‘Rustin’ Review — Colman Domingo Does What He Can to Save Generic Biopic

The Big Picture

• Rustin tells the story of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in a formulaic and uninspiring manner, failing to do justice to the remarkable man and his accomplishments.
• The film looks cheap and lacks creativity, with scenes that feel like they were shot on a stage. The script is heavy-handed with excessive exposition, lacking trust in the audience’s knowledge of the historical context.
• Colman Domingo delivers a solid performance as Rustin, though it doesn’t break new ground. The supporting cast, including Johnny Ramey, Chris Rock, and Jeffrey Wright, shine in limited screen time. The film’s focus on Rustin’s friendship with MLK Jr. is a highlight, making one wish the film delved deeper into their bond.

So many tremendous true stories have fallen prey to the standard, generic biopic. The original story might be remarkable, but if that is retold in a mundane, by-the-numbers film that undercuts its greatness, it does a disservice to the source material and the real people at the center of it. Such is, unfortunately, the case with Rustin, which tells the story of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo), a gay man who was instrumental in creating the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin is absolutely a man who deserves more attention in the history books, and yet, this biopic directed by Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’s George C. Wolfe, and written by Julian Breece and Oscar-winner Dustin Lance Black, hits all the standard notes we’ve come to expect from this style of film, which undermines the great man at the center.

Wolfe’s film shows us all the reasons Bayard Rustin is a person that everyone should know, yet he does so in a way that doesn’t do him justice. Rustin was key in making Martin Luther King Jr. (Aml Ameen) an iconic figure, helping unite the many civil rights groups to come together and march, largely put together the March on Washington, and did so while living as a gay Black man who was often criticized for who he was and faced accusations of being a Communist. From having to deny allegations that he was in a romantic relationship with Martin Luther King Jr. to almost not being a part of the march he created, Rustin’s journey for civil rights was full of unique obstacles that made his story especially difficult.

‘Rustin’ Falls Into the Same Traps of Too Many Biopics

It’s then especially odd how formulaic Rustin ends up becoming, considering both Wolfe and Black have been part of biopics that at least felt like they were approaching the genre from a different angle. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was able to explore the life of the eponymous blues singer with style and tension that made it stand out amongst other true stories. Yet here, Rustin feels false and rudimentary in its approach, with scenes that look cheap and almost like they were shot on the stage (and maybe this would’ve been more effective as a play). This is about as bland of a job that could be done with this type of story, right down to obvious black-and-white flashbacks with music that attempts to pull at the heartstrings, and the stirring moments when Rustin’s dreams of a march come true. It’s all exactly handled how you’d expect with no surprises along the way.

Similarly, Black won an Oscar for his excellent script for Milk, which was also able to shine a light on an important figure who warranted more awareness. But with Rustin, both Black and Breece jam-pack this story full of as much heavy-handed exposition and explanation as possible. Not a sentence goes by that doesn’t drop a few pieces of information and historical context in, to the point that it’s almost laughable in how it doesn’t trust the audience to at least know something about the period. Black and Breece’s script primarily works when we see Rustin rallying the troops or attempting to convince the NAACP that they should be all-in on the march, but that has just as much to do with Domingo’s commitment as it does what’s on the page.

Colman Domingo Finally Gets the Lead in ‘Rustin’

Colman Domingo is certainly the reason to see Rustin, and the film knows that this is a spotlight for him as an actor. For years, Domingo has been great in smaller parts, in everything from Spike Lee’s Passing Strange, to Zola, Euphoria, and even Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. It is wonderful for him to get the attention he deserves in a leading role that should’ve come a long time ago. But for those who have been consistently impressed with Domingo’s work, his performance as Rustin, honestly, isn’t breaking any new ground. He plays Rustin with a theatricality that sometimes feels slightly off in this film, and continues the idea that this might’ve worked better on the stage. Yes, Domingo is good, and yes, it’s fantastic that he’s taking the central role in a major release, but given his decades of great work, it’s easy to see his role in Rustin as a reliable actor doing an expectedly reliable job.

That being said, Domingo brings Bayard Rustin to life in a way that the fairly rote writing and directing can’t, showcasing the electric man behind one of the most important moments in civil rights history. Domingo captures the passion of Rustin, his knowledge that what he’s fighting for is right, and damn anyone who questions his actions to change the world. Even though Domingo plays Rustin like he’s on the stage, it’s that bombastic nature that makes him such a captivating figure, whether he’s giving a rousing speech or sweeping up after the March on Washington. And yet, it’s still a performance that one can’t help but wish was put in a better film, or that the work spent on this film didn’t go towards making a fantastic documentary on this subject and time period instead.

As the name implies, Rustin is all about its lead character, and while it has an exceptional supporting cast, few performances get enough time to stand out. Johnny Ramey is one exception, as Elias Taylor, a married man who struggles with his feelings towards Rustin, and both Chris Rock and Jeffrey Wright have some fun with their limited screen time as the closest thing Rustin has to an antagonist. Some of the film’s best moments actually come when it focuses on the friendship between Rustin and Ameen’s MLK Jr., and while the March on Washington makes sense as the focal point for Rustin’s story, the scenes between these two actors almost makes one wish that the film focused on this bond instead.

Rustin is the type of lifeless biopic that makes you wonder why this wasn’t just a documentary in the first place, as the title character is far more intriguing than whatever this film is attempting to do. At the very least, Rustin does two things effectively: it makes Domingo a lead actor (which should’ve already been a thing) that will probably finally give him a much-deserved Oscar nomination after years of incredible work, and it will make the public more aware of the contributions made by Rustin—especially in a world where people like Rustin are disgustingly being written out of the history books. For those reasons, it’s good that Rustin exists, it’s just a shame the telling of Rustin’s story isn’t nearly as electric as the man was.

Rating: C

Rustin is now available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

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