movie world

The movie, which is based on a true story takes place on the campus of Wiley College – a small, all-black university located in Texas – during 1935. It is a segregated community, and Negroes are in danger when traveling alone.

A professor at Wiley College, Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) was a fiery soul who challenged his gifted students by forming a debate squad looking to take on all comers. Selecting a group of his brightest undergraduates (including Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker, and Nate Parker), Tolson takes his squad around the country, coaching the debate newcomers to frequent victory. With racial tension boiling over, Tolson's dangerous side work as a sharecropper union organizer (and alleged communist), and the students' own conflicts of the heart and home (embodied by Forest Whitaker), the squad must place their differences aside and prepare for the ultimate test: a debate with Harvard, broadcast nationwide on the radio.

Director: Denzel Washington
Cast: Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Kimberly Elise
Country: USA
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance

BD50 | 1080p AVC | 02:06:54 | 42.7 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English, Francais
Subtitles: English, Espanol

Extras:

-- Deleted Scenes (SD; 4:53) are no great shakes, but offer a couple of interesting moments.

-- The Great Debaters: An Historical Perspective (SD; 23:08). Featuring some beautiful interviews with the actual debaters (most of whom are now in their 80s), this is a wonderful homage to some important trailblazers

-- The Great Debaters: A Heritage of Music (SD; 17:07) is another excellent featurette detailing the use of source cues in the film.

-- Two Music Videos, "That's What My Baby Likes" (SD; 3:05) and "My Soul is a Witness" (SD; 4:03).

-- Actor/Director Denzel Washington (1080i; 6:25) profiles Denzel.

-- Forest Whitaker on Becoming James Farmer, Sr. (SD; 3:59) actually offers as much Oprah as Forest on this bit of fortuitous casting.

-- A New Generation of Actors (SD; 9:48) offers some brief background on the fantastic young ensemble members.

-- The 1930's Wardrobe of Sharen Davis (SD; 5:29) focuses on the film's costume designer.

-- The Production Design of David J. Bomba (SD; 8:58) looks at the film's elegant and historically accurate production design.