A Powerful Period Piece: “Till” Review

Orion Pictures’ latest film, “Till,” rolled into theaters on Oct. 14. The film is about the true story of Emmett Till’s lynching in 1955. It was directed by Chinonye Chukuwu and Whoopi Goldberg, who also starred in the film and was one of the producers. “Till” had a  limited release and it hit the screen on Oct. 28. 

There has been a ton of praise for this movie. “Till” received a  98% on Rotten Tomatoes, an A+ CinemaScore, and is likely to be a contender as Best Picture for the 2023 Oscars. 

“Till” can be categorized as a civil rights film and a tragedy. The most horrifying thing is that all the movie’s events are true. Emmett Till was sent to the South to visit family and he ended up flirting with a white girl at a candy store, but he was from Chicago and was unaware of the South’s strict rules regarding racial interactions. Some locals dragged Emmett from his uncle’s home and murdered him. The rest of the movie follows and is told from his mother’s point of view as she strives to get her son the justice he deserved. 

On the technical level, the cinematography in “Till” was outstanding. The scenes were vivid and there were a lot of details added to take the reader back in time to experience life in the 1950s. The director strategically used close-up shots during pivotal moments in the film to add a dramatic effect. Danielle Deadwyler, the actress who played Emmett Till’s mom, should win an Oscar for her profound performance in “Till” because she moved the audience with the emotion she put into the role.

Chinonye Chukuwu, the director of “Till,” wanted to make her audience uncomfortable in order for them to grasp the ramifications racism has on our society. There’s a lot to praise about this movie, but everyone should go watch it, mainly for the educational purpose it provides, and to examine how the fight for equality has made little progress since then.