Rustin

When it comes to portraying true events in film, there comes a point when you start to question whether or not some of the chosen material is warranting of a cinematic portrayal. It is incredibly important for history when presented in a film format to be told in a way that can educate people as much as it can entertain, so when certain stories centred around events, places or even people don’t have much of a pull, the documentary space might be more suited for them where it can be more analytical yet still be showcased in a visually dynamic manner. This conundrum is what came to mind when it was announced that a movie based around Bayard Rustin, a civil rights activist who was crucial in helping Martin Luther King Jr. organize the 1963 March on Washington, was going to be made. While certainly a person who deserves to have his story told, the frequent showcase of racial inequality during this specific time period of American history, along with the usual Hollywood tropes associated with these biopics, has made these films grow stale and interchangeable. So, imagine the surprise when this 2023 Netflix film doesn’t come across in that fashion and actually feels like it earns its movie status. Bayard Rustin (played by Colman Domingo) acts as a close advisor to Martin Luthor King Jr. (played by Aml Ameen) during his political career, yet after a news publication threatens to expose Rustin’s homosexuality as a means of tarnishing King Jr’s image, Bayard unwittingly sacks himself from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (or the NAACP). After a decade of working within a job he can’t stand, Rustin gets the idea to hold one of the biggest peace rallies America has ever seen in order to convince President Kennedy to pass the Civil Rights Act in congress. With the help of several other political leaders (with Martin Luthor King Jr. being at the front) and many public citizens (be they black or white) who wish to support the cause, what once looked like a pipe dream has now become a possible reality. But with the threat of Rustin’s sexuality damaging the credibility of the march (especially by those who wish to see it not fulfilled) and with many even within their group believing Rustin should stay out of the spotlight in order for this already dangerous act to go smoothly, will he be willing to fade from history in order for it to be changed for the better? For a movie that looked quite mediocre from the trailers and with its only noticeable merit being an award-nominated lead performance, Rustin actually does more than just coast on that label, producing a well-made movie with gripping performances, good direction and writing, and a lively personality.

Bayard Rustin feels like a person who does deserve to be talked about as he was extremely instrumental in orchestrating one of the most impactful moments in the Civil Rights Movement and was crucial in leading way for better standards for those in the black community, but the problem was whether or not it needed to be through a movie. Several people have had biopics about their lives and while there have been some good ones related to this period of history like Selma, Malcolm X, and Judas and the Black Messiah, they have been multiple occasions where it hasn’t been as effective. They can very easily either be so truncated and stripped down in exchange for more traditional Hollywood cliches that you don’t feel like you learn anything about the individual, or so preachy and clearly biased towards one viewpoint that it comes across as manipulative and solely existing to get critical and awards recognition. Rustin honestly looked like it would be both and had everything in place to be adequate but leave no real impression (even featuring both Barack and Michelle Obama as well as Oscar-friendly producer Bruce Cohen gave off that kind of vibe). Thankfully, it felt like the people who worked on this movie not only had a passion to tell this story, but also do so in a way that doesn’t come across as aggressively sombre, melodramatically serious, or act like it’s some game-changer of a film. Instead, the film is respectable and does its job at illustrating this man’s involvement in the civil rights movement, but also brings a punchy liveliness and hopeful cheer to the picture that allows it to feel more enjoyable and inviting to watch, and not just like you’re being lectured for the whole running time. While the script written by Dustin Lance Black and Julian Breece (who also wrote the story for the film) may skimp out on a few details and doesn’t offer the most cohesive delivery on this man’s life, it provides just enough to make him feel fleshed out, but not enough that it feels like excess knowledge that doesn’t relate to the story at hand, it’s a pretty tightly handled screenplay. This is also a very impressive upgrade for director George C. Wolfe, whose previous examples in leading a film weren’t as well received, with his past experience as a playwright getting in the way of making his film’s feel cinematic. In this situation, you can still feel the movie is small in scale, with certain attributes like the camerawork, music and even layout of several scenes still feeling a little under-cooked and not very movie-like, but the pace is much stronger, the actors don’t just feel like they are spouting monologues all the time, the energy is much more active, the editing by Andrew Mondshein creates a great flow between scenes, and outside of a few choice moments, the movie doesn’t feel self-important and allows its audience to enjoy what its informing you about rather than sitting you down for a ”serious discussion”.

The only notable component of this film that was getting any traction was Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin. Being an actor that has had a long Broadway career and slowly built a name for himself within the television and movie space, this was the first time he was getting noticeable recognition, and many were very happy to see that. At first, he doesn’t feel like his acting entirely works as it comes across like an obvious performance from the voice to the over exaggerated demeanor, it feels a little too fabricated and like its gnawing for attention. However, once the film gets going and the plan gets put into motion, it totally settles in, and he really does a fantastic job that is worthy of award recognition. Its subtle enough to not feel like an exaggerated caricature, but it is exaggerated enough that his sparky, crowd-appealing nature comes through, and it makes you buy why a lot of people would believe in and want to help this guy. It also thankfully tackles his sexual identity in a way that doesn’t feel expected and repetitive, rather tying it into the event in a manner that feels distinct to the situation. The notion of racial and sexual discrimination was very apparent in this time period (and every movie set around this time often portrays it in a very by-the-numbers way with all the familiar scenes), but this film frames the situation as whether his open homosexuality and past associations with communism could cause strife for their cause and result in easy-pickings for those that want to ruin it, raising the idea of if it’s less selfish to fade from history as long as what you are hoping to achieve gets recognized. It’s well handled, and he is very good in this part. What’s refreshing though is that despite no other actors being praised outside of Domingo, the rest of the cast is also very good, contains that same level of believable yet infectious likability, and have a manner of speech that is so gripping that you totally buy most of them as political speakers of that era. While some aren’t amazing, like Johnny Ramey is fine but attached to a kind of one-note subplot, and Chris Rock feels a little too phoney against a cast of authentic portrayals, but otherwise this is a really good cast. Gus Halper is quite good as Rustin’s semi-boyfriend, people like Aml Ameen, Glynn Turman, CCH Pounder, Michael Potts, and Audra McDonald are fantastic portraying these real-world activists with grit and power, Jeffrey Wright and Da’Vine Joy Randolph have small but memorable cameos, and even most of the people within Rustin’s group like Lili Kay, Jordan-Amanda Hall, Jakeem Powell, Grantham Coleman, Jamilah Rosemond, and Jules Latimer managed to stand out as memorable and integral pieces to how this world-changing event got made, it’s a pretty solid cast overall.

Whether it’s due to the fact that it’s a Netflix film or from Wolfe’s previously mentioned non-cinematic history, this film doesn’t look the most movie-quality. This is an improvement over some of his past work as it does feel like there is at least some attempt from the camerawork by Tobias A. Schliessler to be cinematic and get a few shots and angles that show off the environment in a presentable manner, but for the most part, that doesn’t really save an otherwise unimpressive visual style. There’s awkward framing, an occasional shaking low-quality element to some of the shots (a particularly noticeable one involving two characters talking at a park bench) and there are some odd zoom ins and close-ups that feel several years old and aren’t impressive to look at. It’s not distracting enough to ruin many of the more stable and serious moments (probably because they are shot very straightforwardly), but it’s not a quality that really enhances the experience or even feels that cinematic. The same in some ways could be said for the music, with a score by Branford Marsalis that incorporates a lot of swing and jazz sound into the film but doesn’t really seem to serve much of a purpose. At first, it feels like its spicing up what could’ve been a dull experience (like it needed some fast active music to make otherwise boring discussions not as mundane), but because the film actually does a good job keeping the audience’s interest through its passionate acting and directing, the music doesn’t really have a purpose or even a musical language that benefits the film. With that said however, once it evolves with the movie and starts to become more frequent in some of the more upbeat, playful moments, it becomes a fun piece of music that matches the tone and energy the picture is giving off. It’s not a piece that’s trying to create a style or atmosphere of the time period like other biopics of its type are but is just allowing itself to be an accompanying piece and have fun with it.

Rustin didn’t feel like it needed to be a movie originally, but much like its main focus, it proved through passion, commitment, and electric persuasive talent that it was deserving of that cinematic delivery and not just be relegated into being a documentary (which are important and can be amazing, but there is a difference). With that said, it’s not like this film is going to really stand out amongst the crowd of other films that talk about relevant race issues or important events that occurred during the civil rights movement. This film is handled quite well and does feel different enough from some of the previously listed examples to not feel like any cog in the wheel, but its weak advertising, being stuck on a streaming service and having no traction outside of its lead actor in the awards circuit, means it won’t be something to actively search out if you weren’t interested in the first place. However, if you are, you won’t just see a stale film with nothing to offer, but instead a competently constructed film with solid performances, improved direction, effective scripting, and a tone that is hopeful and inviting rather than depressing and harsh. Not required viewing, but will give you more than you expect, this feels like a forgotten bit of history that you can give a second glance.