‘The Best of Enemies’ Another Largely Toothless Exploration of Race (FILM REVIEW)

[rating=5.00]

Whatever else I might have to say regarding The Best of Enemies, it’s important to note that the story it tells is a remarkable one. It is the true story of civil rights activist Ann Atwater (played brilliantly by Taraji P. Henson) and the relationship she forms with the president of her local KKK chapter, CP Ellis (the equally brilliant Sam Rockwell). You can but imagine the tension that exists between them, which would fade over the ensuing decades until Ellis’s death in 2005, by which point the two were, by all accounts, great friends.

This of course required the renouncement of his membership in the KKK and, naturally, some personal work on his end. All of which has been documented numerous times over the years, not the least of which in the book by Osha Gray Davidson, upon which writer/director Robin Bissell bases his film. Its remarkability is without question and does speak to the human proclivity for change and redemption. And yet, it’s also hard to separate its remarkability from the fact that it’s so remarkable because its so rare.

This central point is largely neglected by Bissell, who instead focuses his attentions on sweeping platitudes regarding shared humanity and redemptive arcs. This of course makes for an easy to digest feel good film which will, no doubt, find its audience, many of whom will nod their heads and appreciate the easy road to forgiveness displayed by his efforts to remain as unprovocative as absolutely possible.

We begin in 1971; Durham North Carolina is still largely beset by iniquity and their school system has resisted integration. A fire in the elementary school where the black population goes forces the issue which the city council ignores. Prompted by an NAACP lawsuit, a state judge punts the question to Bill Riddick (Babou Ceesay), who has earned a reputation for largescale mediation with his use of the charette system, where members of opposing sides meet to discuss their differences and try to come to a conclusion. This puts the keys to integration in the hands of Atwater and Ellis, who each have, shall we say, different opinions on the matter.

Again, this is all true. And no doubt we all could, in this day, learn some lessons on talking to each other and trying to work out our respective differences but, in the hands of Bissell, this idea seems to be reduced to the tenet of, “Well, have tried being nice to the guy who thinks you’re less than human?” What’s remarkable, in the case of Ellis, is that this worked at all. As an idea expanded outward, it’s barely tenable and presupposes that maybe KKK members just need someone to be nice to them.

History tells a different story, and that nuance is important. Would that it were so simple to change the heart and mind of a man who cried when given his membership card or who, along with his cohorts, shotgunned the home a woman who dated a black man or who fought relentlessly against the idea the anybody else could be equal to a white man. If only real life could be reduced to vague semantics coupled with platitudinous montages and increasingly furtive glances. By god, racism would be solved!

Despite the toothlessness of the script, Henson and Rockwell each display why they are among the most lauded performers of our day. In their hands, you can almost overlook the genteel refusal to rock boats or provoke negative emotions of the script. The film is elevated considerably by their talents and the talents of their co-stars, which includes Ceesay, Anne Heche, Wes Bentley, and Bruce McGill.

I wish they’d all had something better to work with. I wish Atwater had been given better. I wish Ellis had been more nuanced. Unfortunately, the dumbing down of the story to a binary idea of very fine people on both sides hinders this fascinating case study considerably. For better versions of this story, you’d be better off finding the documentary An Unlikely Friendship or even reading Davidson’s book. As a film, however, The Best of Enemies, while never outright terrible, leaves much to be desired.

The Best of Enemies is now playing in theaters everywhere.

Related Content

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter