INTRODUCTIONThe movie, ‘the great debaters’ is produced by Oprah Winfrey and Joe Roth. The movie is set to depict the segregation and racism the Negroes faced, this was a period whereby racism was at its peak, the Negroes did not have to offend before they were arrested, some of them had parts of their bodies lynched without cause, worse still, some were roasted alive. The students of Wiley college which represented the Negroes fought for their freedom through debates.
The movie has its setting in Marshall,Texas. It is based on Biblical doctrines and the doctrines of people like Myston Hughes (1925), James Choice,D.H Lawrence as their quotes were aspired in the movie. The Great debaters was directed by Denzel Washington.
The major characters of this movie are:Melvin Tolson,Samantha Booke,Henry Lowe,James Farmer (Junior), Dr James Farmer (senior).
The themes in this movie are as follows:
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The theme of Racism:
Racism was a major theme in this movie,the negroes suffered a great deal as a result of their skin colour.A lot of things were done against them ranging from unlawful arrests to discrimination at all levels. We saw racism clearly displayed where the radio presenter is to introduce the debate teams from Wiley college and Harvard University; he introduces the later as ‘little Wiley college from Marshall,Texas ,while he introduces the former as ‘Harvard University’.he also emphasizes the fact that it is the first time a negro college is competing with Harvard college.
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The theme of injustice:
Even though this is closely related to racism, it has to be discussed separately. For example,Mr Tolson was arrested without cause, he was picked up from a classroom and detained, this caused the negroes to raise a protest in front of the Police station.but for the timely intervention of Dr.Farmer who confronted the Police officer telling him that ‘an unjust law is no law’;Mr Tolson would have been in jail suffering for no cause at all.
We also see injustice clearly displayed when a negro is burned alive,this happens while the debate team along side Mr Tolson where on their way to Harvard University.Eventhough we are not told what the man’s offence was, according to Henry it really did not matter because they could not have done the same to a white man. When Mr Tolson’s car is noticed,the mob goes ahead to throw stones on the car but they managed to escape.
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The theme of determination:
In this movie,we see determination displayed not only in the character of Mr Tolson but also in the debate team. At a point,Mr Tolson was facing a lot of opposition, his team had nowhere to go because they had just been turned down;his Academic career was in jeopardy-the dean, sheriff and Texas ranger told him to quit after his letters of request had been turned down but with the spirit of determination, he decided to aim for the ‘almighty’ Harvard University which seemed almost impossible to conquer.
We also see determination to succeed in the Wiley debate team.despite all the obstacles they faced while they were preparing to meet with Harvard,they were still determined to succeed.their first disappointment was when Mr Tolson shocked them with the news of staying back in Texas when they were at the Train station. They were also disappointed when they had their topic changed a few days to the debate; but as a result of their determination, they were able to win.
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The theme of intelligence:
Intelligence is greatly displayed in this movie.Mr Tolson for one is a highly intelligent character and he is able to pass same to his students as he teaches them very intelligently.Dr Farmer is also a very intelligent character, according to Farmer (junior),his father speaks seven languages, graduated from with a magna cum laude (a first class degree).Farmer (junior) is not left out, even though he is the youngest in his class, he not only makes the debate team but he also holds a significant position as the researcher for the team. In the long run ,Farmer (junior) is able to speak for Wiley college in the debate against Harvard University and they won the debate. All the members of all the debate teams who spoke at one time or the other displayed high level of intelligence.
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The theme of hurt:
We see hurt in Samantha when she sees Henry making love to another girl,she was so badly hurt that by morning before either James or Henry could stop her, she had Mr Tolson take her to the park where she had gone to board a train back to school. We also see hurt in Mr. Tolson,James and Henry but particularly In Henry after they saw a Negro being burned. Henry was so hurt that he went off to drink in order to ease off the anger, it was when he was drunk that he had an affair with another girl.
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The theme of team spirit:
The debate team of Wiley college display a team spirit from the moment they were chosen as a team until the end when they finally win the team from Harvard University. For example,when Hamilton needs to quit because Mr Tolson’s political stand was different from that of his father, the team understands, despite the fact that he backs out,he still has the interest of the team at heart that is why he tells them he knows they have won Oklahoma already.Also,Mr Tolson never attributes the failure or success of the team to himself,he always says ‘we’. we see this when he is briefing the debate team about the response he gets from Harvard, he says ‘we’ have been writing to Harvard University, and we have finally got a response, we have been invited to compete with the Harvard University.Eventhough,he personally sent the letters, he did not attribute it to his efforts alone but that of the team.
When Lowe is made the team leader for the competition against Harvard University,he gave up his place for James in order to give him a chance to be heard,which was his greatest wish until this moment.their team spirit paid off for them in the end because it earns them victory over the Harvard University team.
NARRATIVES IN THE MOVIEThis movie starts with showing the audience the life style of Negroes in Texas, their religious beliefs (which is based on Christian values),their social life and their educational values which they believe is the only way out of ignorance,darkness into the glorious light. We are introduced to the character of Mr Tolson,a professor in the Wiley college who believes so much in the black race.
The movie however anchors majorly on the use of education to cause a revolution in the black race and this is what leads to the selection of the debate team which eventually brings about the evolution after they won the ‘almighty’ Harvard University;their white opponents.
SUSPENSE
We see a lot of suspense used in this movie.the first time when James is to speak,we expect that because this is what he has always wanted,he will perfom very well but then he remains quiet when it is his turn and then the scene is cut,we were in suspense until we are shown Mr Tolson telling his wife that the team lost.
Suspense is also shown at the final debate when James Farmer is silent for a while as we thought he was going to get stuck again like he did at his first attempt but then after a few minutes,he begins to speak and he does this so well that he gets a standing ovation after his rendition.
When the winner is also to be announced,the presenter of the award holds on a little while before he finally announces,suspense is also created here not just on the part of the audience now but also on the part of everyone else in the movie who were either present life or were listening through their radio sets.
EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS
We see Pain,torture,injustice,hurt,the joy of accomplishment,perseverance in the characters of this movie.
CAUSE AND EFFECT:The major cause and effect here is the way the injustice faced by the Negroes became a driving force for the debate team from Wiley college,all they had seen and experienced as Negroes brought about their desired victory against their co-debaters from Harvard University.
SIMILARITY AND REPITITION:
This is displayed whenever the debate team from Wiley college is preparing for a debate,all the time they had to prepare for any debate,they did so with so much passion and were usually thorough with their research.also the male Negroes had a particular way of dressing,they were corporately dressed throughout the movi with either a tie or a bow tie.
DIFFERENCES AND VARIANCES:
The lives of the Negroes and Whites were very different;while the Negroes suffered injustice,the whites were the ones who always inflicted pain on the Negroes.and except in Debate competitions where the whites are seen putting on ties and bow ties,they were not entirely corporately dressed in the remaining scenes as they were mostly putting on just shirt and trouser;on the other hand as stated earlier,the negroes were always corporately dressed.
EXPECTATIONSThere are a number of cheated expectations in this movie. For example, I would have expected that after the disagreement, James had with his father over his coming home late; he would have still told him what happened that night towards the end of the movie.
I also expected Mr Tolson to have gone to rejoice with the team after the winner had been announced because I believe his initial aim for not going there had been achieved, and by the way since he was at the scene he would have gone to meet the debate team after the program,this would have made the team more happy.
FUNCTIONS OF ELEMENT
The injustices,racism and segregation the Negroes faced in this movie is symbolic of what happened in America in the 1930’s,then the Black race faced a lot of segregation as a result of their skin colour.they were made slaves,they lived in a segregated Area,they were not permitted to mix up with the whites at all as the children of the Negroes attended different schools from the white children.it was believed that nothing good could come out of a black person,so there was no use even trying to compete.the turning point for the blacks came after the debate with the Harvard University.All these were depicted in ‘the great debaters’.
CINEMATOGRAPHYEstablishment shot:
At the beginning of the movie,an establishment shot was used to familiarize the audience with Marshall,the city in which the film has its setting.
Zoom in:
This was also used in the movie.one of the times it was used is at the beginning of the movie also,as we see the establishment shot,the camera also gradually zooms from the outskirts into the main city where we are able to catch a glimpse of the social life of the Negroes.
Close –up:
A lot of close –up shots were used especially in the debate scenes,the debaters are usually shown close-up so the audience can feel their tension,their heart beat,etc.the use of this shot is to make the audience have a feel of what the debaters were experiencing.
Close up shots were also used when Mr Tolson was screening students for the debate team,for each student that was in the ‘hot spot’,a close up shot was used while they were answering their questions.
In conclusion,I think the Movie,the ‘Great debaters’is a nice movie with a good storyline,setting,picture quality to match.this movie was produced a few years ago and so the producers could have made the picture quality to depict what we have in this jet age,but the pictures are in black and white just to depict that the events they are trying to portray took place many years ago.the setting,their dressing,their family lives also depicted this and I think the movie deserves a kudos for this.
Also ,the story line depicts that the history was properly researched into by the producer,this is also a merit of this film,it is a highly intellectual piece.However,it is important to point out a few thingSs that should be corrected in this movie.as stated under the expectations above,for example,James should have still told his father why he came home late that night towards the end of the movie.
Also,I think the fight between Samantha and Henry should have been fully spelt out,the slap that Samantha gave Henry was not enough,Henry should have been more sorry for his actions and we should have been shown how he tried to make it up to her.Asides these few points,I really think the movie is a good one as it sparks up the need to be in touch with your cultural, social and religious backgrounds.