Selma (2014)

A title like Selma doesn’t ring much bells over here. Is it the name of a person or a ship? In the Netherlands we don’t have much knowledge of American history. That isn’t to say that we don’t know Martin Luther King, his famous “I have a dream” speech and his shocking end. He’s the subject of this movie and Selma is the town where most of the story is set.

Martin Luther King was well-known, just like Ghandi, for his non violent protest with the goal of change. After many successes he has chosen the town of Selma to stage his next protest. The town is located in the south of America where the ghost of slavery still lingers over its population. The result is that if you’re not white that it’s next to impossible to register to vote and be represented in the government. That’s the thing that King is fighting for, but as he finds out it is a difficult one, even if he just received the Nobel peace prize and is in direct contact with the president of the United States.

David Oyelowo, who received an Oscar nomination for his role as King, is a convincing presence. He has authority and gives passionate speeches, making you feel the pain and the problems during this era. His character is a man willing to gamble it all, including his life, in order to realise change. Its climax is a march from Selma to Montgomery.

Selma is an impressive piece of history brought to life in a very convincing way and makes you realise that we still aren’t as far developed as we’d like to think. With its 128 minutes the movie might be a bit too long, but despite that this is a movie that needs to be seen.