Streaming: Netflix (With Subscription)
Warnings:
Racism
Explicit Language
Rating: PG-13
Loving is a heartfelt story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple who was arrested for interracial marriage in the 1960s in Virginia, this sparked a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court’s historic 1967 decision. Ruth Negga plays Mildred and Joel Edgerton plays Richard; critics were near unanimous in praise for Negga’s portrayal of Mildred Loving. This biography is an important portrayal of history because its exposes the hardships that the Lovings had to deal with on a daily basis just for being in an interracial marriage. Loving is an earnest film that shows how far our society has come in regard to interracial relationships, however it also brings attention to how much we still need to change for progress. Along with the historical importance, the cinematography is beautiful and attentive. The costume design is also well executed, there was significant research that went into recreating the fashion during that time. Loving received numerous awards and nominations, it received two nominations at the 74th Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor for Edgerton, and Best Actress for Negga. Loving has been named one of the best films of 2016 by various critics.
Mildred and Richard Loving originally did not set out to spark the civil liberty battle that began in result of their marriage, but as they were fighting for their own rights, they realized this legal battle will help other interracial relationships. Producer Peter Saraf made a statement in a Q&A discussion with an audience, he described the film’s authenticity as “true to life.” Richard Loving was as stoic as portrayed by Edgerton in the film and Mildred really did write to Robert Kennedy, her letter is still in the Kennedy collection and the Lovings’ lawyer relayed Richard’s words to the Supreme Court that he loves his wife. Even the jail in the film is the same jail the couple stayed in when they were arrested, the front shot of the courthouse was also the same courthouse. To ensure accuracy, the Lovings’ surviving child Peggy Loving was a consultant for the production. When Peggy visited the set, she was shocked by how accurately the actors had channeled her parents in character and in costume. There are some details that were changed, with the invention of some characters and scenes but the creators of the film sought to stay true to the Lovings’ story as much as possible.
Loving was shot on 35 mm film by cinematographer Adam Stone, known for Wild Wild Country, Take Shelter, and Mud. The director, Jeff Nichols wanted to make sure the audience felt how beautiful Caroline Country, Virginia was but at the same time didn’t want the film to feel “affected or sweetened.” Stone and Nichols wanted to use the camera to highlight the performances of the actors because that was what was going to effectively construct the story they were going for. Stone in particular wanted to use a moving camera shot for certain scenes but didn’t want to use a Steadicam, he explains that “if an actor’s moving on camera, we wanted to be straight on or [slightly] off axis. We used a dolly with a boom and a hothead for more stability.” This allowed the production team to capture the characters in a beautiful way that allowed their acting to shine.
The costume design is also something that is important to note for this film. Costume designer Erin Benach worked with Nichols previously on Midnight Special and she approached Loving with a great deal of attentive research. Benach states that she had a large amount of historical imagery to study along with rich material in order to best understand what people specifically in that location were wearing at that time. Benach noted that it was difficult to portray the fashion authentically or in a naturalistic way. However, she strived for the audience to notice the costume changes as they happened. It was especially difficult to portray Mildred while she was going through different stages of pregnancy, making sure she was at the correct stage took time to ensure everything was accurate. The Black and white check dress with a jacket is a costume that is noteworthy because Benach recreated that dress by using a past photograph of Mildred. Attention to details like this helped this film receive the accolades it won.
Loving is a stark reminder of the civil liberties the Lovings fought for while exposing how much still needs to change. This genuine retelling of their love story is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Through focusing on the historical importance and using the cinematography and costume design to uplift their story, this film deserved the high praise it received from critics. Stories like this are important to learn and understand because they are significant parts of the United States history. I highly recommend this film if you are interested in viewing historically accurate, entertaining cinema.