Having tackled every known film subject in his long career, from musicals to murder mysteries,
Sidney Lumet tries his hand at documentary in King: A Filmed Record...Montgomery to Memphis. Lumet co-directed and co-produced the film with another Hollywood luminary, Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Beyond selecting appropriate filmclips, Lumet and Mankiewicz directed the bridging sequences, narrated by such friends and admirers of Dr. Martin Luther King as
Paul Newman,
Joanne Woodward and
James Earl Jones. Though well-intentioned, these bridges are unnecessary: the clips, which trace King's life and accomplishments from the 1955 bus boycott to his 1968 assassination, speak for themselves most eloquently. Released to theatres at an epic 153 minutes, King: A Filmed Record is also available in a 90-minute TV and cassette version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide