Sick Product of a Sick System

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The main attraction of The Great White Hope is James Earl Jones at his peak. His performance as a thinly-disguised Jack Johnson is immediately magnetic, with Jones managing to express all the contradictions of the man himself, coming across as charming and threatening, righteous and vain, all at the same time.The rest of the film isn't half-bad either. It has the telltale signs of a theatrical adaptation, being heavy on the dialogue and light on the action, so those looking for a sports movie will be disappointed. But there's an undeniable pathos to the script and its story of pride and personal morals being worn down by social cynicism. It remains ambiguous what we should think of Johnson and his refusal to compromise with a racist society even as it hurts him and the ones he loves. He's clearly in the right, but -- and so few movies recognize this -- being right only takes you so far. It's a bit dated, but The Great White Hope still raises powerful questions that we're working through today, with an all-time great performance at its core.

James Earl Jones's acting was superb and he certainly deserved his Oscar nomination for best actor. Jane Alexander provided a moody portrait of the white Australian woman who loved him deeply but could not cope with him with eventual tragedy occurring for her. Her Oscar nomination for best actress should have been in the supporting category.Other than Jones, the other characters here aren't able to develop. Rather, we have a film here when everything happens too quickly.Beah Richards, as his beloved mother Tiny, is effective but she only appears in one scene in the film. Ditto with the black woman who portrayed his common law wife.It appeared that racism was alive and functioning in England as well when Jones and Alexander went there for his fighting opportunity and to get away from the racist charges that plagued him.The dilemma confronting Jefferson (Jones) regarding whether to throw the fight so that he can get his sentence reduced is never fully worked on in this film which really has some weak writing.

Great White Hope, The (1970) *** (out of 4) James Earl Jones plays Jack Jefferson, a black boxer who must battle himself and white racists trying to keep him down. I've been meaning to check this film out for a while now but just now got to it and I think it's somewhat overrated but it's still an entertaining film. Perhaps due to the time it was released, the film beats the viewer over the head with the rebellious Jefferson and most of this comes from his relationship with a white woman (Jane Alexander). I'm going to guess this was an early film in showing a relationship between a black man and white woman but it seems like director Martin Ritt goes to the extremes in trying to say that there's nothing wrong in what's going on. After a while we certainly get the point and after a while it gets tiresome hearing more political talk. Jones is brilliant as the troubled boxer and the supporting cast is also very strong. I've become a big fan of Chester Morris throughout the year and it was great seeing him here in his final role. Hal Holbrook is also here and entertaining.

********THIS MAY CONTAIN A SPOILER******** ********THIS MAY CONTAIN A SPOILER******** ********THIS MAY CONTAIN A SPOILER******** This film was beautiful and heart-rending. To correct another reviewer, YES, this does have a boxing scene in it. A wonderful one. I actually had to step out when the main character was about to get his first big match, so it may even have two scenes. But really the beauty is in the drama and the almost Shekespearean tragedy. Does the hero triumph in the end? No, but neither do his enemies, for thought they revel in it, it is all of humanity that suffers a loss in this man's defeat.I.K. from Scandinavia has posted a review of this film that can only be viewed as blatantly racist. According to this person, "I only wanted to see this movie because of Jane Alexander and Karl-Otto Alberty, both favorites of mine." FINE. Whatever your reasons, yo saw the movie. And you didn't like the movie. Fine as well. Perhaps you don't like this type of movie or perhaps James Earl Jones didn't convince you or any other number of reasonable opinions. But to call this movie a typical boxing movie is completely ignoring the touchy subject matter. It's like you fastforwarded all the talking parts. From the looks of it, all the other movies you've reviewed involve espionage and very white European spies operating during WWII. A keen interest in Hitler as well. But you offer no other clue as to why this film had nothing to offer to you, save this telling remark, "although it has some provocative scenes (black man having sex with white woman)." Since when in the past 40 years has this ever been called "provocative" except from ignorant bigots such as yourself? I have petitioned the administrators to remove your racist review and I hope that they will remove this response to it as well, seeing as there will be no need for it. I truly hope your shortsighted views are not indicative of your country of origin (although I doubt it) because you are a terrible representative and a shame to your fellow countrymen.