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Great Debaters Trailer Online
Denzel Washington Teaches You To Care

06 November 2007  |  Written by Olly Richards  |  Source: Yahoo! Movies


We feel a little shaken after watching the new trailer for The Great Debaters (which you can see here). Not in an emotional distress way, but in the way a very strict teacher might shake you and maybe slap you lightly on the face because this is important and will be on the test.

The Great Debaters is based on the the true story of a black professor (Denzel Washington) at a Texas college in 1935 who inspired his students to use their minds and words as weapons in a time of widespread racism. The group of students went on to challenge none-more-white Harvard in a debating contest, which attracted the attention of the media and gave them a place in history.

That's a great story to be told and Washington looks up to his normal high standard, but the yearning for Oscar success is so palpable and hectoring (stirring music, dramatic montages, lots of frowning) that it's slightly put us off.

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Your Comments

Yeah i still think this flick would benifit from the title Master Debater because this sort of thing has been done so many times and frankly im bored with i. More

Posted by clarkkent at 16:00 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post

RE: RE: RE: RE:
o 'Mass debate' joke?You dropped the ball there.....ropped the ball? Don't you know anything about how to 'mass debate'? Or something. fuck knows... yeah... More

Posted by Bowl of Wrong at 15:20 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post

RE: RE: RE: RE:
dh_19: I guess that falls into the 'humoristic misunderstanding' category. Glad we solved that one. About the trailer: I guess if this was the 80's it would have to be directed by Dickie Attenborough. Smells of an Akiva Goldsman script as well, though it isn't. And that song at the end is just ghastly... More

Posted by Manfrendshensindshen at 13:52 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post

RE: RE: RE:
I was only joking, plus i did include myself in the moron category! More

Posted by dh_19 at 13:39 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post

RE: RE: RE:
dh_19: Cheers for the morons commentary, much appreciated. More

Posted by Manfrendshensindshen at 13:34 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post

What? No 'Mass debate' joke?You dropped the ball there..... More

Posted by dunkah at 12:38 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post

I was counting on this being another case of 'cheeky Empire humour'. Alright, I'll blame Denzel's retro jacket with 70's brown tie instead for misleading me. I prefer my relations with Empire staff intact. Still would've prefered some more Gangster footage, mind. More

Posted by Manfrendshensindshen at 11:36 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post

RE: RE:
L: Olly Richards Come on, I made it pretty clear with the headline 'Great Debaters Trailer Online'! sp; Yeah, but you didn't put 'This is not American Gangster'! Some of us are morons you know! More

Posted by dh_19 at 11:35 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post

RE:
Come on, I made it pretty clear with the headline 'Great Debaters Trailer Online'! More

Posted by Olly Richards at 11:17 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post

At first glance I thought this was another clip from American Gangster. You have disappointed me, Empire! More

Posted by Manfrendshensindshen at 11:00 on 06 November 2007 | Report This Post


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