The Best of Enemies

My wife and I watched this movie at home on BluRay from our public library. The disc has some interesting "extras" including taped interviews of each of the two main characters in their later years.

This story is factual, about real people. It was an important chapter in the long road towards eliminating discrimination based on skin color, a journey far from being completed. It was 1971 in Durham, N.C. and even though laws had already been implemented to eliminate desegregation in schools the city officials and the KKK had thus far prevented it. When a fire at the all-black middle school caused a big problem the issue came to a head.

The two main characters, two people who initially despised each other, are Taraji P. Henson as black activist Ann Atwater and Sam Rockwell as local businessman and KKK leader C.P. Ellis. An interesting outfall of the events in 1971 was their becoming good friends for the rest of their lives.

The movie is uncomfortable most of the time, as it should be. This was a very serious time, but in the end it shows that hatred and prejudice is a result of fear and lack of understanding, usually on all sides.

A very well made and well acted story.

This film tells the story of two opposing parties in the racially segregated society decades ago.

The story is captivating and beautifully told. It tells a process of increasing mutual understanding, thereby reaching a groundbreaking consensus. It is a thought provoking and truly inspiring tale. I am deeply moved by it.

I actually had friends puzzled that I wanted to see this, because they told me it was a movie just for black people. It's worth seeing just to understand exactly how dumb that kind of comment is. The performances are outstanding. I love "based on true events" films anyway, and understand their limitations, so maybe I"m biased, but I think this is an important film..The sets captured that small town feel in the past south perfectly. Is it heavy handed at times? Sure, but it really shows how both characters changed their minds. I"m sorry it's not doing better. I missed seeing it last weekend and this weekend there were only two showings of it at my theater and expect it to be gone next week.

I was expecting something like hidden figures or the help. But it wasn't. Maybe because the story isn't told but showed. I disagree with previous reviews who say that the class struggle of Ellis or his struggle with the clan's hypocrisy is ignored. It isn't talked about but the outstanding performance of Rockwell doesn't need talk, with one look he says more than with a Shakespeare monologue. The setting created by Bissel speaks for itself too. Beautifull story that left me in tears of joy.

The Best of Enemies is a movie, that on the surface, is about the integration of mixed cultures in school, but in reality is much more about people and change.

The film, cleverly in my opinion, stays away from cliched, cartoonish characters, choosing instead to have a more nuanced approach for its characters. It makes them people, with needs, concerns, beliefs and so on.

The result is an enjoyable film showing that with great courage, great things can be accomplished.

Any movie where you can be entertained and educated at the same time is always off to a good start in my opinion, recommended viewing :)