Review of The Great Debaters (2007) by Erno K — 28 Jul 2008

It always surprises me (less and less each day though) how brutal and stupid humans can be. Well-made movies that deal with racial issues usually convey the inexplicable hate people can have towards each other, and this one is no exception. It deals with some hard issues, but the horrible thing is that, in movies the reality has to be diluted, because the things that took place in reality are too hideous to show in a movie. To think there really were such things as lynch mobs... what in the fuck is wrong with us?

This movie follows a black debate team that challenged Harvard University and won, in the 1930's. That premise might sound pretty boring, but there is a good story in anything if told well enough. I was slightly bored at times, however, and I do think this movie is a tad too long. There are emotional, awe-inspiring speeches to be heard though, and that is always worth a watch. It is very hard to make a movie about talking, unless you are Kevin Smith, and this film lost me in the middle, but grabbed my attention again with a strong finish.

Ultimately, I don't think I ever need to see this movie again, and such irrelevant movies can't deserve very high ratings. But honestly, the guy playing Forest Whitaker's son is Denzel Whitaker, and Denzel Washington directed and starred in the movie. That's just plain weird.