Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, and Whoopi Goldberg
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Runtime: 131 mins. Reviewed in Mar 2023
Reviewer: Peter W Sheehan
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This biographical drama retells the killing of a 14-year-old boy in a racially inspired murder that occurred in 1955 in Mississippi, US.
The film is based on the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Deadwyler) who pursued justice following the murder of her young son, Emmett (Hall) in 1955. Emmett travelled from his home in Chicago to visit his cousins in Mississippi. The film follows the television release of the series, Women of the Movement in 2022, which told the story of Mamie Till, who became a leading educator and activist following the brutal murder of her son.
The film is dedicated to the memory of Mamie Till’s life and legacy, and was named as one of the top 10 films of 2022 by the National Board of Review. The film won the board’s award for “Best Breakthrough Performance” in 2022. Chukwu directed the movie, and wrote the screenplay; Goldberg plays Mamie’s mother, Alma; and Faison plays her father.
Emmett was beaten, lynched, tortured, hanged, shot, and thrown into the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. His mutilated body was found in the river, three days later. Emmett whistled in playful gesture at a white shop-keeper woman, Carolyn Bryant (Bennett) in her grocery store, who then complained to her husband who took action with two other men. The film is told from Mamie’s perspective. Emmett’s murder is not shown in the movie, but its brutality is powerfully captured in the visual depiction of his injuries. The extent of racism is shockingly revealed. The jury for the trial was 12 white men, who brought in a verdict of ‘nnocent’, and admissions of guilt that occurred later were not actioned.
Deadwyler brings Mamie Till stirringly to life iand projects an incredibly powerful portrayal of a mother’s grief. The film is a beautifully made, and Mamie does all she can to personally come to grips with the racial violence perpetrated against her son. This is a profoundly moving film about a mother’s relentless pursuit of justice, and vividly projects a mother’s journey from sorrow and grief to effective political action.
Viewers are asked to find strength in tragedy, and to search for hope in despair. The film educates about the evil of racism, and looks for ways to cope with emotional grief.
It is not an easy watch, but it is insightful. Mamie Till was so outraged by what was done to her son, that she made the painful decision to lie the dead body of Emmett in an open casket at her son’s funeral for every mourner to see. Her journey from grief to activism became a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement in the US. [No one has yet been imprisoned for Emmett’s murder.]
The film is a compelling combination of social activism, personal tragedy, and tense courtroom drama. In choosing to focus on Mamie, rather than brutal acts to Emmett, it highlights the social and cultural significance of unacceptable racism, requiring urgent redress. Deadwyler’s nuanced performance is outstanding. The viewer is never in doubt about how hideously Emmett was brutalised. Chukwu, as director, makes excellent use of Mamie’s anguish in the telling of the story, and Hall is compellingly naturalistic as the murdered teenager.
This is a film, that depicts a heinous crime in an emotional, moving way, by putting its narrative in broad focus and concentrating on civil rights issues. It depicts a world where inequality and racism are deeply ingrained, and it combines the personal and political with great force.
Till is well acted and crafted, intelligently directed, and compellingly speaks obvious truths. It invites insightful scrutiny to the terrible ramifications of racism – what its consequences have been, and hopefully never will be again.
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