(l to r) Josh Gad, who plays the Jewish attorney, Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall and Sterling K. Brown as Joseph Spell, the man accused of rape.
MARSHALL
Film review by Marlene Ardoin
Of all the landmark trials that Thurgood Marshall was involved with, why do the filmmakers of “Marshall” pick a rape trial?
Thurgood Marshall won the case for integration of schools; he overthrows the South’s “white primary;” he strikes down legality of racially restrictive covenants; he demolishes legal basis for segregation in America; he ends the practice of segregation on buses, which ended the Montgomery Bus Boycott; he successfully defends civil rights demonstrators; and he becomes the first African American named to U.S. Supreme Court (1967–1991).
Are these accomplishments too boring for us to understand? I really don’t want to learn about them in the footnotes at the end of this film.
Director, Reginald Hudlin, has amassed an impressive cast, but his film seems overly concerned about the manhood issues of black men and Jewish men.
I feel that the script’s humiliating jabs at Jewish manhood were uncalled for. I don’t care what your ancestors went through, you get to carry your own bags.
Josh Gad, who plays the Jewish attorney, Sam Friedman, is Jewish in real life. Most practicing Jews are strong, but humble, and make a point of giving back to the community. They are very sensitive to homelessness, which is part of their ancestral baggage.
Marshall’s accomplishments give him his manhood, not (spoiler alert) winning a rape trial.
The script was written by Michael Koskoff, a successful, practicing attorney and his script-writing son, Jacob Koskoff.
There is a lot of interesting detail, like what to look for when picking a jury, but had they chosen to write about one of Marshall’s more history-making trials, they may have had a shot at an Academy Award.
In “Marshall,” perhaps without realizing it, the filmmakers illustrate, arguably, how women are the most oppressed group.
Kate Hudson plays Eleanor Strubing, the trapped, abused wife. She gets royal care as long as she doesn’t have any feelings, ideas or aspirations of her own.
Eleanor is the white version of Marshall’s own wife, Vivian (Keesha Sharp), who keeps miscarrying her pregnancies, which appear to be stress related.
The juror, Mrs. Richmond (Ahna O’Reilly), shows us the female leadership potential, when allowed freedom.
When was it that women got the vote? August 18, 1920, was only about 20 years before Mrs. Richmond is leading this jury.
Did Mrs. Richmond have a happy marriage; did she have an education; did she have her own money; her own property? Power was not something women during the 1940’s were used to having.
And, last, but not least, how was it that Thurgood Marshall was so successful as a trial attorney, winning 29 out of the 32 Supreme Court cases? One possible reason was that he could easily pass for White.
He does get a good education and he is very motivated to right the wrongs of his race. But, his physical appearance allowed juries and judges to identify with him and his objectives. That is my theory, and I am sticking to it.
Thurgood Marshall in 1936 at the beginning of his career with the NAACP.
Bio of Thurgood Marshall:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurgood_Marshall
Bio of Chadwick Boseman:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chadwick_Boseman
Bio of Josh Gad:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Gad
Bio of director Reginald Hudlin:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Hudlin
Bio of Michael Koskoff (Jacob is his son):
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7817658/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
Kate Hudson as Eleanor Strubing
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10/20/2017 # Marshall