My handout is a small analysis of the film Selma from 2014, which I had to make during the course half-year! The teacher was apparently happy with it, so I decided to upload the handout
1. basic pieces of information
2. historical background
3. The intention of the movie
4. stylistic devices used in the movie
a. Music
b. Camera perspective
c. Symbols
d. certain film techniques
5. Connection to today's situation
basic pieces of information:
● Selma is a historical drama film published in 2014, directed by Ava DuVernay and
written by Paul Webb. It is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights
marches initiated and directed by James Bevel and led by Martin Luther King Jr.,
Hosea Williams, and John Lewis.
historical background:
● 16th Street Baptist Church bombing
4 young black girls were killed in September 1963 due to three former Ku Klux klan
members bombing a baptist church. 14 other black children were injured. (In the
Movie it is shown right after the introduction scene that shows Martin and his wife on
their way to the Nobel Prize.)
● Civil Rights Act of 1964
In 1964, Johnson had pushed through the Civil Rights Act that supposedly outlawed
discrimination. But in reality, black people remained prohibited from voting in several
old-Confederacy states that were lagging in their enforcement of new federal
integration and equal-rights laws. (It is mentioned in the conversation between
Londyn B. Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr.)
● Martin's Nobel award in October of 1964
Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October after the
ratification of the 24th Amendment, which abolished the poll tax and the Civil Rights
, Act of 1964. (The first scene of the movie shows his preparation for his speech upon
receiving the Nobel Prize.)
● Selma to Montgomery marches
The Selma to Montgomery march was part of a series of civil rights protests that
occurred in 1965 in Alabama, a Southern state with deeply entrenched racist policies.
In March of that year, to register black voters in the South, protesters marching the
54-mile route from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery were confronted with
deadly violence from local authorities and white vigilante groups. As the world
watched, the protesters—under the protection of federalized National Guard troops—
finally achieved their goal, walking around the clock for three days to reach
Montgomery, Alabama.
● “Bloody Sunday”
On February 18, white segregationists attacked a group of peaceful demonstrators in
the town of Marion, Alabama. In the ensuing chaos, an Alabama state trooper fatally
shot Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young African American demonstrator. In response to
Jackson’s death, King and the SCLC planned a massive protest march from Selma
to the state capital of Montgomery, 54 miles away. On Sunday, March 7 1965 the
group set out from Selma. The marchers didn’t get far before Alabama state troopers
wielding whips, nightsticks, and tear gas rushed the group at the Edmund Pettus
Bridge and beat them back to Selma. The brutal scene was captured on television,
enraging many Americans and drawing civil rights and religious leaders of all faiths to
Selma in protest. (In the movie that scene on the bridge is heavily empathized by the
dark bass music and the bright lights as well as occasional slow motions and far
camera angles.)
● Edmund Pettus Bridge
On March 9, King led more than 2,000 marchers, black and white, across the
Edmund Pettus Bridge but found Highway 80 blocked again by state troopers. King
paused the marchers and led them in prayer, whereupon the troopers stepped aside.
King then turned the protesters around, believing that the troopers were trying to
create an opportunity that would allow them to enforce a federal injunction prohibiting
the march. This decision led to criticism from some marchers, who called King
cowardly. (In the movie this is shown a while after Bloody Sunday. Afterward, we see
minister James Reeb getting beaten for supporting black people. This happens in
Selma during the night on an open street.)
● LBJ Addresses Nation
Six days later, on March 15, President Lyndon B. Johnson went on national television
to pledge his support to the Selma protesters and to call for the passage of a new
voting rights bill that he was introducing in Congress. Some 2,000 people set out
from Selma on March 21, protected by U.S. Army troops and Alabama National
Guard forces that Johnson had ordered under federal control. After walking some 12
hours a day and sleeping in fields along the way, they reached Montgomery on
March 25. (In the movie they use parts of the real speech but cut it short and show
the reaction of the black population to his speech.)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller kitsunekawaiichan. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.63. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
