The Great Debaters

It seems like a couple of movies get made ever year with the specific purpose of being melodramtic enough to warrant award recognigtion. I often resent these movies and avoid them or watch them just so I can bash them. Last year I thought Pursuit of Happiness was going to be that kind of movie and this year I was certain The Great Debaters would also fit into that category. Well I was wrong about Pursuit of Happiness last year, it turned out to be a really good movie that was held together, by the strength of a great performance by Will Smith who kept the movie from being too melodramatic. I am happy to say that The Great Debaters also avoided being too melodramtic and in fact turned out to be a really good movie, not based solely on the acting, which actually did get a little melodramatic, but rather, on strength of Denzel Washington's directing, I know I am kind of surprised too.

This is Denzel's first movie, Antwain Fisher get that honor, but this movies does help to pad his resume and move him in the direction of being a really good director. Set in the Jim Crow south, The Great Debaters is the story of the Wiley College's debates team's history journey to wining a match against Harvard University. Denzel Washington is Professor Melving Tolson, professor and debate coach by day and union organizer by night. Professor Tolson tries to instill in his students and team members that power of words and a disciple over one's emmotions. The Wiley College debate team's journey to Harvard is by no means a smooth journey. There are many obstacles that hinder their progess, but in the end Wiley College proves to the nation there is much more to the American Negro than the rage associated with living in a country that considers you sub-human.

In the end Denzel crafts a vivid work full of emmotion and gripping speeches, it teeters on melodramatic at times and for this most part pulls back at just the right time, although there were occassion where the movie slipped. All in all this was a passionate film, with a lot heart and the brains to match.

GRADE - B+