Week 5: Leaders of Equality

This week the class watched two movies, Selma and Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Selma focused on a particular event in Martin Luther King's life and the civil rights movement in the United Sates, while Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom focused on the rise of Nelson Mandela as a activist and likewise, the civil rights movement. Both movies focused on civil rights movements but they take on distinct approaches in illustrating the plot.

One thing I enjoyed very much from the Nelson Mandela movie was the depiction of his life, and how it interfered with his goals and ultimately the movement. Mandela was lured into the movement because he felt a need to protect people, and due to the irony of working for a government that sought to govern a group of people it chose not to protect. The movie did a great job in depicting how the movement changed his life, and his take on achieving certain goals. It demonstrated the shift in ideology from a non-violent to an "unrestrained" movement, and how Mandela's experiences led him to choose equality over dominance, or revenge, after his release.

In the other hand, Selma focused on a specific event - the marching of Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. The movie did a great job illustrating the hardships during the movement, and presenting different points of views on every matter. I really enjoyed how the movie emphasized that the movement, and the actions of King, where not only a matter of social, but also political tensions. Some of the events that occurred where not successful, and mostly due to the lack of political accordance from the state and national government. It did a great job at portraying the reasoning behind King's actions, his fears, and his goals.

Both movies where entirely great, and I truly enjoyed both equally. The movies do have a similar plot, however, they take on a different approach on depicting the story. Selma is a great example of a movie who describes the issues that are faced when trying to achieve a goal for the well being of everybody. It shows how the fear of standing up for what you believe in can sometimes be difficult to withstand. Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom also depicted the issues of achieving a goal, but most importantly it showed how the movement affected a leader's life. It showed that being leader took a lot more than time and support. Mandela's commitment, for example, was a life-long term commitment, and it took him both devotion and patience to finally achieve his goals.