This blog title isn't mean to minimize the gravity (and excellence!) of the two films I watched this week, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Selma. I say "pop culture" because the films made it into the public realm, or mainstream media.
With that disclaimer out of the way, watching these films back to back on a bitterly cold Monday is an emotional way to start the week.
It's difficult to translate my emotions evoked by the films into full, coherent sentence so I'll just take the easy route and lay out some words that come to mind: Anger. Sadness. Disbelief. Solidarity. Hope. Togetherness. Notice the transition? Three bad, three good. That has to do with the fact that the civil rights movements of both the United States and South Africa were ultimately successful, but at a huge human cost.
Simply put, I learned a lot from the films about both the details surrounding the movements and the personal lives of their two iconic leaders.
I knew that Mandela had a wife while he was in prison, but I knew nothing of Winnie's political action. Watching the rift develop between her and Nelson about the nature of the movement (Nelson's non-violent approach vs. Winnie's more radical, militant perspective) throughout the film was interesting and sad.
Here's a quote I admired from Winnie, after she was released from 18 months of solitary confinement:
"I say to my jailers, Thank you'. And I say to the government
'Thank you.' You've helped me grow up. I was very young when I married Nelson.
I'm not young anymore. And I am not afraid anymore."
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The march scene in Selma - and also ones leading up to the big march - was amazing. The overlap of the shots and the music was phenomenal. I cried.
If anyone is interested in learning more about Spider Martin, the photojournalist whose photos inspired many of the scenes in the film, check out this New York Times article.
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I have to mention, some details about the personal lives of Mandela and MLK was uncomfortable and confusing to process. As someone who takes domestic violence extremely serious, my heart dropped during the scene where Mandela pushed his first wife. On that same note, the scene between MLK and his wife that hinted at an extramarital affair was tough to watch.
Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that these men were actual human beings. Sounds simple, but the idea is that because they are complex beings (and not picture-perfect characters in a book) they're not going to be perfect. Their imperfections don't downplay their incredible historical significance and selflessness for the improvement of South African and American society.
Having watched Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, I definitely feel more knowledgable about the nature of the anti-apartheid movement. The film especially contextualized its complexities (non-violent vs. violent sects) and the public perception of Mandela - before, during and after prison.
This is a really great blog post that reflects many of my own feelings after watching the two films. Like you, I chose to watch both films on one day, and boy was that an emotional roller coaster. To get a personal glimpse into the lives of the two great leaders and see the hidden but still vitally important aspects of their lives put into perspective that they were human beings, just like you and me. For example, I had never even heard of Winnie Mandela let alone her significance until I watched Long Walk to Freedom. In a way, the two movies makes me want to look past the face value of other great figures in history and see their real human background.
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