History is meant to be on the big screen. That sounds so cliché, I know, but it's true. The Great Debaters is based on the true story of Wiley College's all-black debate team going up against Harvard. The team is the perfect example of a true underdog. The underlying theme of emerging black civil rights and incredible acting are the reasons why this movie got nominated for a Golden Globe.

The movie is the tale of Wiley College professor Melvin B. Tolson, (Denzel Washington) who coaches an all-black debate team. One of the students is  James Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker) who later founds the Congress of Racial Equality. The film portrays the racial prejudices of the '30s, even though the setting is 60 years after the civil war. Lynchings of black men and women is seen as entertainment and racial equality is a four-letter word. The team must prove to itself that blacks are just as good as whites.

The plot was very hard to follow and it's really one of those movies where it's impossible to look down or head to the restroom for a second, because, if you do, the story just doesn't make sense. I would strongly recommend reading up on the time period. I just finished learning about the 1930s in my AP history class, so that helped. It isn't one of those Disney fluff movies with a very basic plot. It really required a lot of work for me to understand it. The two people I was viewing the movie with seemed to be having trouble as well. However, most reviews I read online leave no evidence that anyone else had this issue.

The best thing about the movie was the acting. Starring and directed by Denzel Washington, the movie also features Forest Whitaker (The Last King Of Scotland), Kimberly Elise (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Jurnee Smollett (Gridiron Gang, Beautiful Joe), and up-and-coming actors Nate Parker (Pride) and Denzel Whitaker (Training Day). Oprah Winfrey was a producer on the film.

The special two-disc edition of the DVD will be released on May 13. The disc is loaded with special features. Some of the better ones include: "Commentary with Denzel Washington", "Deleted Scenes", "An Historical Perspective", "Music", "Wardrobe", and a special feature on Forest Whitaker becoming James Farmer.

I really enjoyed the historical perspective. Hosted by Winfrey, it tells the story behind the movie. We meet the real debaters; they all seem colorful even though they are extremely old. Their story is captured on film, and, to be perfectly honest, I thought this short documentary was as interesting (if not more so) than the actual film.

The music video "That's What My Baby Likes" is pretty good. It's typical black soul music that I, for some unknown reason, rather enjoy. It will now be stuck in my head all day at school tomorrow, but that's fine. I don't care much for the second music video, "My Soul Is A Witness." It's not my style of music. There are fifty different people singing at once and it just gave me a headache.

The Great Debaters really captures a pivotal point in black history. The movie is intense and dramatic. If you enjoyed the movie on the big screen, the special features really would make the movie special. Okay, that was lame. But, honestly, the special features are a good investment for a true fan.