History students know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from his speeches, those first bellowed words of “I Have a Dream” universally logged in memory banks. So it makes sense that King's voice is the gateway to the man in Selma, a stirring account of the marches that provoked the 1965 Voting Rights Act's passing. Actor David Oyelowo summons the power and courage to recreate King's calls to action, preaching to the disenfranchised with a Biblical roar.
A one-man-show centered on the master orator would satisfy. Oyelowo is that rousing. But director Ava Duvernay opens Selma up to the bigger picture, to the protesters who standing arm and arm with King, the steadfast Southerners who pushed back, and the fire that erupted out of their clash. Expanding the canvas creates a sense of deja vu. Duvernay's film chronicles events from 50 years ago, yet the film's simple, candid direction feels immersive and urgent. Shallow focused, nightmare images mimic in-deep protest videos one can find on YouTube, emerging from protests in Ferguson or New York City. There's reality to Selma that doesn’t come easy to any docudrama. Oyelowo's performance is a keystone to a movie about American people.
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