — but the film itself was kind of stale. It wasn’t bold in its cinematic presence.
I know many will argue passionately with me, but that’s my opinion.
So I had my skepticism about “Selma.”
I was worried that’s what “Selma” was going to be — a stale representation of an absolutely spectacular real-life story.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The pair of director Ava DuVernay and lead actor David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. makes for the most dynamic and powerful duo to hit the screens this season.
The period drama, rather than going wide in scope, narrows in on a small portion of King’s prolific career: his fight for black voting rights in Selma, Ala., and the march, which he riled up thousands to join him on, from Selma to the statehouse steps in the capital city, Montgomery.
Every time Oyelowo would make a speech as King, I’d get chills. I’d tear up. I felt, at such a deep level, the injustices thrust upon the black community.
In a key scene during the film, a black man is shot and killed in cold blood by police.
I’m not making any allegations about recent events, but it’s not too disputed that black people are still racially profiled by police.
I won’t make a comparison between the black struggle and the gay struggle, but it’s 2015 and the gay community is still trying to achieve a basic, fundamental human right — being able to marry one another.
All this is to say that though “Selma” is the story of a man fighting for civil rights 50 years ago, it’s messages ring out completely relevantly today, no doubt about it.
Deep breath in.
However, I am a cinema purist.
I am not a bleeding heart cinemagoer, and I’m not going to put every movie with a beautiful message in my “Top 10 of the Year.”
No. For a movie to be good, it has to excel in its medium. It has to make its case that the best way to tell its story is through the art of cinema.
“Selma” does just that.
Bold and passionate cinematography, impeccable acting and flawless pacing.
“Selma” lets its technical prowess enhance its storytelling, and that’s how a film reaches the pantheon of cinematic nirvana.
I’ve still got a couple left to see, but for the time being, “Selma” is my choice for the best film of the year.
Ike Hajinazarian
