Tuesday, BBC3, 10:45pm
Chinonye Chukwu’s Till is an unflinching portrayal of one of America’s most harrowing tragedies—the 1955 lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till—crafted not merely to remind but to resonate deeply, shaking us from any historical complacency. Rather than depicting the gruesome event directly, Chukwu wisely focuses on the aftermath, particularly through the eyes of Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, portrayed with haunting strength by Danielle Deadwyler. The film’s impact lies not just in its visual storytelling but in its aural landscape, where Abel Korzeniowski’s restrained yet evocative score brings out the underlying tension and heartache that words alone cannot capture.
Korzeniowski’s music eschews melodrama, opting instead for a minimalist approach that underscores Mamie’s grief and resilience. His compositions weave together somber piano melodies and plaintive strings, creating a sonic backdrop that is as unyielding as it is fragile. The film opens with a gentle, almost lullaby-like theme, a poignant reminder of Emmett’s innocence, but as the story unfolds and the stark reality of racial violence seeps in, the music becomes more discordant and dissonant, mirroring Mamie’s descent into unimaginable anguish and her rise as a civil rights icon.
By anchoring Till in Mamie’s perspective, Chukwu reframes a historical horror into an intimate, personal experience, where music and silence carry equal weight. The score amplifies moments of quiet resolve and vocal defiance, particularly in scenes where Mamie confronts the impossible task of viewing and then displaying her son’s mutilated body. Till doesn’t just aim to recount a history—it challenges us to hear, see, and feel its echoes, long after the final note fades, as a reminder that this is not merely history but a continuing call for justice.
- Tom Hanson