BOYCOTT

US, 2001, 118 minutes, Colour.

Steven Wright, Terrence Howard, Carmen Ejogo, CCH Pounder, Reg E.Cathy,

Directed by Clark Johnson.

An impressive screen experience. It is one of the number of HBO films for theatrical release and television made during the 1990s and the first years of the 2000s. Other films include The Second Civil War, Path to War.

This is a story of the boycott in Montgomery Alabama in 1955-1956, following the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger in the bus (dramatised interestingly with Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek in The Long Walk Home). Leaders in Montgomery, many of them church ministers, decide on the strategy of a day’s boycott where African- American passengers will walk instead of riding the bus. Audiences may be familiar with this episode, the boycott extended, lasting over a year, the African- American population of Montgomery banding together, persevering, people helping with cars – but the authorities in the city finding always of clamping down, raising taxi fares, arrests for exceeding police speed limits, taking leaders into custody….

The episode was important historically and is considered a significant step towards the Civil Rights movement and success in the 1960s. Martin Luther King was present in Montgomery, with his wife Coretta, from Atlanta and teamed with the Rev Ralph Abernathy, both of them so important in the 1960s. Here Martin Luther King is played by Steven Wright, an impressive performance, especially in the delivery of King’s speeches. Terrence Howard plays Ralph Abernathy, Carmen Ejogo plays Coretta (and was to play her 14 years later in Selma).

A number of African- American character actors appear, especially as leaders in Montgomery, CCH Pounder, Reg E.Cathy. The film is directed by Clark Johnson, African- American actor and activist.

A way of looking back and understanding the races of the South, of the times, bigotry about races intermingling, the presence of the Ku Klux Klan, an atmosphere of injustice – with a 1956 ruling in favour of the African- American leaders from the Supreme Court.

1. The clear and direct title? The Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott of 1955-1956? Race relations, segregation and prejudice, the role of Martin Luther King? The emphasis on the 1950s and 1960s Civil Rights Movement?
2. Audience knowledge of the situation, segregation in the south, prejudice, racism, Ku Klux Klan, hangings? The bus situation and the boycott? The leadership in the boycott? Going finally to the Supreme Court? Consequences?
3. The use of archival footage inserted into the film? Recreation of Montgomery, 1955, the city, workplaces, black neighbourhoods, authorities and the city, bus and transport, the visualising of the African- Americans paying at the front and then walking to the back of the bus, the separated areas, expectations of giving up a seat to white passengers? The bus situation becoming a symbol?
4. The community in Montgomery, the visualising of the black neighbourhoods, workplaces, the consequences of not travelling by bus, walking, the old lady walking up to 12 miles, boycott for one day, continuing, for over 300 days, drivers and shared travel, the police giving travel tickets, taxis and the city imposing higher fees?
5. The locals, the churches, the meetings, Martin Luther King being in Montgomery rather in Atlanta, the presence of Correta, his daughter, Ralph Abernathy in Montgomery? The going to the meeting, the nomination of King, the forming of the local group? King, at home, Corretta support, writing his speech, giving it, the oratory, staring people, the applause? King and his leadership? Increasing in stature, the verbatims of his speeches – and the audience knowing what would happen in the 1960s, Washington, Selma, his assassination? In Montgomery at age 26?
6. Ralph Abernathy, friend of King, supporter, continuing into the 1960s?
7. The various members of the committee, men and women, forming the office, the phone calls for arranging drivers, money collection, the donation from Mobile, the landlord, the realisation that they would be locked out and documents impounded? People getting out in time?
8. The city authorities, the meetings, the racist stances, the presuppositions about race, no commingling of the races…? The meetings, the discussions, the stances? King and his allies, sometimes antagonistic, challenging, the conditions about the buses, the drivers? The continued meetings, hopes thwarted?
9. King’s father, coming from Atlanta, the impact of the bombing of his house, In deciding to stay, Corretta the same? Later meeting with his father in Atlanta, not following his advice?
10. The range of meetings, the churches, the ministers, Nixon and his initial hostility, changing his mind? The different personalities, speeches, contributions?
11. The visualising of Rosa Parks, not giving her seat in the bus, escorted from the bus, charged? Her participation in the boycott?
12. The effect of the experience on Martin Luther King, at his age, experience, his talent for speeches, his rhetoric, staring people, leadership? The impact of the bombing? Threatening phone calls? His philosophy of non-violence, quoting Scriptures, loving enemies rather than an eye for an eye? The effect of non-violence on opponents?
13. The presence of Bayard Rustin, reputation, self-confidence, journals, Corretta King remembering his lectures, the community respect for him? His philosophy of non-violence? The revelation about his past, Communist, former Communist, gay man? His presence in the groups, contribution, philosophising, lecturing them? The threat, the authorities finding out about him, his being smuggled out in the boot of the car?
14. King and Abernathy, the lawyers, suggestions, tactics? The authorities in the city, adding racist members to the board? Demonstrations of the Ku Klux Klan? Bombings, fires?
15. The decision to go to the Supreme Court? Time passing? Warrants for all the members of the committee? The man wanting to give himself up? The decision that they all would, all marching together, King offering his hands for handcuffing? The going into the building?
16. The decision of the Supreme Court, the long time passing, the end of the boycott, the overturning of Montgomery legislation? The final scene of people going on the bus, Abernathy inviting King, his remaining outside, walking amongst the ordinary people – to his future mission for Civil Rights?