The Great Debaters
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Movie Reviews of The Great Debaters
Movie Review: The affirmative case for civil disobedience
Summary: 5 Stars
Wiley college debates Harvard on the topic of civil disobedience. 1935, blacks were lynched in Texas, a form of mob justice. The law did not protect blacks from this form of violence.
Issues raise:
* Jim Crow laws
* African Americans not allow to attend White Colleges
* Debate limited to Black colleges
* Inequality within the law
* Inequality in educational fund distribution
* High percent of crime and punishment associated with African Americans
* Harvards struggle to racially integrate with Blacks
A divine law can not be superceded by man made law. If man made law becomes oppressive or negligent then revolt of those laws or the lack of law can be either resisted by violence or civil disobedience. A proposition that would carry forward many decades later with the freedom riders and their protest of unfair transportation policies discriminating against blacks.
Who is our judge? God is our Judge. Why is he our judge? Because God decides what is right or wrong. Who is our opponent? There is no opponent because he resides on the side of error.
Movie Review: A Movie Mixed With Every Genre
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw The Great Debaters today, and I must say I was amazed and enthralled throughout the entire movie. I wanted to see this movie when I first saw a preview, because I am a fan of debating, and watching the film made me more and more inclined to join a debate team.
The Great Debaters is an enthralling film. The acting is stupendous, and the script and directing is phenomenal. There was pretty much nothing that was flawed with The Great Debaters. It was a wonderfully delightful film.
Not only is The Great Debaters a drama, but it contains a little element of every movie genre you can think of, from horror/thriller (when the debate team is attacked by the lynch mob), to comedy (hilarious lines that will make you laugh), to romance (the love between two of the debate team members).
Stupendous acting from Denzel Washington, Forest Witaker, Forest Witaker's young child, Denzel Witaker, Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker, and everyone else in the cast. These actors/actresses made this movie a phenomenal, must-see film of the winter-season. It is a film that will make you cheer.
Movie Review: Great film...
Summary: 5 Stars
The firm is loosely based on a story set in Texas during the 1930's. The story is centered around Melvin Tolson (played by Denzel Washington) and his hand-picked group of black students at Wiley College. Tolson preps his team hard in the debating discipline and leads then on to beat black colleges and acquire an undefeated record. His students eventually get a crack at and beat the white Oklahoma City College which captures national attention. The Wiley College team goes on to compete against the National Champion Harvard debate team in the hallowed halls of Harvard. (In reality, the Wiley team beats the USC, the reigning debating champions - but certainly this change in plot line is a more compelling story for the viewer.)
This was an emotionally moving story - with the lynchings, the racism, the double standards - and yet the team was still able to overcome. The movie was well casted and more so with the students then with Denzel who I felt overacted in certain segments. Great film...
Movie Review: Wow What A Great Movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this movie at the theater and was mesmerized. Although debate has undergone a metamorphis since 1935, it is still a great film. Of course, it helps to know something about debate, or at least have a rudimentary knowledge of it. There are many types of debate, but it probably closely resembles the Lincoln-Douglas format, although it uses two debaters in the competition, which resembles policy debate. They are not debating policy, but a topic, and though most of the debate takes place in a small Texas black college against the prestigious Harvard Debate team, it is a great film. Denzil Washington and oscar winner Whitaker are incredible. I have long been a fan of Denzil who has piled up several oscars himself, I was fascinated by Whitaker who seems to be able to stretch hmself as an actor. If you haven't seen this movie, you need to rush out and see it.
Merl McBee
Movie Review: Perfect Execution of a Brilliant Theme
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those movies that is truly educational, provides insight on people's lives from another time and is quite entertaining. Watching this movie, I could get a sense of what it must have been like in segregated America. Using a debate team as the central concept, is a wonderfully original idea. The scene with Forest Whitaker and his family after he runs over a pig, is especially poignant. This movie reminded me of 'Mississippi Burning' (another excellent movie). I hope this film brings attention to the art of debating which I think schools should encourage more, as an exercise in presenting structured arguments and building logical thinking capabilities. Denzel did a great job with this movie and in giving rather unknown African American actors a chance at the big screen which today seems to be monopolized by a few.