SummaryThe architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, gay civil rights leader Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo) was one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known. He challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired. And he did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he ...
SummaryThe architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, gay civil rights leader Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo) was one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known. He challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired. And he did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he ...
Directed by George C. Wolfe with the same passion and conviction that defined its subject, Rustin reminds that the pursuit for equality has never been and should never be satisfied with the advancement of a single group.
This may be the best film I have seen thus far in the past 12 months. It depicts the life of Bayard Rustin, who was pivotal to the civil rights movement at the time of the March on Washington, all the while wrestling with personal setbacks. Colman Domingo should win the academy award for his portrayal of Rustin - a dynamic leader who inspired everyone in his orbit.
Las actuaciones son lo que más sobresalen en este drama real, que marcó un antes y después en materia de derechos civiles de los Estados Unidos. Desde luego que, el nivel de acción puede no satisfacer a todos.
Domingo, who began his career as a stage actor in San Francisco, brings velocity to all the scenes involving the march. He seems unbound, possessed by an understanding that he’s doing something bigger than himself.
The film can sometimes be dramatically simplistic, relying on perfunctory montages and creaky expositional dialogue, but Domingo ensures that Rustin is a layered and vibrant character, pushing Rustin to be bolder than it otherwise is.
It’s when the script leans into the story’s specificities that the film is at its most compelling – when intersectionality causes ruptures within the group, when we see civil rights giants fail to understand the hypocrisy of their homophobic bigotry, how Rustin manages his queerness in public and in private – and these moments help to provide depth to some of the flatness that’s in the more standard-issue scenes.
The film’s saving grace, as you’d expect, is Domingo. He conveys Ruskin’s inherent natural charisma so perfectly that no one will finish watching this film and wonder how such a flamboyant man became such a powerful figure in this homophobic era. Domingo’s performance makes you believe.
Bayard Rustin was an unapologetically **** Black man who was also a brilliant social activist and organizer. His friendship with Martin Luther King led to his creation of the historic March on Washington in 1963. Colman Domingo embodies the character layered with the undeniable charisma and meaningful depth that deserves award consideration. Director George C. Wolfe has surrounded him with an exceptional cast and filled every scene with compelling moments. This historical event was not without challenges and writers Julian Breece & Dustin Lance Black have told this story richly handling each setback and success. This is an important and fascinating story about a flamboyant man who was an important figure in the fight for equality.
Rustin foi um ativista adro-americano e ****, mas independentemente de qualquer orientação sexual ou cor de pele, ficaria difícil sobressair-se quando tínhamos figuras como Martin Luther King, seu contemporâneo, agindo a favor da busca por direitos civis nos EUA.
Assim, o filme a todo o instante tenta criar uma tensão entre o protagonista, muito bem vivido por Colman Domingo, e o líder Sr, King, sendo que o filme funciona muito mais quando os discursos se complementam, ainda que entrem em conflito.Tanto que a opção ideológica de Rustin pela "não-violência", dada a ótima construção do personagem, soa até natural, mas o fio da meada se perde quando tenta fazer disso um pilar revolucionário ou distintivo do biográfico em contraponto aos elementos de embate na trama, o que sinceramente põe em cheque a própria veracidade dos fatos.
Assim, o filme ganha contornos de decidir sobre os meios polpiticos mais adequados de se fazer a famosa marcha de Washington em 1963, lembrando filmes como "A voz da igualdade". Mas, claro, George C. Wolfe está longe de ser um Gus Van Sant, demodo que subtramas como o romance proibido, por mais que tenha lá seu charme, soaram mesmo pra fazer passar as horas até o derradeiro clímax, que diga-se de passagem, ficou devendo.
Ainda assim, é interessante ver a composição do clima da época,e o filme consegue trazer elementos interessantes, como a polícia local e a relação com a igreja, com uma visão bem multifacetada, não caindo em maniqueísmo, o que é um baita ponto positivo. Assim, sem fazer uso de vilões caricatos e lapidando um texto acima da mádia, Colman Domingos brilha num terreno muito bem preparado, com um roteiro que é eficiente e uma produção que garante a estatura da obra.
Ótimo filme para se ambientar naqueles turbulentos anos de 1960, com direito a várias menções importantes, seja de presidentes ou do famoso diretor do FBI à época, Edgar Hoove, e outras tantas personalidades, mas que em nenhum momento sufoca o protagonista, que brilha com luz própria e pela ótima e bem vinda caracterização.
Unsung heroes often don’t get their day. Fortunately, however, for civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo), principal organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, he’s finally getting his due in this new biopic about the many challenges he faced in bringing this event into being. The flamboyant, outspoken, Black **** organizer faced much opposition to his proposal, including, surprisingly enough, from an African-American community that was apprehensive about the message his appointment and presence would send to a still-reluctant public in its support for equal rights measures, including such noteworthy figures as NAACP leader Roy Wilkins (Chris Rock) and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (Jeffrey Wright). Things were even tense at times between Rustin and his longtime friend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Aml Ameen), for whom Rustin once served as his chief aide and advisor. Then there was Rustin’s sexual orientation, a matter he didn’t exactly hide, especially in his less-than-discreet relationship with married preacher Elias Taylor (Johnny Ramey), something other activists feared could undo all the progress they had made up to that time. But, as a determined champion, Rustin forged ahead, despite these hardships, culminating in the largest peaceful protest ever staged in the nation’s capital. To the film’s credit, director George C. Wolfe has compiled an informative period piece biography, even if the approach is somewhat conventional and, admittedly, gets off to a rather rocky start in the first half hour. However, that’s made up for by a strong second half and the picture’s powerhouse cast, including Domingo (a strong Oscar nominee contender), Wright and Ameen, as well as Glynn Turman and CCH Pounder in fine supporting performances. While this offering may not be everything it could have been, “Rustin” nevertheless reminds us of what so many people fought so hard to achieve – and why it’s so important that we strive to protect those accomplishments against backsliding and those who might seek to undermine the fulfillment of those much-cherished attainments.
A great performance by Colman Domingo provides this project with enough weight to get by, and that is because beyond the recognition it provides for the figure of Bayard Rustin, this is an extremely conventional film.
'Rustin' is an ordinary biopic that fails to make an effective balance between the intimacy of the protagonist (a **** black man labeled as a communist and agitator by the U.S. government) and the grand scale of his life project: organizing the 1963 peaceful march on Washington D.C. to end racial segregation. Although Colman Domingo truly disappears in his role, nothing in the film is worth mentioning: the other characters are flat, the digital effects in the Washington Monument scenes are poor, and the march sequence is as unexciting as it is brief. Unlike 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' director George C. Wolfe's previous work, this one feels too pristine, superficial, and vague.