Review of Son of the South

I've been eagerly anticipating seeing this historical drama for a long while now. It shines a light on a different component of the Civil Rights Movement and era- one that has been frequently overlooked, yet is just as worthy of being highlighted and explored. There are some genuine and quality components to the film. But also things missing from it. It was a good film, which could have been great, and a game changer. Cinematography is lovely- it showcases the contrast between the tranquil beauty of the natural landscape with the tumultuous events occuring upon it. The filters, lighting and camera angles support the sensibility of the period. The languid steel guitar soundtrack really takes the audience to the place and time ( 1961 Montgomery Alabama) The score is subtle yet effective, and supports the dramatic unfolding of events in the story. It does not overwhelm the audience with being too loud , distracting or bombastic. The use of period postcards and historic news reel clips add to the feeling of reliving through those tenuous times. All actors deliver, but the directing hand needs to supply more sensitized steering for his cast & crew. .There are no solid subplots developed, and the secondary characters plead to be more fleshed out. Pregnant pauses between characters llines stilt the dialog. Lead actor Lucas Till inhabits well the character of Bob Zellner and seems comfortable in his title role. But his internal emotional process is 1 note. I was longing for a more fulfilling and noticeable arc of development and growth from within him. Too many characters (mostly historical) are introduced with no resolution- Loose ends left floating around. The rhthym and pacing of story development is disjointed. iI felt it peaked way too soon, which leaves the ending feeling anti- climactic. I was left hanging with the sense of " Wait-That's it"????" It also inadvertently ( and unfortunately) gives off a hint of a" white savior" tone. The story of a young white Southern man who left his long line of family Klansmen to join the Civil Rights Movement- it could have really brought a whole new light to the those times and events. But I did not feel it was a balanced delivery. It is Bob Zellner's story, which is fine. The bulk of the plot can and should still be about his journey. It is Bob's story as well as the journey of the African American historical figures. But the lack of character development in the African American characters, as well as in his ( Zellner's character) lacking in an emotional arc of growth- really make the film's essence lopsided. The take away umphhhh is not there to the level I was craving. It is still a film worth seeing. One definitely escapes to the past for a couple of hours. And there is still an uptick at the end. It just could have a much broader spectrum in the effectiveness of its delivery ,and in its impact on the viewer- both individually and collectively. Yet I learned much from this film and feel better informed and more aware from seeing it.