"Saint Omer," named after a town in France, is an unusual courtroom drama in that it frames everything from the POV of an onlooker with no connection to the case. Director Alice Diop based the story on her own experience with a similar trial. Her stand-in is a literature professor, Rama (Kayije Kagame), who is pregnant and at a crossroads in her life. She attends the trial of a woman named Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanda) who is responsible for the death of her infant daughter. Initially Rama only has a professional interest, hoping to write a book about Coly's case, but she quickly becomes more emotionally invested.
The French justice system functions differently from the American one, and there's never a doubt that Coly is guilty of her crime. What the court wants to determine is her motive, which seems impossible to untangle. It surely has something to do with Coly's sad history as an Senegalese immigrant who came to France in search of a better life, became involved with a married man, Luc (Xavier Maly), and then grew isolated and unhappy. The courtroom scenes are comprised of long monologues and dialogues where the camera is very static, often showing Coly as she speaks or listens to other speakers. The more details we learn about her life, the less clear her motives become.
Rama trying to process her responses to Coly's crime, and the lack of concrete answers, are what are truly at the heart of "Saint Omer.. She finds many parallels to her own life - the pregnancy, the relationship with her mother - even though the women couldn't be farther apart in society. Coly's explanations make no sense to the court, and perhaps to the audience, but Rama perceives more. The narrative is intensely personal, delivering an emotional resolution at the end of the film instead of a more traditional accounting of whether justice was done. I'm sure some viewers will be infuriated by the film, but I found it a strong exploration of empathy and existential themes.
"Till," directed by Chinonye Chukwu, is a more straightforward film, though it shares a few things in common with "Saint Omer." It depicts the events surrounding the death of 14 year-old Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall), one of the atrocities that helped to spur the American Civil Rights movement. The story is told from Emmett's POV until his murder, and then the POV of his mother, Mamie (Danielle Deadwyler), who is central to the aftermath of the murder and subsequent trial. Thankfully the actual killing of Till is never shown, and we don't see the famously disfigured corpse except out of focus in the background. The real horror is found in the film's depiction of the racist Mississippi community where the crime takes place.
"Till" is built around Deadwyler's performance. Mamie Till-Mobley is an admirable woman who understands that justice will not be done, but is compelled to speak against injustice despite this. She seems an unlikely heroic figure, but history shows that she went on to be a prominent activist for the rest of her life. Watching her find the strength to keep speaking out, despite the danger to her and her family, is very moving. Deadwyler perfectly captures her transformation from grieving mother to the fearless caretaker of her son's legacy. I'm generally wary of films that idealize historical figures, but in this case I appreciate that care is taken to show Till-Mobley - a figure most viewers won't be familiar with - in the best light possible. Her costuming, her lighting, the way the shots are composed to emphasize her power and self-assuredness - all give Deadwyler exactly what she needs to make a lasting impression.
When I first heard that this film was being made, I was apprehensive. I expected that it would either be another exercise in black trauma, emphasizing the depravity of what happened to Emmett Till, or worse a contrived, weepy courtroom drama. "Till" managed to avoid being either, to my relief, because it's as much about Mamie Till-Mobley as it is about her son. The story is tragic, but ultimately also manages to be uplifting. I still don't know if this story is really suited for a film, but I think this is the best version we could hope for.
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