However, this film isn’t just a biopic, and it’s not moralizing.
It just tells the facts through a courtroom case based on race. Al and Linda
said in their review, “The evidence unfolds throughout the film a little at a
time while the characterizations of those involved are being revealed. It’s
courtroom drama and you become part of the jury.”
It’s also an origin story showing how young Thurgood Marshall
used his legal skills, working with the NAACP to create a career defending
African Americans against racism. This trial, in 1941, took place well before
Marshall won 29 out of the 32 cases he brought before the Supreme Court, and
before he became the first African American Supreme Court Justice. Also, it is
just as related, if not more so today.
Al and Linda noted, “Hedlin didn’t pick Boseman
because he looked like Marshall. He doesn’t. But he thought he had the swagger
he wanted in the portrayal of Marshall. Sometimes we thought Boseman played it
a little too slick and flip. But Hedlin sees the lawyer as a kind of Sheriff
serving up justice by going from town to town. He was an underrated American
superhero out to prove that all men are created equal under law. (Side note:
Hedlin wrote Marvel’s Black Panther comic book from 2005-2008. Boseman played
the Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War and will appear in more
sequels).”
This film takes on a controversial trial of a Black
Chauffeur, Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown) accused of rape and attempted
murder of the wealthy aristocrat he drove, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). The shot
from Spell’s point of view in his jail cell looking up at Marshall adds to the
lawyer’s impressive figure. Knowing he faces a death sentence; Brown plays it
scared beyond belief and you feel for his character.
Because the racist judge (James Cromwell) won’t let a
Black man talk in his court, Marshall is assigned the apprehensive and
inexperienced Jewish accident insurance lawyer, Sam Friend (Josh Gad), to speak
for him. Friedman’s wife, played by Marina Squerciati, is cautious because of
their religion, but the scene where she stands up to the people staring them
down in their synagogue is real, showing their determination to stand up to the
criticism of working on a case with a Black lawyer.
Al and Linda said, “Court drama can be boring and it’s
almost painful watching Marshall and Friedman tip toe around each other in the
courtroom trying to placate the Judge. They’re also trying not rile the
prosecuting attorney, played with chilling Aryan attitude by Dan Stevens. But
there are some very funny scenes seeing the two trying to figure out how to
work together in court, starting with picking the jury. Marshall had the
experience and smarts to pick out a juror who seems to have a thing for
Friedman which could work in their favor.”
Hedlin does a good job having Boseman show his
frustration at having to remain silent in court, visibly restraining himself
from attacking the racist judge. Gad is convincing as the nervous lawyer, out
of his league, looking every minute like he’s about to faint. Al and Linda
noted, “You get sweaty palms watching him.” They are both brutally attacked
outside the courtroom which only strengthens their bond and their determination.
The case turns out to be more like solving a mystery
with Hedlin showing step-by-step the information and evidence Marshall and Friedman
discover that leads them to a surprising verdict. Al and Linda admitted, “Hedlin
puts you in the period and lets you see what it was like for African-Americans
and Jews in this country at that time.” Have attitudes changed?
The last scene in the “Marshall” movie, released in
2017, shows Marshall’s arriving at a train station to take on his next case for
the NAACP. He’s about to defend a 14-year-old boy for reportedly killing a
police officer in Mississippi. Director Hedlin cast the parents of Trayvon
Martin, the Florida boy who was shot to death in 2012, to play the parents of
the boy Marshall is about to defend. Both Boseman and Gad agree this film shows
the fight continues. They’re hoping young people will see this film and be
inspired to follow Thurgood Marshall’s example and become lawyers seeking
justice for all.
Currently, you can see this film on Netflix. I highly
recommend all of you to see this film. It is one of the greatest films from the
last decade. It is so powerful and so realistic that you will believe you’re
watching the actual case happen in front of you. Everyone should see this,
especially since you can see the late Chadwick Boseman play such a powerful
role that he will forever be remembered for.
Next week, I will be looking at another amazing film
about one of the greatest civil rights leaders in “Black History Movie Month.”
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