Jamelle Bouie on the political significance of the historical inaccuracies in Selma. Having seen the movie yesterday, I see his point, even though I am usually a stickler for accuracy: Selma, simply put, is about the men and women who fought to put voting rights on the national agenda, and it engages history from their perspective. By hardening Johnson—and making him a larger roadblock than he was—DuVernay emphasizes the grass roots of the movement and the particular struggles of King and his allies. In the long argument of who matters most—activists or politicians—DuVernay falls on the side of the former, showing how citizens can expand the realm of the possible and give politicians the push—and the room—they need to act.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 06:51:08 +0000
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