Comprehensive Compilation of Key Moments from the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Now Available on Blu-ray

DIRECTED BY SIDNEY LUMET AND JOSEPH MANKIEWICZ/1970

BLU-RAY STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 20, 2024/KINO CLASSICS

In the video below, David Blakeslee talks about the recently reissued archival documentary King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis. The film’s original theatrical release was a “one-time only event” that took place on March 24, 1970, less than two years after Martin Luther King Jr., the subject of the film, was assassinated on a balcony outside his hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. A nationwide network of movie theaters agreed to set aside their regularly scheduled programming to pay tribute to the slain civil rights activist by showing this three-hour compilation of footage featuring Dr. King and the notable events that he was a part of between 1955 (when he helped organize and lead a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama) until the end of his life in April 1968, when he was in Memphis to provide support for striking sanitation workers in that city. Though it’s not clear how many theaters participated, or if it was readily available for viewers in all parts of the USA on that occasion, the unique screening arrangement was apparently successful enough to earn the film an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature in 1971 (it lost to Woodstock.)

But after that brief flicker of recognition, and despite being selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1999, King: A Filmed Record fell into obscurity, becoming very difficult to watch in its original form, until it was rediscovered in 2010 and released soon afterward on DVD. Of course, during that interim, much of the documentary’s footage (in smaller portions) went on to be used in other anthology presentations of King’s life and career. The cultural conversation about the ongoing impact of King’s legacy also continued to evolve as his birthday became occasion for a federal holiday and his reputation became subject to cooptation by politicians and advocates for numerous causes that King might not have supported with the enthusiasm they presumptuously claim. 

So it’s quite illuminating for viewers to experience this comprehensive overview of the major events in King’s public life that was assembled back when they were still within recent living memory. Rather than simply enshrining King as a noble orator and espouser of profound, timeless principles that we could all agree on, the film presents King much closer to his actual role as a polarizing figure who upset the status quo and stirred up furious opposition. And there are occasional interludes featuring notable movie and TV stars of the time who appear to make challenging, mildly provocative statements of their own, conscious of the fact that a significant number of viewers might still harbor resentment or reservations about just how far Dr. King went in promoting his vision of equity and social justice. David gives a list of those celebrity cameos toward the end of the video. 

The value of the new Kino Classics Blu-ray is truly to be found in the “content of its character”, one might say, not in the aesthetic beauty of its visual presentation (or its “skin”). Presented in black and white, most of the footage is drawn from TV broadcasts, 16mm or smaller film cameras, occasionally even audio recordings that use still photos or scrolling text as visual accompaniment. To put it plainly, some of the sequences are in pretty rough shape, but the Blu-ray presents them with as much fidelity as one can hope for. Cumulatively, the film is capable of making a strong, potentially life changing impression as it follows the narrative arc of King’s personal journey, the sacrifices he made, the victories he helped to achieve, and the witness that continues to speak with eloquent power and authority for those who care to pause, listen, and deeply consider the implications of what he taught and stood for. 

The only drawback that prevents this new release (which is also available on multiple streaming platforms) from being seen as a “definitive” home library edition is that more could have been done to provide additional context and convenience to viewers. I would suggest and happily welcome a short supplemental video feature, even if only an interview, explaining more about how the project was put together, the involvement of Hollywood legends Sidney Lumet and Joseph Mankiewicz as the film’s “directors”, and the overall outcome of the 3/24/70 event. Likewise, as mentioned in the video, an index of some sort listing the key scenes and sequences throughout the film would have provided great practical value to anyone interested in viewing particular moments in Dr. King’s story. But ultimately, those are minor upgrades that don’t detract meaningfully from the practically priceless material we see in the film, that helps keep the voice of Martin Luther King resonant and active as we move further into the 21st century.

KL Classics 2024 Blu-ray Special Features:

• Two Theatrical Trailers

• Optional English Subtitles