Movie Review: Marshall
Marshall was released on October 13. The film centers around the story of civil rights lawyer, Thurgood Marshall, and sheds light on the Supreme Court justice and his role in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The film addresses racism and reveals that the notion of “justice for all” is far from true when it comes to the black community in America. The film begins with a scene of Thurgood Marshall in 1941, running around the country handling cases where racial injustice are prevalent. He soon is called to take on a case in Connecticut, where a rich white woman falsely accuses her African-American driver, Joseph Spell, of raping her. The truth is later uncovered when Joseph confesses to having had consensual sex with her.
A racist judge forbids Marshall from arguing the case. As a result, Marshall seeks out a local attorney named Sam Friedman who’s at first reluctant to help. Friedman unfortunately has no experience with criminal trials, which makes the case that much more difficult to win. The prosecutor, on the other hand, is an affluent and well-connected white man who knows the judge personally. Thus, due to white supremacy in the justice system, the odds are stacked against him. Yet, he remains driven despite numerous hardships. The film brilliantly illustrates the sacrifices that must be made in the pursuit of justice as it detours from the case to follow Marshall’s wife, Vivien, as she tragically faces a miscarriage alone because her husband is off fighting racial inequality.
The movie also does an excellent job conveying the prejudices that Marshall faced as an African-American and that Friedman faced as a first-generation Jewish man. Friedman’s character development is quite inspiring because over the course of the movie, he becomes an advocate for the black community and develops a greater awareness of racism. Keeping in mind the best interest of his client, Friedman suggests pleading guilty to get Spell a better deal. However, he fails to comprehend how this plea would fit into the historical context of black America. In an emotional scene, Marshall explains how his great-grandfather was enslaved and fought hard to be free. If Spell pleads guilty and faces life in prison, Marshall explains, it would be like giving up the freedom that their ancestors fought so hard for. After all, as was true back then and is still true now, mass incarceration is the newest iteration of slavery.
Overall, the movie is educational and provides the audience with a look into the racial inequality of the ’40s and ’50s. Racism is portrayed in all its various forms throughout the film, manifesting as everything from physical aggressions to racial slurs to microaggresions. This film is also provocative in the sense that it forces the audience to contemplate today’s justice system and hopefully realize some hard truths. It is sad to say, but racial injustice still exists today, even if it may not be as openly expressed as it was when Thurgood Marshall took on Joseph Spell’s case.