Blogging By Cinema-light: Don't Make a Scene: Till

The Story: Till still rumbles around in my mind two years after seeing it. The story of the murder of young Emmett Till—that keeps getting worse the longer the movie plays out—and the excoriating performance of Danielle Deadwyler (which, negligently, was not even nominated for the Oscars) has haunted me a long time.

But, then, it should. Emmett Till's murder was the straw that broke the camel's back (along with the bombing deaths of four children at the 16th Street Baptist Church) in order to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964. When children are the victims of the unthinking and the prejudiced, something's got to give or no communal effort can be considered a society. But, then hate is always the irritant to any formation of a community. How can such a group improve, do better, become "more perfect" when there are elements insisting on doing the opposite. "A house divided cannot stand."

But, Mamie Till doesn't want to hear all that. Her son is dead, and the insanity that caused that act reached up into the government of Mississippi to minimize any "fuss" about it. And it became a time for a single mother to become an activist, a problem that wouldn't go away, and a beacon of decency in contrast to her victimizers...who had none.

It's quite the journey, and it starts on this porch and one goal—get her son's body back so it can't be buried and forgotten in Mississippi (which was official's intent), but bring it home. She would not cooperate with evil. And when she saw the mutilation of her son at the hand of white bigots, she vowed to put their hate on display, giving her son an open casket funeral, for all the world to see what they had done.

How could she do such a thing? Because it had to be done. It had to be shown. It had to be exposed for what it is. Pure evil in the midst of what was considered a society.

And if it's exposed...it can be dealt with.

It's a superb movie about a horrible event. And teaches a lesson that should never be forgot.

The Set-Up: Emmett Till, all of 14 years old, is dead. Kidnapped, beaten, murdered and his body dumped in the Tallahatchie River, his mother, Mamie Till-Bradley (Danielle Deadwyler) is in shock. She had sent him to Money, Mississippi to spend time with family, but warned him to "be small" and not attract attention among the residents. Now, Mamie, still in shock from the news of her only son's death, is being called on by her cousin Rayfield Mooty (Kevin Carroll), an activist with NAACP, over negotiations to return Emmett's body to Chicago for burial. Mississippi won't do it...for their reasons. Mooty is here to deliver that news...and encourage Mamie to speak out about her son's murder. But, Mamie has one thing on her mind. Getting her boy back.

Action.

TV: "Hate is like a virus in the blood of Misssissippi. They can't help it."
TV: That was Roy Wilkins, the Executive Director of the NAACP, giving his reaction to the recent killing of 14-year old Negro boy

TV: Emmett Till.
Burial preparations by local sheriffs have already started being made in Tallahassee County, Mississippi, where Till's body was found.

RAYFIELD (O.S.) Mamie?

TV: leaders are calling on officials to investigate the murder
and to indict J.W. Milam...

Mamie finally acknowledges the world around her and looks up at Gene standing with Rayfield.

CUT TO: EXT. MAMIE’S HOUSE - DAY69 69

Mamie closes the door behind her and Rayfield.

RAYFIELD My...sincere condolences --

MAMIE Stop.

MAMIE I can’t.

(beat)

MAMIE I need Bo’s body sent back here.

MAMIE I can’t have him buried in Mississippi.

RAYFIELD Mississippi won’t make that deal (with you) --

MAMIE Then make them!

MAMIE I’m sure Mr. Huff can get...Mayor Daley or the Governor to talk to somebody.

MAMIE Those people in Mississippi are trying to dump Bo in the ground like he’s just...

MAMIE ...another body! He’s my baby.

MAMIE I need to see him.

Rayfield takes in her passionate words.

RAYFIELD I’ll speak with Mr. Huff.

MAMIE Thank you.

Mamie takes in the outside air.

She hasn’t taken a deep breath in a while.

Rayfield has something on his mind...

RAYFIELD You know...

RAYFIELD Uh...

RAYFIELD Mamie, You have the public’s attention right now

RAYFIELD and uh

RAYFIELD and it would be in a politician’s best interest to help you during an election year.

RAYFIELD There’s an opportunity in that.

Mamie barely nods her head.

RAYFIELD (CONT'D) Some organizers and executive members from the NAACP have been speaking with the justice department about creating legislation to make lynching a federal crime. What happened to Reverend Lee was a lynching. Lamar Smith, a lynching.