Till
review by Bobby Blakey
There are true stories in our history that are disgusting and horrible moments in human history, but need to be told. Most of these managed to use the tragedy to make some positive change in the world, but are also still way to relevant. If you don’t know the story of Emmett Till than that is already a travesty, but with the latest film Till it is bringing the horrible crime to the spotlight. The film stars Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, and Whoopi Goldberg from Clemency director Chinonye Chukwu. Could this film do justice to the legacy of this tragic event or will it be another failed execution of the law?
Till follows 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 change the world.
IF you don’t know this story then shame on you as it should be something that everyone knows about. It is a horrific tragedy that is made all the more sad by the fact that it is still relevant all these years later. This film does lead up to and showcase the murder of Lucas Till, but for those concerned with the visuals it is not graphic yet still impactful in its execution. I was wondered how it would be handled as it is the most important moment of the film to really get the impact of where it is heading into the trial.
While that impact is important and the whole story is infuriating it is made so much more so when the lies and racism begins to engulf all the proceedings. With every turn I found myself getting more and more angry about not only what happened with the murder and trial, but by just the
sheer behavior of people and knowing this still exits. There is a specific moment in the trial where the woman involved in the altercation that led to this murder gives her testimony that had mu blood boiling.
Danielle Deadwyler is a powerhouse here and delivers an outstanding performance. She has moments where she says nothing and just her look and mannerisms say everything. She carries this movie on her shoulders and comes out the other side delivering pure heartbreaking brilliance. The rest of the cast are great as well don’t get me wrong, but this is all her and I hope she gets the recognition she deserves.
This is a powerful movie that should be seen by all that once again shines light on the horrific injustices of racism in our country. You can try to dismiss it with the time, but this was just a stepping stone to what should have been making things better yet here we are still hearing about these same types of events.
Decide for yourself and check out Till available now on Blu-ray and DVD.
