The Great Debaters Film Analysis

Film Critic Hossein Aghababa stated in moviequotesandmore that “The movie (the great debaters) is explicit enough on the issue of racial discrimination.” Throughout The Great Debaters (2007), Denzel Washington illustrates racial discrimination as the main theme. The setting of the movie, the nature of the characters, and the high stance of education are some of the primary examples that represent the main theme.
The film is set around a predominantly black college named Wiley College in Texas 1935. During this time period was when racism was still very much alive and well and the Jim Crow laws were still in action. Throughout the movie The Great Debater (2007), we are shown props and settings in each scene that portray the theme racial discrimination. In the first scene, Samantha Booke was standing at the bus station next to a bench, she was forbidden to sit down because the bench was labelled whites
only. As the film progresses we see a scene where the debate team and Mr. Melvin .B Tolson are on their way back from a debate, they drive into a lynch mob. The lynch mob consisted of white men proudly watching a black man burn while hanging from a tree. Even after this act of wickedness the mob still went on to chase and attack the debate team’s car. Though the team was able to escape the angry mob, there was no police to stop this foul act. Wiley college was not a predominately black college by choice, schools back then were segregated and most whites did not want that to change anytime soon. Yes, a time will come when Negroes and whites will walk on the same campus and we will share the same “classrooms. But sadly, that day is not today.”(The Great Debaters) Said the First debate of the Oklahoma City college debate team during Wiley college debate team’s first interracial debate against them. This debate for obvious reason was held in an off-campus. The debate started with Samantha Booke stating the resolve “Negros should be accepted into state universities” (The Great debaters). As she was speaking we saw some white members of the audience leave in disgust. The setting in the scenes of The Great Debaters (2007) shows the theme racial discrimination.
Racial discrimination in the movie The Great Debaters (2007) influence the way the black characters interact with the white characters.
Most of the white characters we saw in the film felt that black people were less intelligent than they were and that black people were not in the same “league” as white people. Take for example he scene were the Dr. James Farmer and his family are driving down the road and Dr. Farmer accidently hits and kills a hog. The owner of the hog is a white unintelligent farmer. Dr. Farmer knows that he was in the wrong and apologizes and offers to pay for the hog. As Dr. Farmer hands over the check to the farmer, the farmer drops the check on purpose and makes DR. Farmer pick the check up on purpose in front of his children and wife and said: “Well, pick it up!”( The Great Debaters) , even though Dr. Farmer is obviously more educated that this farmer, the white farmer felt the need to be rude and treat Dr. Farmer as if he was less of a human that he was. This incident of racial discrimination affected how Jr. James Farmer looked at his
father.
Education black people in the era was essential, in order for African Americans to have a good place in society. In the beginning of The Great Debaters (2007), Dr. Farmer was giving a speech to the incoming freshman. Dr. Farmer stated “Education is the only way out. The way out of ignorance, the way out of darkness into the glorious light.” (The Great Debaters) The message he was trying to convey is that at this time in order to end racial discrimination black people must educate themselves so that they prove that they can be on the same level as white people.
Throughout the duration of the movie, racial discrimination is the biggest theme. Denzel Washington uses this theme to convey messages to the audience. The message is that black people are not inferior to white people just because of their skin. They are just as able to compete on the same level as white people. Intelligence is not in the skin, it is someone willing to become better than they are. The Great Debaters (2007) also tells the audience to push prejudice aside and step over boundaries. The social statement of the way this theme portray is to outsmart the superior race in their own game, Stretch and enhance the abilities of black children so they can have the ability to be great ,and lastly race does not define anyone.