We’ve all studied the civil rights movement in a history class and heard of the great Dr. Martin Luther King but Selma is a movie that looks deeper into the Selma to Montgomery marches that were an important landmark in the movement.

The movie follows Dr. King, played by David Oyelowo, through his fight for equality. You get a chance to see what he really had to go through, his deep appreciation towards god, and the obstacles thrown his way to stop him. Oyelowo was able to keep all the traces of King that we all know. He was able to still show King’s manners and love for peace. But he still left room for audience to discover a new side of King. He truly made the role his own.

Another actor who did a great job was Tom Wilkinson who played the role of Lyndon B. Johnson who was the president at the time. Wilkinson was able to show that Johnson was not an evil man but was just on a different agenda than King. Instead of this film being based on good versus evil, it takes a grounded look how activism, media, and faith all had a part in attaining the equal voting rights African Americans wanted.

This film does a great job in showing how close King was with his faith, which many people often forget. You can see King quoting scriptures, rallying supporters from churches, and he even gets on his knees to pray during the 50 mile walk. You not only see blacks but whites, nuns, and rabies joining him and he welcomes all of them, no matter their color, with a smile.

Some of the film’s most powerful scenes were during March 7 also known as Bloody Sunday. The film shows the brutality of the law enforcements in great detail. The scenes are very graphic and show police on horses beating protesters with clubs wrapped in barbwire. It also shows them getting gassed and being rundown and beaten no matter whether they were male or female. In one scene it even shows police forces beating up an elderly man and women in a restaurant. When protesters regroup by a church, you can see the effects of the beatings. Their bloody wounds on their heads and face will have many in tears. Many died, including four young girls and a white pastor who was helping the protesters. The audience will really get a chance to see what when on during this movement.

Selma does a great job at showing King’s leadership, his charisma, his commitment to nonviolence, and the sacrifices he made. He didn’t want his people to get hurt but if it came to that, he wanted to make sure it would go on national TV for the rest of the country to see. He wanted people to get outrage and demand a change.

This is a powerful movie that doesn’t just teach us a lesson about the Civil Rights Movement but reminds us how King helped fix one of America’s biggest flaws. It was beautifully acted, emotionally stirring, and shows how King’s legacy lives on till this day.