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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2016)
photo by Victoria Tinker ‘Loving’ HISTORICAL FILM EXAMINES INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE BY COLLIN BEREND Researchers browse through the colléctions of the main reading room in the Library of Congress’s Jefferson Building. Library of Congress lends more than books BY BLAKE SWAN W hen some people go to W ashington, D .C . they go to see the Capitol building, h o u sin g our le g is la tiv e ; b ran ch o f government; or to the National Archives to see the founding docum ents o f our democracy. Instead I went to the library. It wasn’t ju st any library, it was the Library o f Congress, our dé facto national library and the largest in the world. I didn’t go to the Library just because, I went to see all of the amazing treasures displayed w ithin. Upon entering, there is a security checkpoint, of course, and then guests are given a map and are free to wander m ost o f the colossal building. A m o n g b o oks o n d isp la y is th e personal library o f the third President o f the United States and author o f the Declaration o f independence, Thomas 4 Clackamas Print NOVEMBER 2,2016 theelackamasprint.com . Jefferson. After the British burned most of the original Library’s collection in I814, Jefferson offered his personal library as a replacement and Congress purchased it from him . Today it is on display in a large glass bookshelf that allows visitors to inspect each book closely. Also oh display are American classics such as “ Huckleberry F in n ,” “ To Kill a M o ck in g b ird ,” and “ The Ju n g le .” Rare pieces in the Library include the Gutenberg Bible, one o f three perfect copies on vellum that still exist, and the Library’ s oldest piece o f w riting, a cuneiform tabletancient script from mesopotamia from 2040 B.C. I v isite d the N atio n al M useum o f Am erican H istory and 1 think that the Library is more interesting and can also teach one more about America, “ Loving” is a movie, based on the name o f the fam ily involved in the Supreme Court case Loving v . V irgin ia, th a t is I inspiring on all fronts and bursts through the cinema doors unlike any historical ,romance drama before it. Students who attended the Associated C o lle g ia t e P re ss C o n fe r e n c e in W ashington, D .C ., had a chance to view a sneak preview of the film . Set in the late Í95OS in Virginia, Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga) L o v in g face uncertain discrim ination. Richard, who is à b lue-co llar w orking white m an, and Mildred, a stay at hom e black woman, find themselves tossed in a jail cell after getting married in D .C ., unsure what is to come, unable to see each other, not in the same cell, not even able to bail one another out. Their crime? Love. A love so criminal, they áre given the choice by the judge, thanks tó the help of their attorney, to either leave the state of Virginia or go to prison for a year. Not wanting to take a chance in jail and after Richard learns that his wife is pregnant, they seek home in D .C. Je ff Nichols, the director o f the movie, w hose w ork exten d s to “ M id n igh t Special” and “ M ud,” creates a splendid film that càptures the historical ëvents and th e u n d e n ia b le lo v e b e tw e e n Richard and Mildred Loving, who are also parents trying to protect their kin. Nichols paints a brilliant picture that shows how interracial marriage was an aberration not too long ago in an era in which dogmatic views were pushed onto others and into law: whites with whites and blacks with blacks. The two shall never meet. One of the beauties of the film is how it correlates to rhodern day w ith the LGBT having fought hard for sam e-sex marriage. In the Loving v . V irgin ia case, the Supreme Court ruled that “ freedom to marry has long been recognized as one o f the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit o f happiness by free m e n .” This w as, o f course, under the Earl Warren court led by arguably the m ost liberal and progressive judge to date. This law has been affirm ed in other cases, and this very phrase was used by supporters to promote same-sex marriage in 2015. A rtistically , the m usic, conducted by David W ingo, who has worked with Nichols prior on “ Midnight Special,” casts wonderfully on each scene. Every take has its own magical uniqueness that stands out. From the moments where we focus on Richard when he is placing bricks down, in contrast with scenes of him when he is in jail, or the change of the rhythm that we get when the focus is on Mildred; we’re introduced to a broadselection of musical creativity to help build the story and create a loving emotional atmosphere. “ Loving” is a m ovie for any age. It brings to ligh t the historical context through the eyes o f those who had to endure interracial discrimination. You’ll find that even this serious m ovie has m any hilarious moments, thanks to cast members like Nick Kroll, playing lawyer Bernard Cohen, who’s been in movies and shows like “ Sausage Party,” “ Get Him to the G jeek,” and “ Dinner for Schmucks.” N ot a single actor narrowly played their character, rather each one seems immersed and you alrtiost feel like you’re looking at the real people o f the story, except for Nick Krull who will just make you laugh when you see him . I. enjoyed the film in alm ost every aspect and would highly recommend it to anyone. You can see <fLoving” in theaters starting Nov. 4. Focus Features
