The Great Debaters

I will give this movie 7 lynched Negros of 10

This film was very emotionally driven and that seems to be appropriate for a movie Drama/Biography about the Jim Crow Laws of the South and the discrimination of Negros under them. This film focuses on the exploits of Mr. Melvin Tolson B. (Denzel Washington) as he trains an elite group of three college debaters: Henry Lowe (Nate Parker) as the down-on-his-luck black man who is not to optimistic about the world, Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett) as the neo-feminist who wants to show the men what's-what, James Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker) as the shy but strong willed and smart one who saves the day through sheer willpower and determination.

The plot revolves around the increasingly tense race relations of the south as the Great Depression continues and the debate team goes undefeated. One startling fact is how well educated the Negros are in comparison to the average white folks. Though the Negros are more literate, they still must treat themselves as second-class citizens and inferior to the white man. The tension of the story comes from the protagonists struggling against the oppressors and coming out on top.

There are several subplots ranging from relationship conflicts between the three debaters to the discrimination of Mr. Tolson for being a communist/socialist/labor leader and his push for workers' rights, and the main plot climaxing with their debate at Harvard University. There is even a point near the third act where the gang comes across a group of Texans lynching and burning a Negro and they barely escape with their lives.

For all of its good parts, there is still one part of this movie that does not go over well with me. the debate at the end of the movie. The debate is well done and invokes plenty of emotion—but that is the problem—the original speech was less glamorous and more poignant and does not end with a triumphant victory. The white characters are also pretty stock and one-dimensional and don’t offer much except to be the antagonists of the story.

Overall, this movie is worth watching and it really takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Even for its flaws, I would still give this movie for someone to watch and enjoy. The final speech at the end, while not like the original, is still worth waiting an hour and a half to see.