Review: Marshall (2017)

In an early scene from the film “Marshall”, three white men threaten Thurgood, the titular attorney, with a shotgun at a train station. Marshall, played by a delightfully charming Chadwick Boseman, hops on the train with a smirk and waves goodbye to his would-be attackers. The mood takes an upswing as lighthearted and jumpy music begins to play. This excited, almost giddy tone encapsulates most of the movie’s two hour run time. For a movie about Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American elected to the Supreme Court and who won the Brown v. Board of Education case as an attorney that ended school segregation, writers Michael and Jacob Koskoff take an unexpected turn, and focus on one of Marshall’s lesser-known cases about a black chauffeur accused of raping his white employer. This serves the movie well, giving the audience a different take on an African-American hero rising to the call of duty. Whereas recent films like “Selma” and “42” (also starring Boseman), look at the characters and internal struggles of MLK, Jr., John Lewis, and Jackie Robinson, “Marshall” becomes more of a film-noir mystery, with elements of a courtroom-drama. In “Marshall”, Marshall is arguably not the central character. In fact, he is relegated to a position of co-counsel relatively early on in the case, with Jewish defense attorney Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), reluctantly taking over the speaking role. The thrilling story of the supposed rape and the underlying racist principles take front seat as the truth is unravelled before our eyes. Many of the scenes in the first half of the film use a soundtrack fitting of a suave detective. Jazzy tones underscore most scenes, establishing the self-assured attitude of Marshall. In fact, as Langston Hughes puts it in one scene, “I’d say you have enough confidence for us all.” The entirety of the film takes place in 1941, the year of the case. While Marshall’s future is maybe hinted at, this movie is not about Marshall, the Supreme Court justice, it’s about the people behind the justice and injustice of 1941 America, and is possibly more timely now than ever, as our country grapples with what to do to address systemic racism. Marshall says at one point, “It’s not the fires I’m after, Sam. It’s fire itself.” We’re still working on that fire, Mr. Marshall.

{★★1/2☆}