THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Directed by George C Wolfe; screenplay by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black
On Netflix from November 17, 2023
Martin Luther King’s legendary 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington was a key landmark in US history and was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act the following year.
At his side that day was Bayard Rustin, whose idea the march was and whose dynamism made it happen, but who then got sidelined in the annals of history. This was because he was a gay Black man at a time when this was a major taboo. The Civil Rights Movement being all about respectability made ‘Sunday best’ compulsory for all its members, but Rustin stood out. His shirt was always wrinkled, his arguments never curtailed by fake propriety, and he was a rebel to his core. Without his charisma, perseverance and mastery of every detail of logistics, though, the march would never have happened. This film details how, starting with no money, they pulled together a motley alliance of civil rights, labor, and religious organizations which in the end delivered an astonishing 250,000 people to Washington on that day. All of it in the face of hostility from police and the authorities.
When it was all over and everyone gave a sigh of relief, the 10 ‘leaders’ were then invited by Kennedy to the White House, but Rustin was left behind to help clear up the trash with the others.
This engaging film by acclaimed theater maker George C Wolfe (who also made Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and produced by the Obamas’ company Higher Ground, shines an overdue light on Rustin’s remarkable legacy. Along the way Wolfe makes it into a captivating drama which fizzes with energy, fired along by a dazzling jazz score from the great Branford Marsalis.
It is unflinching in detailing the struggles Rustin had to overcome, not just the homophobia, but the deadening internal politics of the movement. We witness his complicated relationships with King (Aml Ameen) and other leaders of the period such as the NAACP’s Roy Wilkins (Chris Rock) and devious pastor-politician Adam Clayton Powell Jr (Jeffrey Wright), all of whom were threatened by him in one way or another.
There is deserved Oscar ‘buzz’ around Colman Domingo’s performance as Rustin. From very similar backgrounds, Domingo immerses himself in Rustin’s life bringing great light and shade to the part, drawing out his flawed humanity and firecracker wit. His articulacy might be a tad ‘theatrical’ at times but it’s a gift to the screenwriters, who can slay so much exposition they might otherwise have needed.
Having a Queer director and leading man too does help ensure that he’s not presented as heroic or saintly and neither is he a victim. He was as uncloseted as he could be, and yet we witness the pain of gay men at that era, navigating the burdens of secrecy, the stolen moments with lovers, and that settling for partners who can never give themselves totally, as it’s the easiest option. His high-stakes passion for Elias Taylor (Johnny Ramey), a handsome young married pastor, is particularly moving.
Domingo, who has had a distinguished career in theater and TV, was once told by his agent that he’d have trouble being cast as he’s “a character actor in a leading man’s body”. I don’t think this problem will persist.
