Okay, I’ve been absolutely terrible at keeping up this blog. But I’m on break now and finally settling into the idea of being somewhat productive and relaxed without being too excessive about either activity. I’ve also been on a bit of a movie-going spree (though I’ve only really gone to two movies–I barely have time to go to the cinema during the school year as I’m sure many college students understand), and I’ve seen and thoroughly enjoyed The Imitation Game and Selma so far (future plans include American Sniper, Unbroken, Night at the Museum 3, Into the Woods, and the Hobbit). Seriously. Amazing movies are coming out and I’m not sure I, nor my heart, can keep up.
The Imitation Game, a film about Alan Turing and his team’s work to break the Enigma, the Nazi code machine during WWII, was incredible. I, for one, am a huge fan of both Kiera Knightly and Benedict Cumberbatch. I think they are both incredible actors and they were amazing in this film as well. I also love Allen Leech, who plays John Cairncross, one of the members of Alan Turing’s team (and Tom Branson in Downton Abbey). But the film is so much more than its amazing cast. I loved how Alan Turing’s homosexuality and the suffering that was inflicted on him by society was woven in. it wasn’t downplayed, it wasn’t hidden, nor was it too hammered into the story. His treatment as a homosexual did influence events and it is something that does need to be noticed, and the film did this artfully.
While some of the plot points were a bit stretched (I won’t spoil anything, but there are some connections made to his young school days that seem a bit too contrived), the debated inaccuracies, and the idea that the teamwork involved in breaking Nazi code was a bit downplayed in order to make way for Alan Turing, as a movie itself that is based on fact, it was incredible. The filmography, the pacing, the dialogue…all of it held you in suspense from start to finish, and I definitely felt for each and every one of the characters. I highly recommend it.
Now, to Selma. Which I just saw yesterday. In case you haven’t heard of it, the movie follows Martin Luther King Jr. and the events around the march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, an influential, non-violent demonstration that protested the voting restrictions against black citizens in Alabama. The acting in this film was also incredible, and it doesn’t spare the audience at all. I was in tears during some of the scenes, especially those depicting the violence the state troopers inflicted on the non-violent protesters, partially from shock, and partially from shame that American people felt it was their right to beat the protesters until they were nearly dead. The film is directed by Ava DuVernay, who is now the first black female director to be nominated for a Golden Globe.
I particularly loved that the film shows MLK to be a human being and not a deified being. The film doesn’t tarnish his reputation in any way. On the contrary, it made me even more inspired by his speeches and his ideas. But the fact that we see him in moments of strength and doubt made it all the more real to me. While there is controversy surrounding the film and its negative portrayal of President Lyndon Johnson, and of course a film based on a true story can never be completely accurate, this is a must-see.
It’s also incredibly appropriate in the timing of the release. With the Ferguson protests, stop and frisk, and various prejudices that, embarrassingly, still exist, Selma is an eye opener. Yes, the violence and the fight is on a different scale, but we’re still working toward the goals that these activists fought for: equality.
Nothing Is too overwhelming 