Denzel Washington is well aware of his heritage and takes pride in his family roots. His motion pictures, while highly entertaining, provide much more than just a two hour time slot on a Friday night. They embody a cultural background of where America was to where America is today. His films allow for generations of our age and the generations to come to not forget the historic importance that prejudice played in our past. For example, in Glory in which Washington’s character, Tripp, is punished after being accused of trying to desert the army. The fury captured in Washington’s eyes as he doesn’t blink while taking the lashings or the one single tear that trickles from his hate-stricken left eye is much more vivid and meaningful than any history book you might read about slavery. Washington isn’t afraid to tackle the controversial topic head on either as he played Malcolm X in Malcolm X reliving the constant fight the civil activist went through seeking equality. It could be in Remember The Titans, when Coach Boone (Washington) leads a newly integrated football team to a state championship. Through the trials and tribulations, you see an entire town brought together, overcoming the color line, by the sole will and power of one dedicated coach with a desire far greater for equality than any conflict that arises. A much more memorable account of the struggle racism played than a three hour documentation on prohibition. Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly comments on The Great Debaters as a “sentimentally revved youth-sports team crowd pleaser” and “an inspirational true story.” A true story based on an English professor who leads an all black Wiley College Debate Team to victory. The all black “brainy gladiators” not only face conflict on the debate scene but also conflict due to their skin color (Gleiberman 1). Demonstrating another twist on portraying the growth America has had to experience to obtain the equality we express today. Whether it be hard hitting football players or quick and witty debaters, Denzel Washington will not only keep your eyes glued to the screen, he will leave a lasting impression that lives much longer than two hours.
Gleiberman, Owen. "Fighting Words." Entertainment Weekly 11 Jan. 2008: 1-2. ProQuest. Academic Search Elite. Edmon Low Library, Stillwater. 06 Mar. 2008.
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