Everyone knows Martin Luther King Jr.
The March on Washington.
The “I Have a Dream” speech.
Bayard Rustin marches with Nathan Schwerner, whose son was killed by the Ku Klux Klan for being Jewish.Paul Demaria/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
A watershed moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
As if one were merely playing at history.
What did make sense to him was the story of Rustin’s incredible achievement, against all odds.
A scene from ‘Rustin’; the real Ruby Bridges.Parrish Lewis/NETFLIX; Getty Images
He not only faced resistance from the white establishment but from the Black establishment as well.
And he deserves the recognition that was denied him in his day and for years, decades, afterward.
Even if the man himself never sought recognition, only the rectification of centuries-old wrongs.
A scene from ‘Rustin’; the real Elizabeth Eckford.Parrish Lewis /Netflix; Getty Images
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did you go about recreating the March on Washington?
And what was the trickiest part about it?
GEORGE C. WOLFE:Washington, D.C., 130 degrees at the Lincoln Memorial.
How was the energy in that scene what it was like filming it?
It was a long ass scene.
It was a long ass scene, but was really fun.
It was fun having all these powerhouses, some who knew each other well and some who did not.
It was like playing with a giant pinball machine and seeing these energies bounce off of one another.
And playing around with the dynamics and what was revealed.
I really enjoyed the way Bayard’s sexuality is depicted in the film, very matter-of-fact.
But I suppose that’s just how he was in real life….
So him being out was just a natural, healthy manifestation of who he was.
So the film is about the journey from shadow into claiming in the daylight.
That was very important that somehow that all came together for him.
Rustinopens in select theaters on Nov. 3 and will be available to stream Nov. 17 on Netflix.
