With significant figures of history, the chance to memorialize them in a biographical film comes with many expectations and challenges. To appropriately and respectfully tell someone’s story is no easy task, with recent biopic champions like Ava DuVernay relying on extreme accuracy and detail-oriented specificity to tell the tales of Selma and When They See Us. Netflix’s recent release, Rustin, finds other biopic pioneers sharing the credits, marking a decently effective synopsis of the historical figure’s life.
‘Rustin’ Film Summary
Civil rights activist Bayard Rustin gets the biopic treatment from When They See Us co-screenwriter Julian Breece. Though his notoriety comes from his involvement in the famous 1963 March on Washington, Rustin dedicated his life to his message and popularized many social movements that still build on his work today.
Colman Domingo’s Incredible Leading Opportunity
Colman Domingo has memorably acted in several films and television shows throughout his extensive career, most recognizably in Fear the Walking Dead as Victor Strand, who appeared in all eight seasons. His roles in If Beale Street Could Talk, Zola, and Candyman made him a staple of dynamic supporting film roles, and collaborating with George C. Wolfe in his previous film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom showed his ability to stand out in an ensemble. Wolfe and Domingo’s work on Rustin is simultaneously commendable and enjoyable, even with minor narrative deficiencies getting in the way of a perfect tribute.
Caveats in Rustin’s Netflix Portrayal
Simply providing the need to see Rustin as the primary focus of a film, Rustin succeeds tremendously, but unfortunately, the film is not without faults. By all accounts, Domingo’s portrayal of Rusin is spot-on, but hyper-edited pacing and melodramatic sentimentality occasionally drift towards a shallow I Wanna Dance with Somebody/Bohemian Rhapsody approach. Due to some dialogue issues, not every gambit for emotional investment lands, but thankfully, Domingo and other passionate actors often make up for problems and elevate it above the lesser biopics of late. Though those who have seen a Bayard Rustin documentary or read John D’Emilio’s narrative Rustin biography Lost Prophet might balk at the activist’s fictional romances in this film, the film’s good intentions will win over nearly every viewer.
Aml Ameen and Colman Domingo in ‘Rustin’
Who Should Watch Netflix’s ‘Rustin’?
For a dedicated performance and a first-time foray into the life of Bayard Rustin, Rustin is a powerfully made summary of unquestionably essential historical events. As is often the case with biopics, anyone looking for hard facts for educational purposes should go elsewhere; still, one should not overlook the entertainment and entry-level value of Rustin this year. It might not deserve a Best Picture nod, but no one should be surprised when they see nominations for Rustin as voters look toward the end of 2023.
Rustin is streaming now on Netflix.