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THE GREAT DEBATERS Send This Review to a Friend
A picture that deals with debating and includes topics worth talking about is interesting in its own right. “The Great Debaters” goes further, entwining the competitive art with a fictionalized but fact-based story about how a debating team from a black school, Wiley College in Texas, could in the racist 1930s gain such a solid reputation that it became the first black debating team to be invited to compete with Harvard. The film gets sidetracked with romantic problems less convincing than the main story, but when it deals with the saga of the team itself, the film has power, especially since we know that some of those involved achieved future places in history.
Denzel Washington, who directs from a screenplay written by Robert Eisele from a story by him and Jeffrey Porro, has given himself a showy role as Melvin B. Tolson, professor and poet, who is a tough taskmaster in whipping together student debaters. He is arrogant and pontificating, but effective in instilling spirit and inspiring students to scale the heights. Denzel Whitaker has key role as team member James Farmer, Jr., who would go on to become a leading figure in the later civil rights movement. His principled father, who has to deal with life-threatening racism even if it means humbling himself to avoid injury to him and his family, is movingly played by Forest Whitaker.
Part of the story involves Tolson’s pro-union activism, which gets him into trouble but also serves to mobilize support for him and his position in the face of anti-union hostility.
Others in the cast include Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, JermaineWilliams, Gina Ravera, John Heard and Kimberly Elise.
One can fault the film for at times being too schmaltzy, but its strong emotional and intellectual center triumphs, and the drama emerges as a reminder of the obstacles that had to be overcome by those with sufficient nerve, stamina and sheer bravery to buck the prejudices of their time and score victories for their race and for education.
A Weinstein Company release.
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