Documentary Movie Reviews

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King: A Filmed Record...
Montgomery to Memphis (1969)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 9/24

9/24: This is a fact: despite his or her pathetic lovefest with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., nearly everybody has no clue about the specifics of what he did to achieve civil rights for black people.

Hence, it's nice to see a documentary preserving King's work: King: A Filmed Record...Montgomery to Memphis. It's three hours long that's jam-packed with his speeches including the letter from Birmingham Jail, "I Have a Dream," and "I've Been to the Mountaintop" the night before he was gunned down. One thing is for sure: the man was an extremely gifted orator. An added bonus is the excellent black-and-white photography; whoever shot everything should be commended.

Unfortunately, there are two problems. The first is the ridiculous short speeches by the teleprompter-reading celebrities (I'll excuse Charlton Heston for being authentic enough). Almost all sounded ridiculous and magnanimous in the worst way possible. In fact, they're nothing compared to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Not putting the historical events in context is the other; it's been over sixty years since the events happened which means people forget. Hence, a narrator should explain a bit about them beforehand for the viewers to understand what's happening. Otherwise, the documentary is without structure.

All in all, King: A Filmed Record...Montgomery to Memphis is worth watching, no matter what.

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