Jeff Nichols’ Loving tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, whose story led to the 1967 Supreme Court decision invalidating state laws against interracial marriage.
While this story could have been played as a pulse-quickening beat-by-beat historical drama, Nichols decides instead to paint a picture of a young white man and a young black woman falling in love in 1950s Virginia. Their marriage leads to harassment, arrest, and exile, which they endure together until the ACLU discovers their case.
Loving remains focused throughout on the fine detail of the Loving’s relationship. Every frame of Jeff Nichols’ painstaking production design is suffused with the tenderness of Richard’s touch and the care of Mildred’s unrelenting patience. While tied to a very specific historical context, there is something timeless in Loving.
It is a rare film about the idea that we are never just talking about policy. We are always talking about people. — M. Leary, Filmwell
Arts & Faith Lists:
2016 Arts & Faith Ecumenical Jury — #7