Based on a true story, Selma (2014), is a dramatic portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign and march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to secure voting rights for African American men and women. Set in 1965, the story follows Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) as and his many followers begin attempts for equality after segregation ended in 1964. Throughout the movie, watchers are given an inside look at the struggles and battles that African Americans faced in the 60’s that would otherwise remain unseen to present-day watchers. Selma provides an exclusive and accurate look into the lives of those who fought and marched for equality and with it’s inspiring plot, fundamental cast, and impactful editing, Selma is one of few movies
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The opening scene shows four little black girls running up the stairs of a church when suddenly the church is blown up. The audience later learns that the explosion was caused by a bomb set by the Ku Klux Klan and it is presumed that all four girls were killed. Starting the movie off with this scene sets the tone and mood for most of the movie; tragic and sorrowful, drawing sympathy and compassion from the audience. Then, the audience is taken through real-life accounts of the peaceful protests in front of the courthouse, only to witness explicit racism and abuse towards protesters, which led to the arrest of King. At this point, viewers are having a whirlwind of emotions as they sympathize with the blacks and resent the racist whites. The plot follows the group of equality activists as they face the same hardships over and over until the final march to Montgomery. Selma’s plot evokes multiple emotions at the same time from each viewer, making it nearly impossible for anyone to disregard the pain and suffering of African American during this time. More importantly, the plot makes it difficult for viewers the disregard any pain and suffering that African Americans continue to struggle with today. Although the plot is one of the most powerful aspects of the film, without a well-constructed …show more content…
One song in particular, Glory by John Legend and Common, won multiple awards with an Oscar for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song, a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, as well as winning a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Music has a huge impact viewers because it helps to draw out specific emotions that the director wants the audience to feel. Music also helps prepare viewers for a cinematic buildup or to help bring a sense of finality to a scene. Ever more so, picture editing is a pivotal part to a successful movie. Picture editor, Spencer Averick, had to make vital decisions when it came to editing Selma because, like all movies, they were working with a tight schedule and a tight budget. In particular, the scene of the great march across the bridge, Averick states “The initial rush of the state troopers into the protesters was lacking in coverage, so we had to do some re-shoots of close-ups using some visual effects to hide that we were not shooting on the bridge”. Clearly, it is nearly impossible to shoot dramatic, climax scenes like that perfectly, so the editing is crucial. Averick stated that they were given two days to shoot one scene, and on one day it rained. The decisive editing helps to include the audience into the story as well as giving Selma it’s authenticity and
The opening scene shows four little black girls running up the stairs of a church when suddenly the church is blown up. The audience later learns that the explosion was caused by a bomb set by the Ku Klux Klan and it is presumed that all four girls were killed. Starting the movie off with this scene sets the tone and mood for most of the movie; tragic and sorrowful, drawing sympathy and compassion from the audience. Then, the audience is taken through real-life accounts of the peaceful protests in front of the courthouse, only to witness explicit racism and abuse towards protesters, which led to the arrest of King. At this point, viewers are having a whirlwind of emotions as they sympathize with the blacks and resent the racist whites. The plot follows the group of equality activists as they face the same hardships over and over until the final march to Montgomery. Selma’s plot evokes multiple emotions at the same time from each viewer, making it nearly impossible for anyone to disregard the pain and suffering of African American during this time. More importantly, the plot makes it difficult for viewers the disregard any pain and suffering that African Americans continue to struggle with today. Although the plot is one of the most powerful aspects of the film, without a well-constructed …show more content…
One song in particular, Glory by John Legend and Common, won multiple awards with an Oscar for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song, a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, as well as winning a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Music has a huge impact viewers because it helps to draw out specific emotions that the director wants the audience to feel. Music also helps prepare viewers for a cinematic buildup or to help bring a sense of finality to a scene. Ever more so, picture editing is a pivotal part to a successful movie. Picture editor, Spencer Averick, had to make vital decisions when it came to editing Selma because, like all movies, they were working with a tight schedule and a tight budget. In particular, the scene of the great march across the bridge, Averick states “The initial rush of the state troopers into the protesters was lacking in coverage, so we had to do some re-shoots of close-ups using some visual effects to hide that we were not shooting on the bridge”. Clearly, it is nearly impossible to shoot dramatic, climax scenes like that perfectly, so the editing is crucial. Averick stated that they were given two days to shoot one scene, and on one day it rained. The decisive editing helps to include the audience into the story as well as giving Selma it’s authenticity and