Rustin

Shining a deserving spotlight on one of the unheralded heroes of the civil rights movement, Rustin doesn’t settle for mere hagiography.

Rather, it explores with even-handed conviction the complicated legacy of a man often ostracized by the same people for whom he was trying to advocate, relegating him to a behind-the-scenes figure who never was granted the recognition and appreciation he deserved.

Perhaps best known for his close partnership with Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin ran in the same circles as other influential activists during the early 1960s, only to encounter racism and homophobia that derailed his professional ambitions.

Then again, his brash arrogance and stubbornness are off-putting, and his impetuous romantic affairs were not widely accepted at the time. His unfiltered and hot-tempered nature leaves him with as many adversaries as allies.

The film focuses on the buildup to the March on Washington in 1963, for which Rustin (Colman Domingo) is the brainchild and spiritual driving force.

He organizes a grassroots coalition of prominent Black church and civic leaders to back the effort. But in order to secure wider recognition and clear some logistical and bureaucratic hurdles, he needs to reconcile with King (Aml Ameen), his mentor for nonviolent protest with whom he had a brief falling out.

Rustin speaks persuasively, with compassion and assurance. “Counting on the courts to eradicate racial inequity, that’s madness,” he suggests to Roy Wilkins (Chris Rock), the NAACP chief who favors a more diplomatic approach. Others are skeptical, too.

Meanwhile, his confrontational verbosity threatens his romantic relationship with campaign worker Tom (Gus Halper) and conceals a deep-seeded vulnerability that could ruin him if he loses focus on the bigger picture — ensuring the march’s place in history.

This wise and well-rounded biopic from director George C. Wolfe (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) views a familiar sociopolitical backdrop from a fresh perspective, bolstered by vivid a stylish period re-creation.

The screenplay seems too eager to position Rustin as an oppressed hero, haunted by his past, who turns victimization into empowerment. However, a charismatic performance by Domingo (If Beale Street Could Talk) exudes energy and hard-earned sympathy for the man behind the cause. The supporting cast likewise is excellent.

It’s unfortunate Rustin doesn’t convey the same risk or go-for-broke tenacity as its eponymous protagonist. But like Rustin himself, it’s flawed yet fascinating.

Rated PG-13, 106 minutes.