Selma Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Selma Blu-ray Movie Review

A lead performance as good as most any to come before it.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 23, 2015

We must make a massive demonstration of our moral certainty.

Controversy swirled around Selma for a time following its release, not for its depiction of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. or the march on Selma itself but for its portrayal of President Lyndon B. Johnson and the film's depiction of an unmistakable rift between the president and the civil rights leader, a depiction that's been criticized and defended in a back-and-forth battle between historians and the filmmakers. The film also sparked discussion centered on the issue of race, about the racial makeup of the Academy and the body's failure to nominate star David Oyelowo for Best Actor in a field historically dominated by white actors, and in last year's balloting in particular. One anonymous Academy member faintly praised the movie's technical construction but claimed that a broader perception of the film is that "there's no art to it." Best to leave the discussion of the film's historical accuracy to the people who research history for a living and didn't just study it in school, but as for the final two criticisms, there's certainly some validity to each of them. Oyelowo is indeed fantastic in the movie, easily its standout performer and, beyond the raw emotional content depicted in the film, arguably its single best asset. At the very least, he should have been a short-list frontrunner for the Oscar itself, not simply for a nomination he ultimately didn't receive. But the film does also lack a real sense of profundity and rarely does it ever truly ooze the history it depicts. While it's emotionally engaging and narratively gripping, the film lacks a grace and polish and flow that truly brings the audience into world of segregated Alabama and into the minds of the characters depicted in the movie. It takes the audience to the locations, into the trenches, so to speak, of the politicking and planning and sometimes almost prayerful pleas for clarity and direction, but it feels somehow distant, showing and telling the audience but never quite fully absorbing the audience into the story. Essentially, it feels a bit flat, regurgitating history but not filling it with the tangible life and power a story of this magnitude, and a performance of this excellence, deserve.

Making history.

That doesn't make Selma in any way a bad movie. It's largely excellent if not a bit scattered in the beginning, coming together as the scope of the situation is fully realized and the film digs deeply into the minds and actions of the people coming at the issue from all sides. It's triumphant in its core depiction of the inner strength, outer courage, lofty ideals, and necessary persistence in King and the people he surrounds himself with. Perhaps the finest moment comes when King finds himself in a Selma jail cell and openly concerned with not whether the movement is doing right but whether it's doing enough, if mere paper-level equality is worth the fight or if there's more that needs to be done, in King's words, whether the right to sit at the lunch counter is worth the sacrifice if those newly freed people cannot afford to buy a meal or, perhaps worse, even read what's available to them on the menu.

It's these deeper bits of contemplative character analysis and broader examination of the entire civili rights movement, much of it encapsulated in the marches across Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge and the various bits of strategizing and behind-the-scenes developments that made it happen, that make the movie a success and the real history behind it so fascinating. While the film doesn't always quite get to the point that history feels fully alive -- despite Oyelowo's superb performance -- it does do a fine job of peeling back the curtain and offering the audience a glimpse that's a bit more in-depth and vibrant than dry recounts in texts or poorly defined black and white newsreel footage, even as the film feels more procedural than organic. Fortunately, the raw power of the people and their story elevates the film far above its base technical merits, but Selma feels like it could have been more.

Selma, even for the historical richness of its story and the relevancy of its message of equality, wouldn't work anywhere near as well as it does without David Oyelowo. Around him, the movie is fairly dry, competently assembled but absent a real heart or purpose beyond its historical recreations. Oyelowo, on the other hand, embodies King with a stature and presence befitting the legend and the light of his message, persistence, courage, and moral clarity. Oyelowo looks and sounds the part, critical in any performance of this nature but he rightly, and necessarily, goes well beyond an outward recreation. He finds the underlying spirit, sense of purpose, and the great significance in every line and movement as King is both inwardly and outwardly challenged, as he and his allies seek to advance their cause and their opponents seek to hinder, both on the streets and behind closed doors. Oyelowo's portrayal brings a far greater sense of history, of character, of being to the part than one could have realistically conceived, not so much in his replication of King but instead in finding that drive, that fire, that soulful understanding of the human condition and the vision and determination to see real equality in his time. Oyelowo doesn't necessarily make King a hero, not in the costume-and-cape sense of the term, but rather he makes him a man, breathes a tangible, approachable, very real and naturally defined essence into a character many know but many may not fully understand. It's a shame the movie around him isn't tighter, more thoroughly defined, and engrossing. With a near perfect movie behind him, Selma would easily be remembered as one of the greats, but as it is this is still an excellent movie in Oyelowo's astonishingly capable hands.

Selma Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Selma's 1080p transfer, sourced from a digital shoot, is something of a mild disappointment. The image is generally pale and fatigued, with drained colors and very poor black levels. Darker backdrops go a murky shade of gray or brown rather than remain tightly true. The general palette, particularly in lower light scenes, favors a light sepia that's emphasized by the dull blacks and the predominantly earthy beiges and browns that dominate clothes and interior appointments. Even when, in bright daylight, there are splashes of color -- a blue dress, a denim jacket -- there's not much natural punch or vitality to be found. Details generally impress, but there's an unmissable flatness to the image. Facial and clothing details are more than adequate but sometimes lack that tight, natural, effortless firmness found on the best images, be they film or digital. Building façades and general city textures look nice enough around Selma, and various dimly lit and warm interiors offer good baseline definition on desks, trinkets, and other assorted bits. Medium- and long-distance shots often show some smudginess around the edges. Some moderate to severe banding creeps in during some of the darker, flatter scenes, such as when King finds himself in a Selma jail midway through the movie. Fortunately, the image suffers from no perceptible bouts of aliasing, blockiness, or other maladies. This isn't a particularly attractive film from a purely aesthetic perspective; the blend of light sepia, pale blacks, and flat digital doesn't do it any favors, though it's otherwise basically fine in terms of delivering on what it has at its disposal.

Selma Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Selma marches onto Blu-ray with a good all-around DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. For the most part, the movie has no need for extravagant sound delivery. Sound design is relatively simple, with dialogue -- both hushed discussions and loud, booming public speeches -- leading the charge. The spoken word is delivered with natural front-center placement and crisp, effortless articulation, allowing every syllable to be realistically clear and the focus of every scene. Music is generally light but plays with effortless front end spacing, mild surround support, and an even, often low key bit of support bass at the bottom. The track does produce some heavier bits; a powerful explosion sends heavy, powerful waves through the stage at the beginning, and a gunshot or two ring out with fair power but lacking that authentic, ear-punishing authority. Beatings, screams, and other clashes offer a balanced sense of sonic chaos. Mild surround content in the way of enveloping applause or light atmospheric support pieces is well integrated into the track.

Selma Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Selma contains a large number of extras, including two commentaries, several featurettes, and deleted and extended scenes. Inside the Blu-ray case, buyers will find a DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy.

• Audio Commentary: Director Ava DuVernay and Actor David Oyelowo open with a discussion of how to begin the movie, sets and shooting locations, the film's character roster, shot specifics and technical insights into the film, broader story details, editing, cast and performances, and more.
• Audio Commentary: Director Ava DuVernay, Director of Photography Bradford Young, and Editor Spencer Averick deliver a more technically oriented track that more closely examines the film's construction.
• The Road to Selma (1080p, 13:16): A look back at the time leading up to the production, including Oyelowo's introduction to the script, finding a director, Oprah Winfrey's influence in getting the project off the ground, building a real person in a real environment, King's relationship with Johnson, Oyelowo's work, and more.
• Recreating Selma (1080p, 26:29): A closer look at the characters in the film beyond King, shooting in Selma, crafting the violent sequences, sets, photography and the film's visual style, costumes, and more.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p): There Is No Peace Here (2:13); Precious Lord (1:55); Extended Cager Lee (3:52); Strategy Session (4:10); Testimonials including Hosea Williams (2:56), Annie Lee Cooper (2:25), John Lewis (2:24), Frederick Reese (2:46), Amelia Boynton (2:49), Jim Clark (1:22), and Cager Lee (2:10); and David Oyelowo Picture Lock (0:59).
• Music Video (1080p, 3:10): "Glory."
• Historical (1080p): A collection of vintage Newsreels (5:16) and still Images.
• Selma Student Tickets: Donor Appreciation (1080p, 2:57): A piece that names the supporters of the Selma Student Ticket Initiative.
• National Voting Rights Museum and Institute (1080p, 7:50): A look inside the museum.
• Selma Discussion Guide (1080p): Bullet point talking points about the film and the history that inspired it.

Selma Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Selma is a little dry and visually unremarkable, but the movie's essence soars and its lead performance is every bit as good as any historical figure depiction in film history. Though controversy swirls around the movie, it rises above the fray, offering a thoughtful recreation with themes that run true and ideas that remain relevant even today. But the movie is entirely Oyelowo's. The actor is magnificent in his physical depiction but it's beyond that in his inner recreation of one of the most iconic figure in American, and world, history, that's the film's true triumph. Set aside the noise and discover a strong movie that could have been more but, as it is, is a captivating watch that rises above type and should find appeal with a broader audience interested not only in flat historical accounts but a nuanced performance that brings life to a legend. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Selma is a victim of the film's drab photography, but sound is fine and supplements are thorough. Recommended.