Interview by Jennifer Ortega, Red Carpet Report Reporter
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In the solid courtroom drama, “Marshall”, Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa in Black Panther), proves once again that he can constantly nail playing an infinitely important icon, as he did in “42” as Jackie Robinson and in “Get On Up” as James Brown. This time, Boseman plays the title character, Thurgood Marshall, the 1st black man to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court. “Marshall” takes place about 30 years prior to that and focuses on one of Marshall’s earlier cases, The State of Connecticut vs. Joseph Spell. The film takes place in the 1940s and still only in his early 30s, Marshall has already made a name for himself as an attorney for NAACP.
Marshall, a New York-based attorney, is dispatched out to Bridgeport, Connecticut to defend Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown). Spell works as a chauffeur for a wealthy young tycoon and his socialite wife, Eleanor Strubbing (Kate Hudson). Spell is accused of raping Eleanor and attempting to murder her by throwing her over a bridge into water. The case looks bleak from the beginning. This is of course, a time in this country, where black men were often lynched before even getting to trial. Couple that with a very white jury in a very WASPy town and Spell seems to have no chance.
When Marshall first appears in court, he is immediately told, by an older domineering, Judge Foster (James Cromwell) that he is unable to argue in court on behalf of Joseph Spell unless he is licensed to practice in Connecticut. The NAACP hires Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), an insurance lawyer, to co-consul Marshall. Friedman is very reluctant at first. To begin with, he is a Jewish lawyer practicing in a town with an underlying current of anti-semitism. The sensationalism of the case puts Marshall and Friedman front and center in a town, where protesters show up every day to the courthouse, yelling racist and anti-semitic remarks at the men.
Since Marshall, cannot actually argue the case and must stay at his bench, he and Friedman come up with their own language of hand gestures, notes, and sighs, almost like a catcher signaling to a pitcher. Friedman has to be the actual voice of the defense. This causes Marshall probably the most frustration as he is known for his confidence in the courtroom and his gift of articulation. They are the judicial equivalent of the “Odd Couple”.
There are few things that make “Marshall” stand out from the normal run of the mill courtroom drama or biopics. Firstly, the story is lesser known. It is not what you would typically expect in a film about Thurgood Marshall. Instead of telling the story of a more famous case like Brown vs. The Board of Education, Marshall really narrows in the early rising of a man who will become one of the greatest champions for equality. Marshall and Friedman live parallel each other. They both are established, yet early on in their careers. They both are faced with the day to day reality of anti-semitism and racism in the 1940s. They are mismatched, but at the same time perfectly aligned. They learn and grow from each other.
Gad and Boseman are both captivating, engaging and entertaining as Friedman and Marshall. Plainly, they are fun to watch. Besides the compelling storyline, “Marshall” also reminds the audience of a past we must never repeat. Marshall is a somber reminder of what hate does to a society and now more than ever, it’s a lesson we must learn.
Don’t forget to listen to the powerful song, “Stand Up For Something” at the end of the film. The song penned by Common and Dianne Warren is up for an Oscar.
More about Marshall
Marshall is based on the incredible true story of future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and one of the landmark cases of his life. It follows the young lawyer (Chadwick Boseman) to conservative Connecticut to defend a black chauffeur (Sterling K. Brown) charged with sexual assault and attempted murder of his white socialite employer (Kate Hudson). Muzzled by a segregationist court, Marshall partners with a courageous young Jewish lawyer (Josh Gad) and together they mount the defense in an environment of racism and anti-Semitism.
Actors: Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, Chadwick Boseman
Director: Reginald Hudlin
Producers: Paula Wagner Jonathan Sanger Reginald Hudlin
Writers: Michael Koskoff Jacob Koskoff
Genre: Drama Independent
