What dramatic movies have been historically accurate?

[el_bryanto]

94. Saw Selma this morning; think the complaints about Johnson are overplayed.

It is true that an objective history outside of the proceedings would have painted him in a better light. But the perspective of the movie is Martin Luther King and the people around him, and from their perspective he was dragging his heels.

The scene with J. Edgar Hoover is problematic, but mostly because I am not sure modern audiences realize how much power Hoover had. The guy was one of the most powerful people in Washington, mainly because he had used his resources to gather dirt on pretty much everybody. He makes a veiled threat at one point - something about how "even powerful men can be dealt with." I honestly don't know if that's a threat against MLK or against LBJ, as it can be taken both ways (and the actor plays it just right). A later scene is more problematic but he just orders his assistant to get Hoover on the phone. It sort of implies something, but doesn't state it outright.

But the LBJ stuff is a sideline to the meat and potatoes of the movie, which is the black civil rights struggle; it's very inspiring to see this group of black people (largely men) strategize and debate how best to make their moves. I really enjoyed it, and more to the point, found it very inspiring. I think it's an important movie, and I think people should see it if they get the opportunity.

Bryant