Who Is Bayard Rustin?
“Unsung” does not begin to describe the obscurity Bayard Rustin endured in the shadows of the Civil Rights Movement. ‘RUSTIN’ is a fictional account of a brilliant and beleaguered Bayard Rustin who was the architect behind the March On Washington For Jobs And Freedom and a founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
After being forced out of the NAACP, Bayard Rustin is relegated to obscurity and joins an anti-war organization. He soon becomes disillusioned with his White, liberal colleagues and resigns his position.
While wallowing in his dissatisfaction he has an epiphany. He gathers a group of young adults and begins brainstorming the next big event for the Movement – The March On Washington For Jobs And Freedom. He proposes the idea to the NAACP and after some discussions about his past, they all decide to move forward.
Most of the movie is centered around the planning of the March. It really communicates all the complexities needed to pull this off through a series of quick moving camera shots. Another chunk of the plot involves his sexual orientation. He begins a loose affiliation with a soon-to-be pastor, meeting with him at a local bar until it is raided by the police.
The film does a good job of making his intimate relationships central to his professional endeavors and how those around him tried to mitigate the impact on the Movement. One of these relationships which wasn’t clear was ‘Tom’(Gus Halper). I didn’t understand if he was Rustin’s roommate or lover. In any case, the weight of his personal life is palatable and adds to the emotional upswell of the film.
Details, Details.
In every biopic there is the decision to either alter the actors to appear like the individuals they are portraying or to find actors in similar appearance. They did a little of both, mostly in the form of hair pieces. Alas, as it is the case with almost every African-American character, the hair on some was not quite right. On a production note, I did appreciate the superimposed names and organizations to indicate who we were seeing on-screen.
There was no shortage of A-list talent which is always necessary for any docudrama. Colman Domingo is once again brilliant. This is not the first time he’s played a Civil RIghts icon, having portrayed Ralph Abernathy in ‘Selma’. There was also a plethora of relative unknowns who held their own opposite veteran actors such as Glynn Turman, CCH Ponder and Chris Rock.
I like the idea of not choosing to do impressions but to allow this amazing talent to do what they do best. The exception to this would be Jeffrey Wright who portrayed a very animated Rep. Adam Clayton Powell.
The movie in its entirety was a joy. Watching all these incredible people come together to do such an incredible thing was entertaining as well as informative. Keep in mind, this is a work of fiction, so, if you are interested in Bayard Rustin’s story I would suggest watching an actual documentary. Having said that, grab your popcorn and maybe some tissues and be prepared for a historical ride.
