The Great Debaters

Denzel Washington is one of the most finest actors of Hollywood. He has the capability of adding an inexplicable likeability to any movie. I just saw one of the most captivating, inspirational and thought provoking movie in which he has not only acted but also directed it,"The Great Debaters". The movie has a backdrop of Southern Texas in mid 1930s.It is a true story about a small, all-black Texas college debate team that achieved nationwide popularity and prominence.

The movie talks about a lot of issues. It addresses the hatred for Blacks as a race at the time of Great Depression.It also addresses the hope and confidence of a black professor in his students to think on their feet and express their opinions articulately. It talks about the hope, faith and belief that the students had in them that they could beat the prestigious Harvard national debate champions.

The movie has some very strong and startling scenes such as lynching of a black man that Tolson and his debate team witnesses while driving to one of their debate venues. It depicts the widespread hatred and subjugation of blacks. The scene between Henry Lowe and James Farmer Jr. where Lowe reassures James Jr. that he is ready to debate and reaffirms his faith by reminding him of the questions that Tolson made them answer numerous times as a part of their grooming session to be the best debate team. However, the best scene is undoubtedly, the final debate scene between Wiley and Harvard College. The sincerity and confidence with which James Farmer Jr. spoke is truly appreciable. Wiley College debate team finally got the Cup and proved that persistence and belief in oneself can help us to achieve anything in life.