This film only snagged one Oscar nomination, for its leading man, but it’s a well-made movie that shines a light on an important figure from history who’s rarely been given his due. While it follows fairly standard biopic fare, Bayard Rustin is someone who deserves all that.
Bayard Rustin is a dedicated figure in the Civil Rights movement, but he’s one that the larger movement doesn’t always know what to do with. His political leanings and rumors about his sexuality have boxed him out of a leadership position by Martin Luther King Jr.’s side, on the grounds that he’s too controversial and will “distract” from the cause. But Bayard still wants to fight for his people’s liberation, and he comes up with a showstopping way to do just that: a march on Washington.
Because the typical Black History Month lessons in the U.S. pretty much cover slavery and the Civil Rights movement, with a possible side jaunt to George Washington Carver or Langston Hughes, Americans can have a false sense of assuming we’re well-versed on this period of history. But despite learning the same lessons year after year, there’s so much about the Civil Rights movement that doesn’t get taught. I can’t remember if I ever heard about Bayard Rustin in school, but if I did, it just would’ve been hearing his name in an “and then the rest”-style list. I didn’t learn anything meaningful about him until I read John Lewis’s graphic memoir March.
All of which is to say, this biopic is incredibly welcome. The film itself doesn’t break the mold, but it tells its story well and clearly, highlighting this man who was unsung even in his own time. It’s really interesting to watch the details of the March on Washington come together, including the external pushback it got. We don’t see enough depictions of the friction within the different civil rights groups, so I appreciate it here—these folks were all fighting for the same vital, righteous goal, but they had different ideas about how to accomplish that, and because they were humans and not saints, they sometimes let those differences get in the way of the larger ideals.
Most of all, though, I like learning about Bayard Rustin himself: the way he led, the feathers he ruffled, and how he circumvented his obstacles. Not only was he gay in an era when that was illegal, he was gay in a movement with preachers in prominent leadership positions. The film shows the ways he didn’t fit the “acceptable” mold of a Civil Rights leader while also demonstrating how he was instrumental to the fight.
Colman Domingo is excellent in the title role. As Bayard, he brings an infectious energy and passion to the screen, and his performance brims with honesty. I’m glad he got a Best Leading Actor nomination, even if the rest of the film didn’t get any Oscars attention. The movie also features appearances from Chris Rock, a strong Glynn Turman as A. Philip Randolph, CCH Pounder, Audra McDonald, the always-solid Jeffrey Wright, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Warnings
Strong thematic elements, violence, sexual content, language (including the N-word,) and drinking/smoking/drug use.
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