The Denzel Washington-Directed Movie You Probably Didn’t Know Oprah Produced

The great and insightful Denzel Washington not only has a commanding presence with electric charisma and fiery delivery, but he is also one of cinema’s greatest orators. His background in theater and Shakespeare gives him powerful control over his speech, and his words flow off the tongue in ways that perfectly fit his characters. (After all, he played famous civil rights activist Malcolm X several times.) We’ve recently seen Denzel Washington having a lot of fun with his scene-stealing performance in “Gladiator II” as a scheming arms dealer who plans to take over. Roma likes the way he enunciates the word “politics” excessively, mocking the current bureaucracy.

This aspect of his acting style made him ideal for his role in “The Great Debaters” as Professor Melvin Tolson, a mercurial debate coach who encourages his students at a small all-black college in Texas to take on the championship team. Harvard University. Controlling tone, using pauses, and clearly articulating your argument are important parts of giving speeches and participating in debate, and Washington’s eloquence and authoritative demeanor perfectly reflect all of this in his role as a teacher who inspires his students. Recites lines from “I, Too, Sing America” ​​by Langston Hughes and other writings by Countee Cullen.

But Denzel Washington doesn’t just bring his acting skills to the role. He also unexpectedly worked as director of “The Great Debaters,” which was his second feature film behind the camera. Denzel Washington’s directorial debut was the emotional military drama “Antwone Fisher,” and he would later adapt the powerful play “Fences.” Compared to those two projects, “The Great Debaters” goes a little under the radar, despite having the very prominent Oprah Winfrey working on the film as a producer. Despite his involvement, “The Great Debaters” took a long time to get off the ground.

Oprah’s production company, Harpo Films, had been trying to bring “The Great Debaters” to life for almost 10 years. This was her passion project and she was captivated by this true story of black excellence, an achievement that many may not have heard of, but one that deserved to be widely celebrated. In the 1930s, when the film is set, debate teams were rarely found at black colleges, and students at these institutions were often underestimated for their intelligence due to decades of subjugation and racial cruelty.

“The Great Debaters” was also a passion project for Denzel Washington:

“I love watching other people do well. Nothing brings me greater joy than watching… I grew up in the Boys & Girls Club and worked with kids. That was my life’s work before acting: helping kids. I’ve trained “All my children, as I have said many times, and I enjoy that.”

The only obstacle to Oprah’s success was that the real-life family of Professor Melvin Tolson filed a lawsuit against Harpo Films, claiming they were owed funds for using his life story. However, according to The Hollywood ReporterThe judge ruled that the lawsuit was filed too late and lacked legal merit.

oprah describe “The Great Debaters” as a “get up and cheer” type movie that leaves you with a feeling of “pure joy, euphoria and hope.” While the classic underdog tale, combined with an inspiring narrative from a master, is a bit formulaic and the direction is solid but not visually impressive, “The Great Debaters” hooks you with sharp writing and smart performances. Ultimately, it is a very moving film, and thanks to Oprah’s vision and funding and the execution of Denzel Washington and his team it came to fruition, allowing the general public to learn about the incredible triumphs of the Wiley College debate team.