This important story is told excellently by a super talented cast...
Director: Chinonye Chukwu
Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Jamie Renell
Running time: 130 minutes
Till delivers the deeply powerful true story of Mamie Till-Mobley, mother of Emmett Till, who was murdered at the hands of a lynch mob in Mississippi in 1955 - the catalyst for the American Civil Rights movement. This film is an astounding expression of the power of a mother’s love and the ability for strength and purpose to come out of the most unimaginable pain.
Nominated for multiple awards including Critics' Choice, SAG and NAACP Image Awards, Till impactfully and vulnerably tells the story of Mamie’s relentless efforts to bring her son’s murderers to justice. Touching performances from Danielle Deadwyler, Whoopi Goldberg, Jalyn Hall and Sean Patrick Thomas bring to life the intensity of this film and fail to leave a dry eye in the audience.
Till begins against a backdrop of racially-segregated America in 1955 Chicago, Illinois, and is filled with poised women in brightly-patterned dresses, and a sense of frivolity that momentarily transports us worlds away from the heartbreaking events we, as the audience, know are to follow. The soundtrack at the start of the film encapsulates the excitement in Emmett’s upcoming trip, contrasted with his mother’s worst fears which are set to become reality. This relationship is beautifully portrayed by actress Danielle Deadwyler (Mamie), who shows such grace, while perfectly capturing a mother’s fierce and unwavering desire to protect her son no matter the danger to herself.
We are taken on a journey of deeply raw emotions felt by Emmett’s mother and the rest of their family, together with the black community in both Chicago and Mississippi. Exposing the varying degrees of racial tension between midwestern and southern states in 1950s America and the need to shrink oneself for safety, Till explores the threat to a young man’s sense of self and identity as well as the ever-real physical threat from the racist, violent, Klan-ridden 1950s South.
Till plays on all your senses to immerse us, as the viewer, into the lives of those on screen
Chinonye Chukwu’s directing of Till conveys Mamie’s love for her son Emmett, fondly known to her as Bobo, in an authentic and moving way without over-dramatising - as is sometimes the downfall of films based on true historical events. The overwhelming tragedy of Emmett Till is handled delicately while still exposing us to the shocking visual reality of what happened to him. Emotionally disturbing and with warning to the viewer, this depiction paid homage to Mamie’s decision in 1955 to expose the public and the press to the reality (without filter) of her son’s death, drawing attention to the sheer brutality faced by the black community - a message that feels ever-poignant in today’s society.
Paired with a powerful original soundtrack of emotive scores from Abel Korzeniowski, as well as 1950s soulful R&B from The Moonglows and jazz composer of the time, Dizzy Gillespie, Till plays on all your senses to immerse us, as the viewer, into the lives of those on screen. A must watch for everyone, but come prepared to be profoundly touched by the story of Mamie and Emmett.
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