SummaryTill is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. In Mamie’s poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother’s ability to c...
SummaryTill is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. In Mamie’s poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother’s ability to c...
Using a variety of filmmaking techniques, Chukwu asks us to look at Deadwyler’s performance as Mamie in many different ways — to study her grief, her herculean poise, the polarity between her power and vulnerability — and to truly understand and feel the enormity of what she accomplished.
Till is more understatedly effective, and Deadwyler’s performance at its most powerful, when Chukwu resists and even undermines the template of the prestige biographical drama she only appears to be making.
Told from a real event, it is a hard reflection on the racial prejudices that were common currency in the distant 50's, in the United States; and an example of courage and search for justice. This is one of those movies that stays in memory for a long time.
"Till" was a brilliantly directed movie. It was very clear that the director, Chinonye Chukwu took the utmost care to tell this important story. Every element in this film felt like it had genuine purpose: from scene execution, to the score, to the actors performances, everything comes together perfectly to shed necessary light on this ugly portion of America's history. Danielle Deadwyler’s performance was especially outstanding in this movie and her portrayal of Mamie Till-Mobley might just be the strongest performance of 2022.
And, while I feel that this is an important and powerful movie that people should watch, I also feel that it is very important to make sure you're prepared to watch a film like this: Anyone who knows of the horrifying event’s that occurred in 1955, knows that this movie will be a heartbreaking movie to sit through. Please make sure you are in a good place before seeing this movie.
Yes, it’s graphic. But that’s the point. The discrimination and racism that fueled Emmett Till's murder and sparked the civil rights movement are still omnipresent.
Wherever Chukwu places her camera, Deadwyler’s face makes us understand not just what Mamie is going through but rather the reality of what this country does to its Black citizens. It’s a performance of quiet strength and loud emotion, though Deadwyler is never loud or histrionic. She just simmers with profound pain.
While it can get rightfully goose-bumpy at times, what distinguishes Till from most other well-intentioned films telling similarly themed stories set during this tumultuous era of American history is the absence of white saviors. It’s about time.
É impressionante que mesmo com um tema já visto várias vezes, a relevância social de abordar o racismo, ainda mais partindo de uma história real, se mostra como urgente. E tão é assim que, passados 67 anos do caso do garoto que foi linchado, em 2022 a lei anti-linchamento foi aprovada, mostrando que não se trata de mero revisionismo.
Ainda assim, o filme não escapa da burocracia: apresentação delicada dos personagens (em especial sua relação com a mãe), o olhar já gelado dela ao se despedir do filho quando ele parte para o Mississipi, o lugar provinciano, passando com poucos quadros até a cena em que o rapaz comete a besteira, na inocência, de assobiar para uma jovem branca.
Tudo muito redondinho, com quadros que não alcançam aspiração nenhuma.
Daí o roteiro foca no que há de melhor: na reação da mãe e seus desdobramentos sobre ela para o caso. A cena em que ela conversa com o irmão, que presenciou o garoto sendo levado para o abate, é de uma preciosidade e sensibilidade tamanha, de modo que o filme acertadamente foca em como a mãe teve que lidar com uma situação que, de particular e familiar, ganhou repercussão nacional, tornou-se símbolo de ativismo público. É a politização das narrativas identitárias muito forte aqui, e o modo como o filme trabalhou esse elemento e a personagem da mãe, maestralmente interpretada por Daniellle Deadwyler, que consegue se sobressair a qualquer interpretação que tenha no filme, a cada aparição e quadro. Nem a participação de Whoopy Goldberg é tão encantadora quanto acompanhar a mãe se descontruindo e desolada.
O filme então tem grande méritos pela atuação, é o que lhe resta para suportar o peso da direção e do roteiro morno. Os diálogos são maniqueístas ao extremo, para ter o tom sempre didático em defesa da ideia antirracista. Não que isso seja ruim, mas acredito que a opção pela verossimilhança seria um soco maior no estômago.
Entretanto, em cenas cruciais dá pra sentir um capricho no filme em refinar a mensagem, o que garante uma boa sessão e com doses cavalares de realidade gritando na tela.
To see the mistreatment of blacks by whites in the deep south is hard to watch. Slaves had no chance. But this was a young man of 14 in 1955. Why send him down there? Today's newspapers have stories of young Americans who travel to foreign countries and think they are bulletproof. Guess we haven't learned much.
I think the most important thing this film represents is that this is a story that should by no means be forgotten.
Till accomplishes enough in that regard, but it also leaves a void in terms of its relevance because, for some reason that I didn't understand, the film focuses more on showing the immediate aftermath rather than giving more importance to what Emmett Till's death represented.
Not that I think the film in any way seeks to be a cheap melodrama because it never resorts to that, but the fact that everything that happened after the trial only ends up as little information cards at the end of the film makes the more resonant moments feel watered down.
It's a good movie, but I wasn't expecting such a predictable and basic treatment.
I see Metacritic is still allowing people who have obviously not seen a movie to post negative reviews as a means to sabotage it. Usually, the saboteurs are MAGA types on a crusade to downplay films with a diverse cast or a subject matter unflattering to white folks. If Metacritic does not find a way to restrict these kinds of reviews, the website will become useless.
"Till" is a movie that everyone should see even though it doesn't quite live up to the hype.
Production Company
Eon Productions,
Frederick Zollo Productions,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),
Orion Pictures,
Whoop/One Ho Productions/Lil' Whoop Productions