We’ve not heard too much about director Ava DuVernay’s upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. biopic starring David Oyelowo, but it couldn’t be any more timely. Seeing how it makes its theatrical release this Christmas, this first trailer is a very strong debut for Selma. Not only does it capture the emotional weight of the civil rights movement of the ’60s, it brings a certain level of perspective seeing how these events only took place 50 years ago. Watch the trailer and check out the screenshots after the break.

Politics aside, Selma looks like it could be that one biopic that absolutely shines during Oscar season. There’s something chilling in the way Oyelowo delivers King’s speeches. In just the brief snippets of those that we see, you can just tell his performance will be captivating.

Something about the way the trailer infuses modern rap with the horrific display of police brutality on the bridge at Selma is absolutely haunting. The trailer definitely shows us that Selma will not beat around the bush, this movie wants to a present a raw, visceral depiction of a struggle that many are still fighting today.

As I always seem to mention, I am not a big fan of biopics, but Selma has my attention thanks to DuVernay’s vision. This looks like a cinematic storybook rather than a typical paint-by-numbers retelling of historical events. Those are boring. I have not seen the previous work of DuVernay before, but I’m excited to see what she’s capable of.

(Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge the images)

Here is the official plot synopsis for Selma, courtesy of Paramount Pictures:

The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement.

Directed by Ava DuVernay, Selma stars

Selma hits theaters everywhere on December 25, 2014.

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Source: Paramount Pictures