Un drama basado en la historia real de Melvin B. Tolson, profesor del Wiley College de Texas. En 1935, inspiró a los estudiantes a formar el primer equipo de debate de la escuela, que más ta... Leer todoUn drama basado en la historia real de Melvin B. Tolson, profesor del Wiley College de Texas. En 1935, inspiró a los estudiantes a formar el primer equipo de debate de la escuela, que más tarde desafió a Harvard por el campeonato nacional.Un drama basado en la historia real de Melvin B. Tolson, profesor del Wiley College de Texas. En 1935, inspiró a los estudiantes a formar el primer equipo de debate de la escuela, que más tarde desafió a Harvard por el campeonato nacional.
- Premios
- 10 premios ganados y 10 nominaciones en total
- Helen Farmer
- (as Devyn Tyler)
- Harvard Debater #1
- (as Glen Powell Jr.)
Argumento
¿Sabías que…?
- TriviaOn December 19, 2007, Denzel Washington announced a $1 million dollar gift to Wiley College, so they could re-establish their debate team.
- ErroresWhen Samantha is participating in her first debate at Oklahoma City, she mentions World War I in her argument. In 1935, this war would have been referred to as the "Great War", since a World War II had not yet occurred.
- Citas
James Farmer Jr.: In Texas they lynch Negroes. My teammates and I saw a man strung up by his neck and set on fire. We drove through a lynch mob, pressed our faces against the floorboard. I looked at my teammates. I saw the fear in their eyes and, worse, the shame. What was this Negro's crime that he should be hung without trial in a dark forest filled with fog. Was he a thief? Was he a killer? Or just a Negro? Was he a sharecropper? A preacher? Were his children waiting up for him? And who are we to just lie there and do nothing. No matter what he did, the mob was the criminal. But the law did nothing. Just left us wondering, "Why?" My opponent says nothing that erodes the rule of law can be moral. But there is no rule of law in the Jim Crow south. Not when Negroes are denied housing. Turned away from schools, hospitals. And not when we are lynched. St Augustine said, "An unjust law in no law at all.' Which means I have a right, even a duty to resist. With violence or civil disobedience. You should pray I choose the latter.
- Bandas sonorasMy Soul is a Witness
Performed by Alvin Youngblood Hart & Sharon Jones
Produced by G. Marq Roswell
Traditional
Arranged by Alvin Youngblood Hart, Sharon Jones & G. Marq Roswell
Washington's achievement here is pulling the performances of this new, unknown young actors. Denzel Whitaker as the innocent, curious James Jr. is wonderful in exposition of character and gives the best child performance of the year. At 17, young Whitaker should have no problem coming into his own as a great young leading man in the future. Nate Parker in a momentous breakthrough performance indulges the audience as Henry, the angry young college student dealing with the inequalities of African-Americans in the South. In the end it's the tenacious performance by the beautiful Jurnee Smollett that holds the emotional premise of the film together. Not only dealing the racial barrier, but the barrier of being a woman, a woman running away from her past and trying to settle into a world dominated by the differences of her own. Smollett's debate speeches are felt with every word, every expression, and every influential command. Smollett's performance is the ignored performance worthy of consideration for awards of 2007.
Not expecting too much from last year's Oscar winner Forest Whitaker probably helped him in watching the film. Whitaker reminds the viewer of how great he was for years before The Last King of Scotland. This is a true superior work on the actor's resume. So how Denzel Washington do in directing himself? Not glossing as much as Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner past works, Washington does an admirable effort and takes the supporting role (yes it's supporting) and acts as the film's right hand man. Adding his charisma, potency, and veteran thespian persona, the film is a success.
In terms of Oscar's chances, costume designer Sharen Davis nominated for her designs in Ray and Dreamgirls is worthy of citation. David J. Bomba's production design is quite easy on the eye and captures the era of tyranny and persecution. With the potential to be a late surge to the Academy Awards race, The Great Debaters delivers on every level encompassing the richness of love, the evil of oppression, and the beauty of triumph.
Grade: ****/****
- ClaytonDavis
- 27 dic 2007
- Enlace permanente
Selecciones populares
- How long is The Great Debaters?Con tecnología de Alexa
Detalles
- Fecha de lanzamiento
- País de origen
- Idioma
- También se conoce como
- The Great Debaters
- Locaciones de filmación
- Productoras
- Ver más créditos de la compañía en IMDbPro
Taquilla
- Presupuesto
- USD 15,000,000 (estimado)
- Total en EE. UU. y Canadá
- USD 30,236,407
- Fin de semana de estreno en EE. UU. y Canadá
- USD 6,005,180
- 30 dic 2007
- Total a nivel mundial
- USD 30,271,556
- Tiempo de ejecución2 horas 6 minutos
- Mezcla de sonido
- Relación de aspecto
- 2.35 : 1