From Joe Peltzer

For a film about a man so driven to make an impact, it’s a shame that Rustin comes across as simply serviceable, almost as though it should have been a made-for-tv movie. 

While 1963’s March on Washington is well-known for Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream’ speech, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, little attention has been paid over the years to Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo), the architect of said march. Director George C. Wolfe delivers in Rustin a look at the man behind the march via a screenplay from Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black that explores the pushback to the idea, the process in putting it together, and the intersection of Rustin’s personal life. It’s surprising that a screenplay from Lance Black would deliver such a loose, scattered story when he’s most known for the incredible biopic Milk, but that’s exactly what happens here as the Domingo’s performance outshines every other aspect of a flat, forgettable film.

Domingo from the jump is fully on display in a larger-than-life performance of the driven, opinionated man behind the march. Never not frantic, Domingo expertly earns empathy as he navigates the politics of not only the United States, but his allies in the movement as a Black gay man. One of the most impactful lines from the movie comes in the later moments where he states, ““On the day I was born Black, I was also born a homosexual. He goes on to say, “They either believe in freedom and justice for all or they do not.” Such a statement cuts to the core of Rustin’s identity and beliefs, brilliantly delivered with quiet gravitas by the talented Domingo. Sadly, the rest of the film fails to carry the same weight.

The man explored at the center of Rustin deserves a better film in general. Wolfe directs the talented cast (Audra McDonald, CCH Pounder, and Glynn Randolph to name a few) with a glaring lack of creativity, their talents largely wasted in a half-hearted storytelling exercise. It all culminates in a the march itself which is portrayed with such a lack of energy that the recreation should have been scrapped for historical footage instead. It’s a fitting culmination of a project that doesn’t quite know what it is doing aside from showcasing the titular historical figure and Domingo’s talents. Most frustrating is that such a confused approach detracts from a thorough exploration of Rustin as a person, the few scenes of intimacy and emotional weight overshadowed by a jumbled rush to the march itself. 

Rustin has the ingredients to be an Oscar contender, and it still may be true that Domingo makes the cut, but the concoction that results is familiar and stale. It all rides on the bombastic performance from Domingo, but the star is ultimately grounded by a lack of originality and inspiration in everything around him.

Rating: 2/5

Rustin is now streaming on Netflix.

Follow Joe