A tour-de-force lead performance, a fascinating central figure and the thorough telling of an important moment in U.S. history lift “Rustin” (American; 2023; historical biopic/drama; running time 1 hour, 48 minutes; directed by George C. Wolfe, written by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance, based on the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin; rated PG-13 for some violence, racial slurs, thematic material, language, brief drug use, sexual material, smoking; released Aug. 31, 2023, at Telluride Film Festival, in limited theaters Nov. 3, 2023, streaming on Netflix on Nov. 17, 2023) far above your average biopic, even though the film too often sticks to that genre’s blueprint. Colman Domingo is perfect in the role of Bayard Rustin, a man who refused to play by the rules because the rules were stacked against him and a man steadfast in his convictions even when he was being his own worst enemy. “Rustin” is told in a straightforward manner, moving chronologically (with a couple of brief flashbacks), and it falls into a familiar underdog story rhythm of minor victories, minor setbacks, self-doubts and ultimately cheer-worthy triumph. Colman gets ample help from a stellar cast, and the lessons in the story are important ones that remain necessary today.

Bayard Rustin was born in 1912 in West Chester, Pa., and was in his 40s and 50s as the U.S. entered an important period in which Blacks would demand their civil rights. Rustin was a friend and assistant to Martin Luther King Jr. and helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The two would part ways in 1960 when a U.S. representative threatened to leak to the press rumors of a fake affair between Rustin, who was gay, and King. They would reunite when Rustin was organizing the 1963 March on Washington, which he had hoped would draw 100,000 to the National Mall for a rally and peaceful protest for equal rights and financial opportunity for Blacks. Instead, an estimated 250,000 turned out (about 80 percent of the participants were Black), and King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. The march is credited with helping to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Rustin died Aug. 24, 1987, at age 75.

That Rustin’s story is told using a standard biopic format is a curious one, given that Bayard Rustin had such a multi-layered, larger-than-life personality. The chronological format and use of file footage from the March on Washington give the drama a documentary feel, one that adds heft to an already weighty moment in history. The performances elevate the material, especially that of Domingo, who delivers a magnetic, agile and sincere (Domingo also is gay) characterization that earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination. Colman with great conviction conveys Rustin’s pain (he faced frequent criticism for his affiliation with the Communist Party and an arrest for lewd behavior with other men) but also his dogged commitment to the cause. The talent runs deep among the cast, with Aml Ameen (as King), Glynn Turman (as labor unionist A. Philip Randolph), CCH Pounder (as Dr. Anna Hedgeman) and Jeffrey Wright (in a brief appearance as pastor and politician Adam Clayton Powell Jr.) among the highlights. The soundtrack (by Brandford Marsalis) and well-placed period-specific needle drops help keep the story rolling. “Rustin” had the potential to be much more, but Domingo’s performance makes this worth checking out, and Rustin’s story is one that needed to be told.

My score: 81 out of 100