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Product Description: GREAT DEBATERS THE - WS (DVD MOVIE)Amazon.com: Inspired by real events, the fascinating The Great Debaters reveals one of the seeds of the Civil Rights Movement in its story of Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington in a captivating performance) and his champion 1935 debate club from the all-African-American Wiley College in Texas. Tolson, a Wiley professor, labor organizer, modernist poet, and much else, runs a rigorous debate program at the school, selecting four students as his team in ’35, among them the future founder of the Congress of Racial Equality, James Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker). Washington, who directed The Great Debaters from a script by Robert Eisele (The Dale Earnhardt Story), anchors the story with the team’s measurable progress, but the film is also about the state of race relations in America at the height of the Great Depression. With lynchings of black men and women a common form of entertainment and black subjugation for many rural whites, the idea of talented and highly intelligent African-American young people learning to think on their feet during debates would seem almost a hopeless endeavor. But that’s not the way Tolson sees it, as his students serve themselves and the cause of racial equality in America with energetic arguments in favor of progressive government and non-violence as a viable social movement. There are some startling moments in this movie, particularly the sight of a man found lynched and burned to death, and an extraordinary moment in which we see black sharecroppers and white farmers engaged with Tolson in arguments about unionizing together. Forest Whitaker is outstanding as Farmer’s emotionally-reserved father, also a Wiley professor. This is the kind of film where one hopes two great actors such as the elder Whitaker and Washington will have a scene together, and when it comes it’s as powerful as one might hope. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
- Beautiful!: This is a beautiful, captivating movie. I can't say enough about the actors in this film, every one of them is superb! This movie is a keeper and one I could watch again.
- Denzel does it again: Denzel's first movie, Antwone Fisher was a classic; Now with the great debaters I'm convinced that he should be coaxed into doing more directorial work. He could take Black movies and move them into a higher class, which is sorely needed now. The Great Debaters is arguably the best movie of recent history to star African-Americans. A much needed break from the buffonery & love triangle plots we have become so accumstomed to as movie goers.
Denzel Washington & Forest Whitaker give excellent lead performances as does the young new comers, particularly Jurnee Smolee, who is actually not a new comer, but I think this is her breakthrough performance. She is growing into a smart & beautiful young actress. She has come a long way since Eve's Bayou, and has instantly surpassed her co-star from that movie, Meagan Good, who has become sort of the pretty girl in action movies.
But The GB's is one for the collection, inspiring & intelligent entertainment. We need more movies about the black experience like this, that not only speaks to us but all americans. It was released on christmas day last year, probably the worse time of the year for a movie to debut, but I'm glad many people will discover this collectible on DVD. 10 stars. - Wow What A Great Movie!: 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 - Words - both spoken and written - can wield great power: The Great Debaters was inspired by the true story of the debate team at Wiley College, an African-American college that was originally created in 1873 by the "Freedman's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church." Their goal was to help educate and prepare newly-freed slaves as they made the difficult transition into a new life.
Now, with that as a historical backdrop, you know "The Great Debaters" has got to be rich in history, import, meaning and cultural significance. And it is.
Professor Tolson (played by Denzel Washington) started coaching his now-famous debate team in 1929 and the movie is set in the year 1935, when 40 college kids would show up to audition for the four coveted spots on his team. If this movie were just another "academic cinderella story" it'd be interesting and entertaining but The Great Debaters is so much more than that.
Born and raised in southeastern Virginia, I know a little bit about what racism looked like in the 1960s. This movie gave me a keyhole peak at racism in the 1930s and it was something I'll not soon forget. The scene depicting Forest Whitaker's confrontation (over a lost pig) with two no-account white racists was very believable and powerful and it was equally memorable and disturbing.
Another scene that showed a lynching was probably the most haunting scene and yet witnessing that horrible event proved to be a catalyst for one of the debaters.
If you go online and do a little background reading, you'll learn that some artistic license was exercised in telling the story of The Great Debaters (for instance, in 1935, they won a debate against University of Southern California; they never debated Harvard). However, for the most part, the story is good and true and very worthwhile.
I don't buy a lot of DVDs but this is one movie I'd like to own. Powerful story and very well-told. And speaking as a history snob, the background details (the depiction of the 1930s time period) were also very well done and accurate.
And an important PS to this movie review: According to an article in the New York Times (published Dec. 5, 2007), Wiley College has been struggling for years to keep their doors open, and in recent years, that struggle has become even more severe. The article also states that Wiley has not had the financial wherewithal to sponsor a debate team for many years. Hopefully "The Great Debaters" will effect a sea-change in this historic college's financial fortunes. - GREAT MOVIE!!!: I saw the Great Debaters today. All I have to say is that it was a magnificant movie in every sense of the word. I was spellbound throughout the movie. When I returned home I called my family and close friends to tell them they "had" to go to see the movie. It's classic! I don't usually buy DVDs of movies I've seen but will certainly buy this one as soon as it's released. A MUST SEE MOVIE!!
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