Feature | Lights, Camera, Action! – Selma (Movie Review)

Selma (UK Rating: 12A)

Selma's title probably means more to an American audience than a British one. It's a town in Alabama where, in 1965, a march led by Martin Luther King eventually caused a major change in American law - and a significant step forward for the civil rights movement. Until then, the law said the black population could vote but some Southern states imposed conditions that made it impossible. The first attempt at the march, from Selma to Montgomery, was stopped after a vicious attack on the marchers by the police and state troopers. A second one went off peacefully, with King making a speech at its destination, the governor's building in Montgomery. The governor was segregationist George Wallace.
 
The film's historical accuracy has come into question, but that's not unusual for any film based on real events. On the screen, the audience sees President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) caving in and granting a new law, not so much because of King's efforts but, ironically, as the result of a meeting with Governor George Wallace (Tim Roth). Wallace wasn't going to change his stance and LBJ (as President Lyndon B. Johnson is oft-referred to as) couldn't let the situation deteriorate any further. Wilkinson, who's become Hollywood's favourite elder Brit, makes a canny LBJ with a mouth that's probably cleaner than the one belonging to the real president - reputedly. Roth, however, delivers a one-note performance as Wallace and is little more than sly.

8/10

Great - Silver Award

Instead of falling into the trap of being a sprawling Martin Luther King biopic, Selma intelligently concentrates on one key moment in King's life and that of the civil rights movement. It pulls no punches in depicting the racism of the time and the audience is left in no doubt about the risks taken by all the campaigners. Then there's a spellbinding moment at the end of the film that reminds everybody that the events shown in the film not only happened, but they happened within living memory. Archive audio footage of the actual marchers singing is played behind the final credits. It's one of those rare occasions when the audience doesn't rush to leave.