Chadwick Boseman Career-High Performance Already Being Forgotten
There is no disputing that Black Panther was an amazing movie that brought Chadwick Boseman’s career to heights he may have otherwise not seen. But when we talk about the greatness of this actor who we lost far too soon, we have to discuss his more serious films, including what I consider to be Chadwick Boseman’s best role in Marshall, a movie about the first Black supreme court justice. For some reason, this film is not widely discussed, celebrated, or even easily available to stream.
Chadwick Boseman In Marshall
Marshall was written by the late Michael Koskoff, who, in addition to being a screenplay writer, was also a criminal lawyer and civil rights advocate before his death in 2019. He shared writing credit with his son, Jacob Koskoff. The film was directed by Reginald Hudlin, known for his work in Black entertainment, including his role as president of Black Entertainment Television from 2005 to 2008.
This combination of great writing by a lawyer behind the scenes and a Black director interested in highlighting Black excellence bring Chadwick Boseman in Marshall to life.
Focuses On Thurgood Marshall’s Legal Work
For those who don’t know anything about Thurgood Marshall, aside from being America’s first Black supreme court justice, he began his career as a staunch civil rights advocate and a traveling attorney for the NAACP. Rather than focus this film on the entirety of Marshall’s life and work, dating all the way back to his early, humble origins in Maryland, Koskoff chose a specific case Marshall was involved in that focuses on his personality and his approach to legal work.
The film also highlights Marshall’s disdainful attitude toward segregation in the United States. Chadwick Boseman does such a believable job as young Marshall that you can’t take your eyes from the screen.
A Traveling Lawyer On The Case
The film opens up with Thurgood Marshall, in his early NAACP traveling lawyer days, returning to his office in New York City after a case only to be sent to Connecticut for a new one. Apparently, a Black man, Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown) has been accused of rape by his employer, a white woman named Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). The year is 1941 and just the accusation of intercourse with a white woman can get a Black man lynched in several parts of the country.
As you would expect, Chadwick Boseman’s Marshall is immediately on the case.
An Unlikely Alliance
Unfortunately, the local judge will only grant Marshall admittance to the bar if he agrees to not speak during the trial… at all. As a result, he must turn to a local insurance lawyer, Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) for help. Together, they defend Spell and get to the bottom of the story.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this film as we uncover the truth along with the two attorneys who start out as reluctant partners and end up friends, but it is Chadwick Boseman as Marshall that makes this movie what it is.
Chadwick Boseman At His Absolute Best
GFR SCORE
Rotten Tomatoes currently has this film at 80% approval rating, and the only real criticisms of it are that viewers would have liked to see even more of Marshall’s work against racial injustice. And, obviously, who wouldn’t? Although you can’t stream this film for free, I encourage you to rent it on-demand through Apple TV+. Chadwick Boseman is absolutely at his best in Marshall.
