Selma

So I was going through our list of films and saw that Selma was a film listed. I'd already been wanting to see that movie so I watched it last night, and wow. It was incredibly impactful and emotional. I also noticed a few similarities in the movie to what we've been learning.

Selma, somewhat like Passion of the Christ, uses some pretty violent and horrific images to evoke a response from the crowd. I almost screamed at some of the injustices shown, and to think these things happened!

Martin Luther King Jr. is often seen as a Christ figure, and he was indeed a unique and effective leader in history, but Selma shows that King was also human, making mistakes like everyone else. He cheated on his wife...A LOT. He was also a habitual smoker. King's actions were Jesus-like in their message and approach, but his personal life was a lot different.

Selma emphasized King's humanity but also draws a lot of parallels between MLK and Jesus. King is the leader of a peaceful movement unpopular with public officials. At one point someone refers to his followers as disciples. And speaking of disciples, King, like Jesus, is depicted with a loyal group of followers with him, effective but lesser than King and extremely loyal. King leads a humble life for the sake of his cause just like Jesus.

I knew people liked to compare King and Jesus, but I don't think I really got it till I saw this movie. King indeed has many similarities to the Messiah, but the film also shows how flawed he was. It's an interesting balance.