The Great Debaters

Rating PG13 Genre drama Starring Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Jermaine Williams, J. D. Evermore, John Heard Directed by Denzel Washington Publisher MGM Distribution Company External Links The Great Debaters Website

For his second film behind the camera, Denzel Washington tackles a subject that combines a referendum on race relations with a heartwarming true-life melodrama—an intriguing contradiction. The Great Debaters follows a trio of students at the all-black Wiley College in Texas in 1935 as they are turned into a champion debate team by their mentor, Professor Mel Tolson. Against all odds–notably the country’s prevalent racism–the students make history by defeating the venerable Harvard debaters in a showdown for the ages.

Directing from Robert Eisele’s script–which, like many other docudramas, plays fast and loose with the facts–Washington has learned the lessons of his debut, Antwone Fisher, which rode entirely on the charm of its stars, Derek Luke and Washington himself. In The Great Debaters, Washington has more solid dramatic grounding, even though Eisele’s script routinely checks off events as their points are rather obviously hammered home: debate team meets for first time, check; first woman makes team, check; young son of the college administrator chosen for team, check; rebellious–but brilliant–lone wolf makes team, check; and so on.

But Washington is a more assured director this time around; with the veteran assistance of his invaluable cinematographer Philippe Rousselot and shrewd editor Hughes Winborne, he has structured an inspiring drama that, while it won’t win awards for originality, succeeds at sending its universal message to the world.

Washington also has the participation of a host of superb actors, all of whom transcend their rather sketchily-written characters by giving portrayals of uncommon subtlety and grace, starting with the main debaters, enacted skillfully by Nate Parker, Jurnee Smolett and Denzel Whitaker. When the story focuses on their climactic trip to Harvard (not USC, where the debate actually occurred, for reasons still unclear), Parker, Smolett and Whitaker create rare cinematic profiles in courage that honestly and poignantly earn our undying sympathy and applause.

As the college’s administrator James Farmer, Forrest Whittaker brings gravitas to essentially a stock role by intelligently underplaying this proud black man weakened by a society that doesn’t consider any blacks human. When Farmer is humiliated in front of his family by two illiterate white farmers after he accidentally runs over their pig while on an afternoon drive is transformed by Whittaker from a routine scene of racism into a tragedy informed by an innate wisdom and strength on the part of a first-rate actor.

The role of Tolson brings out the best in Washington, showing off–alongside his performance in American Gangster–his extensive range. This always first-rate actor’s charm, sense of humor and unerring instinct for eschewing “look at me” gestures for quiet, even inconspicuous ones are evident throughout The Great Debaters. If Washington seems to be coasting on his leading-man charisma for two hours, that’s another example of his ability to make every movement and word effortless.

That The Great Debaters was made by Oprah’s production company underlines the likely fact that, without Washington’s presence as director and star, the movie would most likely find its audience on the Oxygen or Lifetime networks because it is far too polished and sentimental in its depiction of a harrowing historical era. As an example, what should be the most shattering and unforgettable sequence in the movie–Tolson and his students inadvertently witness a lynching in progress, and narrowly escape the mob–has a by-the-numbers quality that mutes the material’s underlying power.

Still, The Great Debaters succeeds at what it sets out to do—create a feel-good story about the triumph of intellect over prejudice, which is not to be sneezed at in today’s climate.