Review of Salma (2014) by Nicholasbert — 11 Feb 2015

Unfortunately, when it comes to films like Selma, one would feel forced to give it a high score just because of its subject matter. Especially when the film is released with such appropriate timing. This is not the purpose of art, though. Nobody should teach anybody anything through movies.

Selma has positive traits, such as David Oyelowo's accurate portrayal (surely supported by research) and in general an impressive cast, coupled with some glimpses of powerful imagery and cinematography - but the way this story's told, with its attempted and never fulfilled take on family drama, and dull dialogue (except for Oyelowo's speeches, and I believe those were actual MLK speeches, so they don't count in the judging of the script) really take away a lot of what this movie could have been if it had been thought through more.

Like with 12 Years a Slave, there is a fundamental flaw in the way these social rights movies are made: the reassurance that just because they treat a particularly touchy subject, they ought to be exceptionally good, and, especially, that nobody can pan them or they'll be accused of some form of racism.

And speaking of racism, Selma makes it blatantly clear that it did not want to portray white people in a bad light: you've got your bad LBJ, your bad George Wallace, your bad Alabama policemen, but also your good white protesters in the march. This is thrown in your face and one can see immediately that it's made on purpose. Subtlety, yet again, is amiss.