In one instance, the trailer shows clips of MLK meeting with Johnson and asking for support from the government. Johnson replies to King by saying, "You have one big issue, I have a hundred and one." This quote struck me because it is still relevant in our current situation. We still have extreme instances of racial injustice in the United States, but the government has had little to no intervention on it. As of now, we have resorted to protests, riots, demonstrations, and similar acts to fight against the institutional racism of the US. Due to their lack of action, I can only assume that the United States government has designated these racial problems as not important enough for their interference and has decided to instead focus on other issues.
Parts of the trailer show MLK's relationship with his family, and the fear his family was forced to live in because of his activism. This reminded me of the perspective presented in Lee Daniel's The Butler. In The Butler, the viewer receives a view of the Civil Rights Movement through one man's experiences through his job and through his family. This adds another emotional and personal element to the movement, in addition to making it more interesting and compelling for the audience of the movie.
This film has already received extensive publicity on social media, and will hopefully be a huge success in the box office. Selma has already been received great reception and acceptance; the film has already been nominated for several awards in the Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Cinematography. I am very excited for this film, but I am skeptical of its historical accuracies. The Butler is the most recent feature film that focused on the Civil Rights Movement and was also an immense success, however it presented a very limited depiction of the movement. From the trailer, Selma appears to do the same thing: give a one-sided interpretation of the movement by presenting Martin Luther King Jr. as the one and only leader of the Civil Rights Movement. This is far from the truth, and I hope that Selma does not fail to recognize the other key leaders and organizations of the Civil Rights Movement.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1020072/
https://deadline.com/2014/11/film-independent-spirit-awards-nominations-2015-list-1201295941/
I just watched the trailer, and I too find that quote very striking. It is still so incredibly relevant if we apply it to everything going on in Ferguson. To be very honest, I have not kept up with how Obama, or other political figures have reacted or seen if they have made comments on it, but as important as an issue as it is, I can very much predict some to say, well, that's one big issue... and the government has many more to worry about.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Johnson's quote is powerful. In my opinion, this quote does not show his inhumanity or unwillingness to care in any way; rather, it shows the reality of the Civil Rights Movement and today. If African Americans wanted the government to get involved, they had to make the government pay attention—with events like the Selma March or the protests in Ferguson—and force them to realize how big of a deal the Movement had become.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to see what other, if any other, leaders of the Civil Rights Movement will be depicted in this film. As we have discussed in class, Martin Luther King Jr. is the manifestation of the messiah-hero complex. He is portrayed more often than not as the one true hero of the Civil Rights Movement. This frustrates me, because there were so many other people who played key roles in the Movement, such as Ella Baker. She doesn't get nearly as much credit as King does. Hopefully, this movie will go beyond King's heroic persona and delve deeper into the Movement.
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