Ochoa 1

CarolinaOchoa
Dr.McLaughlin
WR1330
2March2015
Selma:RhetoricalAnalysisoftheMarchforChange
TheUntiedStatesofAmericaduringthe1950sand60swasaplaceofracialtension.
Althoughslaveryhadbeenoutlawedfordecades,itseffectslingeredon,particularlydowninthe
South.AssistancefromtheCivilRightsMovementpromptedthemajorityofthenationto
desegregate,butnoteveryonewasonboard.Somesouthernstatesresistedandrefusedtoletgo
ofthepast.Eventually,thisoppositionbroughtcivilrightsleaderMartinLutherKingJr.and
othersfromtheSouthernChristianLeadershipConferencetoSelma,Alabama,whereAfrican
Americanswerestillbeingdeniedtheirrights.Oncethere,amarchwasledinprotestagainstthe
denialofvotingrightsforAfricanAmericansoftheregion.Thathistoriceventwasrelivedin
theatersthroughouttheUSbymeansofahistoricalfilmcalledSelma.DirectedbyAva
DuVernay,SelmaretellsthehistoryoftheSelmaMarchonamorepersonallevel.Selmachooses
tohighlighttheemotional,andphysical,tolltheparticipantsofthe1960scivilrightsmovement
enduredinordertostressthedifficultnatureofchangeandillustratewhycurrentsocietymust
notregressinlieuofcurrentsocialtension.Thefilmsrhetoric1illustratesthesepointsbyuseof
cinematographyeffectssuchascloseupsandslowmotionofthecamera,alongwiththe
dialogueofconversationsbetweencharacters.

1 James Herrick defines rhetoric as, the systematic study and intentional practice of
effective symbolic expression (7). In other words, rhetoric is the use of using words or
images to convey a message clearly and effectively to a targeted audience.

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InSelma,theuseofcloseupsallowstheaudienceaglimpseatthepainandstrainsofthecivil
rightsleadersandparticipantsinordertoemphasizethedifficultnatureofchangeandofwhy
societymuststayfirminitscurrentholdonequality.Thechangesoughtforwasequalityofthe
racesinAmerica,whichwaswonbutatacost.TherearevariousscenesinSelmathatillustrate
thiswithuseofcloseups.Forexample,closeupshotswereemployedinscenesofmurdersand
beatingsofactivists,enhancingthescenesemotionalimpact,suchasthesceneofJimmieLee
Jacksonsmurder.AfterJimmie,hismotherandgrandfatherfleefromcorruptpolicemen,who
werebeatingonpeacefulprotesters,theyareseeninarestaurantwithfrightenedandanxious
expressions.Therearecloseupshotsoftheirfaces,givingtheaudienceasenseofwhatJimmie
andhisfamilyarefeeling.Shortlyafter,astruggleensuesasthreepolicemenburstinand
viciouslybeatJimmieselderlygrandfatherasanotherholdshismotherbythethroatwitha
baton.AsJimmietriestointerveneinanonviolentway,thethirdpolicemanbeginsto
mercilesslybeatonhimbeforecallouslyshootingJimmieatpointblackrange.Jimmiesfaceof
pain,confusion,anddespairisclearlyandslowlyseenbeforehefallsdown,dead.Hismother,at
justwitnessinghersonmurderedincoldblood,beginstocryhystericallyandcradlesherdead
soninherarmsasthegrandfatherpassesoutafewfeetaway.
Thebrutalnatureofthisscene,intensifiedbycloseupshots,showsthehorrorsendured
inorderforchangeandequalitytocomeabout.TheaudienceseesthatJimmiewasmurderedfor
change.TheSouthwasfirminitsresistanceandasaresult,thousandsofinnocentAfrican
Americans,likeJimmie,andothercitizenssupportiveofcivilrights,werebeatenandmurdered.
Thepurposeofthecamerascloseupsinthisscenewastocallattentiontothesufferingfeltby
thesecharacterstounderscorethearduousnatureofchange(Lancioni110).Infilmand

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cinematography,reframingisoftenusedtoprovidecloseupsofindividuals[oranyobject]
barelynoticeableintheoriginalandcanbeseenasinvitingviewerstoquestionandengage
withthemedian(Lancioni106).Here,theviewerisinvitedintothestrenuousprocessofchange
intheDeepSouth,inadditiontoitscruelty.ThisinvitationtotheinjusticesoftheSouthhasan
emotionalappealthataim[s]eithertoelicitanemotionortoengagetheaudiencesloyaltiesor
commitments.(Herrick13).Here,theaudiencescommitmenttociviljusticeandobedienceto
thecountrysinstitutions,suchasthepoliceforce,andtheirmoralsaretested.Moreover,these
scenescanbeseenassomewhatsimilartorecentracialtensionsofthecountry,suchas
Ferguson2,anddemonstratetotheaudiencewhatwasenduredforabetterfutureandwhysociety
nowmustensurethesecurityofthatfuture.
Inadditiontocloseups,theuseofslowmotionforcinematographyeffectfurtherhammers
hometheideathatchangeistoughtocomebyandofwhyourchangedsocietymustnotregress.
Longtakes,slowpans,andtightcloseupsinvitetheviewerstoexploreimages[and]reflecton
theirpossiblemeaning(Lancioni109).Theslowmotionsutilizedoessuch,astheaudienceis
abletoreflectonthemomentintimeandattributemeaningtoit.Anexampleofthiscanbe
foundatthebeginningofSelma,astheexplosionofachurchissloweddown.Inthisscene,the
audiencewitnessesfiveAfricanAmericangirls,dressedintheirSundaybestoutfits,walk
downstairsandasonegirlstopsbehindtheothersonthestaircase,anunexpectedexplosion
occurs.Insteadofhavingtheexplosionplayoutinregulartime,itisdecelerated,showingthe
movementofthedebrisandbodiesoftheinnocentgirls.Thescenethencutstoblackandslowly
pansout,overtherumblesofthechurchwiththebodiesofthegirlscoveredinitsruins.The
2 Ferguson is a city in Missouri where riots and protest took place as a result of the
killing of an unarmed black teen, Michael Brown, by a white police officer.

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decreasedmovementoftimewithslowmotionextendsandaugmentsthetragedythathasjust
occurred.Theeffectofthismobileframingmakes[the]viewerssymbolicenactorsofthevery
acttheywouldcondemnasinhuman(Lancioni111).Slowmotiondoesthisbyprolongingthe
inhumanact,makingtheaudienceabituncomfortableandevenoutraged.Anappealismade
totheaudiencesemotionstoagaindemonstratewhathasbeenenduredforabetterfutureand
whysocietynowmustensurethesecurityofthatfuture.Also,theslowmotionofthisscene,and
eventhesceneofJimmieLeesmurder,createsthesenseofanextendedtime,whichsymbolizes
thedurationoftheinjusticesandhowlongittookforchangetocomeabout.Thelengthenshot
ofthechurchexplosionisametaphorforthelengthytimeittookforthiscountrytochangeits
oldways.Theaudienceswhoarewitnessingthistravestyoccurarelikethepeopleofthecountry
whowerewatchingthehumiliations,beatings,andmurdersofAfricanAmericans.Thishasthe
purposeoftestingtheaudiencesmoralsandshowingwhysocietycantallowforracial
differencestobringaboutsuchimmoralactions,suchaskillinginnocentchildren.
Selmasdialogue,particularlyintimatedialogue,betweencharacters,suchasMLK,John
Lewis,andCorettaKing,alsohighlightstheonerousnatureofchangebygivingtheaudience
insightintowhatthecharactersfelt.SomeoftheintimateconversationsbetweenMLKandhis
wifeCorettashowthestrainsthattheirmarriageandthemselveswereunderduringthe
movement.AlthoughCorettawasnotapartoftheSelmaMarch,shewastargetedduetoher
connectionwithMLKanddealtwithagreat,emotionalstruggleoverconcernsforherfamilys
safety.Shewouldreceivemenacingphonecallsthatwouldthreatenherfamilyortrytodestroy
hermarriagebyusingrecordingsofMLKsallegedaffairs.EventhoughCorettabottledupmost
ofherworries,sheoccasionallyexpressedherdistressandsadnesstoKing.Moreover,King

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wouldalsoexpresshisowndoubtsandworrieshehadhimself.WhileMLKandJohnLewis,a
civilrightsleader,rodeinacar,KingrevealedtoJohnthewearinesshefeltandhisdoubtof
continuingthemarchinSelma,sincechangewasnoteasytocomebyandpeopleweregetting
hurt.Tothis,LewisrespondsbysharingwithKinghisexperienceontheMontgomerybusride
wherehisfriend,Jesse,wassavagelybeatenunconsciousbyawhitemanandhisdaughter.
LewisthenproceedstotellKingthatdespitethefactofbeingbadlybeaten,Lewisstillattending
agatheringKingheldthefollowingday.LewistellsKingthistoencourageandassurehimthat
althoughchangeisdifficulttocomeby,itwillcomeifitistrueandright.Currently,thatchange
hasbeensoughtandinstilledinsociety,butonecanseeglimpsesintothepastwithrecentevents
suchasFerguson.ThedialoguebetweenMLK,Coretta,Lewis,andothercharactersofthefilm,
paintsthepictureofhowmuchdamagedwascausedandhowmucheffortwasputintothecivil
rightsmovementforconstitutionalchangetohappen.
However,onemayarguethatthedialogueofSelmaillustrateshowfragiletheinner
workingsofthecivilrightsmovementwas.Thedialoguemayportraythisinthesensethatit
showstheuncertaintyfeltbythecharactersaboutthecivilrightsmovement.Anexampleofthis
doubtcanbefoundintheconversationbetweenMLKandLewisinMLKsvehicle.Inaddition
torevealingtoLewishiswearinessandapprehensionwithfollowingthroughwiththemarch,
KingapologizestoLewisfortheproblemshehasbeenencounteringwithhisstudent
organization.LewissgroupseemstobeatadivideduetothearrivalofKingandhis
organization.AlthoughinSelmatohelp,thepresenceofthesecharactersstirsupmixedfeelings
fortheorganization,especiallyforitsotherleaderJamesForeman.Foremandoesnotlikethe
factthatKingisinSelma,inspiteofthembothhavingthesameultimategoal.HeseesKings

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presenceaspotentiallyharmfultotheircause,andisinitiallyreluctanttothemarch.Thissortof
unrestbetweencivilrightsactivistsandleaders,inadditiontoMLKs(theprimaryfigureforthe
movement)tiredness,seeninthefilmcanpotentiallybeattributedtothenotionthatthecivil
rightsmovementwasmorefragilethanmostpeoplewouldbelieve.
Althoughthatinterpretationisplausible,itisnotwhatthedialoguehintsat.Infact,there
arekeymomentsinthedialogueofSelmathatshowsstrengtheninthemovement.Forexample,
whencivilrightslawyerFredGray,playedbyCubaGoodingJr.,isspeakingtoJudgeJohnson,
hesaysthat,hundredsofpeople[are]travel[ing]acrossthecountrytoattendtomorrows
march.ThemarchGrayreferstothesecondattemptatmarchingfromSelmatoMontgomery,
AL.Afterthefirstattemptwasthwartedbybrutishpoliceforcethroughmeansofphysical
violence,MLKputsoutapleaforAmericanstotakeaction,whichmanydo.Thesecondmarch
isnoticeablylargerwithmanymoreparticipants,mainlywhitepeople,joininginthebattle.
Regardless,thisstillisntenoughforchangetooccur.SomeofthewhitepeopleoftheSouthstill
resistandrefusetoacknowledgetherightsofblacks.Someevengoasfarastreatingthosewho
assistinthecivilrightsbattleasbadorworstthanAfricanAmericans,sincetheyareconsidered
traitors.ThisisseenwhenReverendJamesReebsismurderedbyanger,whiteSouthernersfor
beingawhitenigger.ThiswhitemansspeechofhateanddisregardforthelifeofAfrican
Americanssympathizersshowshowdifficultitwastotrytoimprovethesocialandpolitical
statusofAfricanAmericanintheregionandforsocialjusticetocomeabout.
Selmaisanextraordinaryfilmthattakestheaudienceonatriptothepast.Thepurposeof
thistripwastoeducatetheaudienceonthestorybehindtheSelmaMarchandofthebattle
foughtinorderforchangeandjusticetocomeandtriumph.Thefilmsrhetoricillustratesthese

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pointsbyuseofcloseups,slowmotion,anddialoguetoconveyasenseofthetaxingworkthe
civilrightsleadersandactivistsperformedinorderforalltobetrulyequal.Theirvaluablework
mustbepreserved.Currently,racialtensionsreflectahintofareturntothepast,inwhichsociety
mustovercome.Thecountryasawholemustcometogether,likethemarchersinSelmadid,to
maintaintheeffortsoftheCivilRightsMovementandthekeepthedreamthatMartinLuther
KingJr.hadalive.

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WorksCited
Herrick,JamesA."AnOverviewofRhetoric."TheHistoryandTheoryofRhetoric:AnIntroduction.
2nded.Boston:AllynandBeacon,2001.123.Print.
Lancioni,JudithA."TheRhetoricoftheFrame:RevisioningArchivalPhotographsinTheCivilWar."
RhetoricalAnalysisandHistoricalDocumentary:ACaseStudyofTheCivilWar.Philadelphia,
PA:TempleU,1994.10515.Print.
Selma.Dir.AvaDuVernay.ByPaulWebb.Perf.DavidOyrlowo.ParamountPictures,2014.Film.