On DVD: The Great Debaters

Now this is how I like to see period/historical films handled on DVD. Denzel Washington's second directorial effort, The Great Debaters, is a solid, heartwarming film about, of all things, racism in the south during the 1930s. The story of a group of young black students at a small southern college, it chronicles the rise to prominence of their debating team, leading to a historic match against Harvard.

What works best in the film is the sheer positivity of it. Despite the material, it is an upbeat tale -- the story of people facing, struggling with, and ultimately triumphing over racism. It is the story of a group of people who would ultimately become instrumental in the civil rights battles that would be in full swing some 20 years later. And it does so with heart. Lots of heart. You know, the kind of heart you'd expect from a movie produced by Oprah. But it's also a film that separates the act of racism from the race itself. Far from being a "white guilt" experience, The Great Debaters portrays racism as a disease -- a profound and troubling problem to be overcome. The result is a film that spends little time pointing fingers and more time showing how a few people led the way toward changing a nation.

As a film its a wonderfully acted piece, starring two of our greatest living actors -- Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker -- as well as a cast of young, talented unknowns, all of whom turn in excellent performances. Plus, as a DVD it really excels.

One of my beefs with most historical epic/period piece DVDs is that they pass up a golden opportunity to educate as well as entertain. Often times when you watch a movie based on a true story or event, you are left wondering how much of what you saw was fact and how much was speculation or embellishment. On occasion, those putting a DVD together see fit to make a package that includes lots of extras that can answer your questions.

The Great Debaters is just such a disc. This thing is chock full of making-of and historical context documentaries. From how they designed the costumes and chose the music to evoke the era, to interviews with the still-living members of the actual debating team, this has a couple of hours of information telling you pretty much everything you might be curious about. There's even a pretty cool documentary on sending the four young actors to debate camp so they can fully understand what they're doing and how best to do it -- educating the viewer on the rules and format of a debate.

All in all, The Great Debaters is a wonderful two-disc set that will provide a night's entertainment and fit well in the collection of any Denzel Washington fan. It hits stores his week.

Recommend (0) |

Comments (0) |

Email  |

Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us