A scene from 'Selma' with David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King (centre)
Next year will see the 50th anniversary of the famous 1965 Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama civil rights marches intended to spotlight and in turn destroy the racial discrimination experienced by black people at the voting booths in the American south. The Jim Crow-ism of the era, though now starting to crack, was still prevalent and the civil rights leaders were determined to get a Voting Rights Act approved by the US government. Its most prominent speaker, who helped bring their struggle to the world, Dr Martin Luther King led the historic marches and now a film on the subject has now been made. Directed by Ava DuVernay and featuring a star-studded cast, 'Selma' looks to be a rousing and emotionally charged affair. DuVernay has revealed she wanted to use the movie as a chance for the audience to get a glimpse of King as a real man, and not just an iconic figure, telling an audience at a recent urban film festival, "What we are attempting to do is present Dr. King as a man. Not a statute, not a speech, not a picture, but as a brother who had a wife, who had a complicated relationship with her and the people around him. Who was sometimes great and sometimes not so great."
The cast includes Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr., hip hop artist Common and British actress Carmen Ejogo who plays Coretta Scott King. That British flavour continues with Tom Wilkinson playing President Lydon B. Johnson, Tim Roth playing the racist Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, who deeply opposed and fought against the marchers, and perhaps most surprising of all, though it shouldn't be, the very talented David Oyelowo (who recently had a pivotal role in 'The Butler) as Dr. Martin Luther King. In fact he had been cast as King when the film was originally going to be made by Lee Daniels in 2007. From the trailer the actor is almost unrecognizable. He achieved his desired look by gaining weight and shaving back his hairline, saying "At one point I looked in the mirror and I couldn't see myself......Dr. King was staring back at me." Adding "It's very costly emotionally, physically, spiritually. You cannot go into an endeavour like this without going there. King felt a lot of guilt about the people who were cut down because of the movement and the cost on his children, his wife. So you have to go there, and I can proudly say I went there."
The cast includes Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr., hip hop artist Common and British actress Carmen Ejogo who plays Coretta Scott King. That British flavour continues with Tom Wilkinson playing President Lydon B. Johnson, Tim Roth playing the racist Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, who deeply opposed and fought against the marchers, and perhaps most surprising of all, though it shouldn't be, the very talented David Oyelowo (who recently had a pivotal role in 'The Butler) as Dr. Martin Luther King. In fact he had been cast as King when the film was originally going to be made by Lee Daniels in 2007. From the trailer the actor is almost unrecognizable. He achieved his desired look by gaining weight and shaving back his hairline, saying "At one point I looked in the mirror and I couldn't see myself......Dr. King was staring back at me." Adding "It's very costly emotionally, physically, spiritually. You cannot go into an endeavour like this without going there. King felt a lot of guilt about the people who were cut down because of the movement and the cost on his children, his wife. So you have to go there, and I can proudly say I went there."
'Selma' teaser poster
'Selma' will be released on Christmas Day in selected American cities and across the U.S. in early January. Already there is some heat and speculation on Oyelowo's performance in terms of nominations during the upcoming awards season. If this were to happen there would be many people from all quarters who would welcome this, especially as the number of likely minority contenders seems to be seriously lacking this year, as opposed to last year's healthy batch.
So here is a first-look at 'Selma'.
So here is a first-look at 'Selma'.
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