King in the Wilderness
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Docu examines last years of MLK's life; language, violence.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
King in the Wilderness
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In KING IN THE WILDERNESS, 50 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, witnesses to his struggles speak about his good work, his decency, his dedication, and his sense of moral responsibility to help achieve equal rights for all in the United States. This lovingly-constructed documentary takes an unblinking look at King, warts and all, and traces the line of his thoughtful and nonviolent activism to the progress that came after him and continues to inspire today. A high school graduate at 15 with a doctorate at 26, King soon became regarded as Old Guard by younger leaders. One charismatic next generation leader, Stokely Carmichael, first supported King and then broke away, expressing a need to view violence as a reasonable response to beatings and jailings of Black people. King, understanding the impatience, steadfastly held to nonviolent methods, convinced that answering violence with violence would strip his leadership of its moral underpinnings. Singer-activists Harry Belafonte and Joan Baez, as well as former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young and Congressman John Lewis, speak of King's qualities and his fight to end discrimination against Black people in housing, education and employment. King faced many dilemmas, including the need to criticize President Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam war position, even after Johnson twisted congressional arms to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Is It Any Good?
This is a comprehensive retrospective look at King and his influence through the eyes of friends and colleagues who were there, marching and pushing for change with him. King in the Wilderness makes the great looming historical figure human, emphasizing the difficulties King faced as he weighed the views of all stakeholders and still pushed ahead based on his sense of moral obligation to fight segregation and other inequalities nonviolently. In one example, a White woman spits in his face and he replies, "You are much too beautiful to be so mean." While today we may read sexist undertones into his response, the effect was humanizing and the woman later returned to apologize for being so rude.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it means to be driven by a moral obligation to help give a voice to the voiceless and to relieve the burden of racism and poverty. What sacrifices did King make as he worked to solve such problems?
Why do you think some in the U.S. government found King's work threatening?
King was far from a perfect person. Why do you think the FBI threatened to expose his extramarital affairs? Did the FBI exert pressure on him to tone down his anti-racist activities? How do you think giving equal rights to people of color threatened the U.S government of the 1960s?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: March 30, 2018
- Director: Peter Kunhardt
- Studio: HBO Max
- Genre: Documentary
- Character Strengths: Integrity , Perseverance
- Run time: 111 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 1, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Great Movies with Black Characters
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate