Denzel Washington is a certified American treasure. He's starred in 47 feature films and directed three, one of which, Fences was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Denzel has been nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning two, which is an amazing feat for any actor -- it's unheard of for an African-American one.
Bonus: Glory
Glory illuminates the sacrifices made by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry -- the country's first regiment comprised of African-Americans. Only the officers were white.
Initially treated as an experiment, the 1,000-man regiment proved to skeptics that the bravery and fighting spirit of African-American soldiers could match and even exceed that of their white counterparts. Following their first skirmish on James Island, South Carolina, during which the regiment sustained heavy losses, they were tasked with leading the attack on Morris Island's Fort Wagner two days later. Nearly half of the members of the 54th became casualties as a result of the attack on the Confederate stronghold.
Memorial Day was established specifically for men like the fallen members of the 54th who died while serving their country. Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday was created to honor the soldiers of the Union Army killed while fighting in the Civil War.
Glory features Denzel's masterful Oscar-winning portrayal of former slave turned Union soldier Trip. But the movie itself lies in a hazy, gray area due to its status as a white savior film.
9. A Soldier's Story
8. The Tragedy of MacBeth
Initially treated as an experiment, the 1,000-man regiment proved to skeptics that the bravery and fighting spirit of African-American soldiers could match and even exceed that of their white counterparts. Following their first skirmish on James Island, South Carolina, during which the regiment sustained heavy losses, they were tasked with leading the attack on Morris Island's Fort Wagner two days later. Nearly half of the members of the 54th became casualties as a result of the attack on the Confederate stronghold.
Memorial Day was established specifically for men like the fallen members of the 54th who died while serving their country. Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday was created to honor the soldiers of the Union Army killed while fighting in the Civil War.
Glory features Denzel's masterful Oscar-winning portrayal of former slave turned Union soldier Trip. But the movie itself lies in a hazy, gray area due to its status as a white savior film.
9. A Soldier's Story
Washington's Pfc. Peterson is the standout in this ensemble story about African-American soldiers during WWII subjected to racism, marginalization, abuse and a self-loathing commander.
8. The Tragedy of MacBeth
7. 2 Guns
2013 cinema had a pretty bleak outlook. And while 2 Guns had a sizable body count, this story about a DEA agent, Wasington's Special Agent Robert Trench, and a U.S. Navy Petty Officer's infiltration of a Mexican drug cartel successfully blended the otherwise heavy subject matter with a surprising number of laughs.
6. American Gangster
I'm just gonna come out and say it: I don't like movies set in the 1970s. I hate the style. The muscle cars and the music was pretty good but I hate the fashion, the home decor and the anorexic look. But American Gangster is so good I went to see it twice -- 70s clothes and all.
American Gangster is something you hardly ever see -- a big Hollywood biopic about an African-American crime boss. The boss is Frank Lucas (portrayed by Washington), a North Carolina native who moved to Harlem and became one of NYC's biggest heroin kingpins.
The movie looks great but the bonus is that the score's so good you could close your eyes for the whole 2 1/2 hours and you'd still love it.
Ridley Scott's directed some pretty wack movies lately (like Exodus and Prometheus) but once upon a time he called the shots (literally) on classics such as Alien, Gladiator and this movie.
American Gangster is something you hardly ever see -- a big Hollywood biopic about an African-American crime boss. The boss is Frank Lucas (portrayed by Washington), a North Carolina native who moved to Harlem and became one of NYC's biggest heroin kingpins.
The movie looks great but the bonus is that the score's so good you could close your eyes for the whole 2 1/2 hours and you'd still love it.
Ridley Scott's directed some pretty wack movies lately (like Exodus and Prometheus) but once upon a time he called the shots (literally) on classics such as Alien, Gladiator and this movie.
5. Crimson Tide
The simplest way to describe Crimson Tide is: Mutiny on the Bounty in a submarine. Captain Frank Ramsey is a nightmare of a boss: a bigoted dickhead who thinks he knows everything and has access to nuclear launch codes. Fortunately for the planet, his new executive officer, Washington's Lt. Commander Ron Hunter, isn't a kiss-ass but rather a smart guy who isn't afraid to challenge authority when he knows it's wrong -- and a threat to the fragile peace between two superpowers.
4. Training Day
Training Day is the movie that brought Denzel Washington his second Oscar
but his first for Best Actor (he'd won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar 12
years earlier for his performance in Glory). His win is due in no small part to his decision to portray a villain for the first time in his career. The stark departure from his usual onscreen demeanor proved to any remaining doubters that Mr. Washington could convincingly bring any type of person to life. Training Day would be the first of four collaborations between Washington and director Antoine Fuqua.
The movie tells the story of naive LAPD Jake Hoyt, who's given one day to
prove himself to narcotics detective Alonzo Harris. Being offered a job in Harris' unit would fasttrack Hoyt up the ranks of the department. After an early morning introduction, Alonzo takes his trainee on a tour of South Central in his custom Monte Carlo and gives him an unwanted crash course in police corruption. After leaving some white college kids shook and emptyhanded, Alonzo forces Jake -- at gunpoint -- to smoke their dust (which he'd told him was only weed). Alonzo doesn't smoke any. Later, the two witness a pair of crackheads attempting to rape a teenage girl. While Alonzo has no intention of intervening, Jake rushes to her aid and the latter is rescued in turn by the former when the junkies get the best of him.
Next, Jake accompanies Alonzo when he brutally shakes down a paraplegic
crack dealer for information. After the dealer, Blue tells them that fellow
dopeboy, Kevin "Sandman" Miller, who was incarcerated, has a $40,000 stash
at his home. Flashing a Chinese food menu and claiming that it's a search
warrant, the two cops make off with the cash under a hail of gunfire from
neighborhood Crip members after Sandman's wife alerts them to the robbery.
To Jake's continued amazement, Alonzo uses the money to buy an official
arrest warrant from high-ranking LAPD officials who are aware that the
Russian mob has placed a bounty on him for killing one of their own during
a confrontation in Las Vegas.
Alonzo then takes Jake to meet the members of his unit and proceeds to
lay-out a plot to take possession of the $4 million his acquaintance Roger, with whom they had a friendly visit earlier, has buried under his kitchen floor. After executing the plan, which includes murdering Roger and shooting a member of the squad in order to frame the murder as a self-defense killing, Alonzo reminds Jake that he has PCP in his system and will fail the mandatory drug test they will all be given (without Alonzo's connections) if he deviates from the story.
That night, Alonzo takes Jake along when he gifts some stolen goods to
"Smiley", a Chicano gang-banger. Jake agrees to play poker with Smiley and
two of his fellow Surenos while he waits for Alonzo, who unbeknownst to Jake, paid Smiley to murder him before driving off. Smiley does, however, tell Jake about Alonzo's dilemma with the Russians and informs him that his
training officer was given until midnight to pay them $1 million to call off the hit. Before long, Jake realizes the danger he's in and unsuccessfully fights off the ESE's, who drag him to the bathtub so as to minimize the blood-splatter when they shotgun him to death. However, when one of the gang-bangers halts the execution long enough to rob him, he finds the wallet that Jake retrieved earlier that day. It was dropped by the teenager he defended from the would-be rapists and as luck would have it, she's Smiley's cousin. After calling her to verify Jake's version of events, a grateful Smiley lets him go.
Determined to arrest Alonzo, Jake makes his way to the Bloods-controlled
housing project, where Alonzo's mistress, Sara, and illegitimate son live.
Arriving as Alonzo's about to leave for his meet with the Russians to give them $1 million of Roger's money, Jake narrowly avoids getting killed when the two of them engage in a shootout. When the confrontation spillsoutside, and Alonzo is shot, he offers to pay any of the onlooking gang members to murder Jake. However, the ranking Blood on hand, Bone, makes it clear that Alonzo must do his own dirty work. After the gang-bangers allow Jake to leave with the money (he intends to turn it in), Alonzo heads to LAX intent on leaving town. However, Russian gangsters ambush him en route to the airport and gun him down in the street.
but his first for Best Actor (he'd won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar 12
years earlier for his performance in Glory). His win is due in no small part to his decision to portray a villain for the first time in his career. The stark departure from his usual onscreen demeanor proved to any remaining doubters that Mr. Washington could convincingly bring any type of person to life. Training Day would be the first of four collaborations between Washington and director Antoine Fuqua.
The movie tells the story of naive LAPD Jake Hoyt, who's given one day to
prove himself to narcotics detective Alonzo Harris. Being offered a job in Harris' unit would fasttrack Hoyt up the ranks of the department. After an early morning introduction, Alonzo takes his trainee on a tour of South Central in his custom Monte Carlo and gives him an unwanted crash course in police corruption. After leaving some white college kids shook and emptyhanded, Alonzo forces Jake -- at gunpoint -- to smoke their dust (which he'd told him was only weed). Alonzo doesn't smoke any. Later, the two witness a pair of crackheads attempting to rape a teenage girl. While Alonzo has no intention of intervening, Jake rushes to her aid and the latter is rescued in turn by the former when the junkies get the best of him.
Next, Jake accompanies Alonzo when he brutally shakes down a paraplegic
crack dealer for information. After the dealer, Blue tells them that fellow
dopeboy, Kevin "Sandman" Miller, who was incarcerated, has a $40,000 stash
at his home. Flashing a Chinese food menu and claiming that it's a search
warrant, the two cops make off with the cash under a hail of gunfire from
neighborhood Crip members after Sandman's wife alerts them to the robbery.
To Jake's continued amazement, Alonzo uses the money to buy an official
arrest warrant from high-ranking LAPD officials who are aware that the
Russian mob has placed a bounty on him for killing one of their own during
a confrontation in Las Vegas.
Alonzo then takes Jake to meet the members of his unit and proceeds to
lay-out a plot to take possession of the $4 million his acquaintance Roger, with whom they had a friendly visit earlier, has buried under his kitchen floor. After executing the plan, which includes murdering Roger and shooting a member of the squad in order to frame the murder as a self-defense killing, Alonzo reminds Jake that he has PCP in his system and will fail the mandatory drug test they will all be given (without Alonzo's connections) if he deviates from the story.
That night, Alonzo takes Jake along when he gifts some stolen goods to
"Smiley", a Chicano gang-banger. Jake agrees to play poker with Smiley and
two of his fellow Surenos while he waits for Alonzo, who unbeknownst to Jake, paid Smiley to murder him before driving off. Smiley does, however, tell Jake about Alonzo's dilemma with the Russians and informs him that his
training officer was given until midnight to pay them $1 million to call off the hit. Before long, Jake realizes the danger he's in and unsuccessfully fights off the ESE's, who drag him to the bathtub so as to minimize the blood-splatter when they shotgun him to death. However, when one of the gang-bangers halts the execution long enough to rob him, he finds the wallet that Jake retrieved earlier that day. It was dropped by the teenager he defended from the would-be rapists and as luck would have it, she's Smiley's cousin. After calling her to verify Jake's version of events, a grateful Smiley lets him go.
Determined to arrest Alonzo, Jake makes his way to the Bloods-controlled
housing project, where Alonzo's mistress, Sara, and illegitimate son live.
Arriving as Alonzo's about to leave for his meet with the Russians to give them $1 million of Roger's money, Jake narrowly avoids getting killed when the two of them engage in a shootout. When the confrontation spillsoutside, and Alonzo is shot, he offers to pay any of the onlooking gang members to murder Jake. However, the ranking Blood on hand, Bone, makes it clear that Alonzo must do his own dirty work. After the gang-bangers allow Jake to leave with the money (he intends to turn it in), Alonzo heads to LAX intent on leaving town. However, Russian gangsters ambush him en route to the airport and gun him down in the street.
The best lines:
Hoyt: "You've been planning this all day."
Alonzo: "I've been planning this all week!"
Alonzo: "This shit's chess not checkers."
Bone: "You gotta put in your own work around here, homie."
Alonzo: "King Kong ain't got nothin' on me!"
Hoyt: "You've been planning this all day."
Alonzo: "I've been planning this all week!"
Alonzo: "This shit's chess not checkers."
Bone: "You gotta put in your own work around here, homie."
Alonzo: "King Kong ain't got nothin' on me!"
3. The Equalizer
The Equalizer is another example of Hollywood's penchant for mining old television shows in search of big screen material. In this case the conversion is a colossal upgrade. Denzel Washington replaces British actor Edward Woodward as vigilante Robert McCall, a former black ops commando (in the tv series it's implied that McCall is retired from the CIA) who decides to dispense sometimes lethal street justice to protect helpless inner-city residents from various types of criminals. The movie changes the setting from New York City to Boston and completely eliminates the allusions to James Bond. In the film McCall targets, and is targeted by, members of the Russian Bratva.
A common complaint of the film from professional critics is it's "lack of character development". The title character's intentional aura of mystery, however, is faithful to the CBS series (not to mention par for the course with government trained espionage agents/assassins). While his background is only partially revealed, some of McCall's personal quirks and tendencies do become apparent, such as his touch of OCD, his love of classic literature and his habit of using a stopwatch to time his assaults on criminals. Nothing wrong with trying to break your own record. Also, it's evident from the start that McCall doesn't see violence as the first and only option. He tries using his words. But, to quote Liam Neeson, he does have "a very particular set of skills."
Washington (who also serves as a producer) re-teams with director Antoine Fuqua for the first time since 2001's Training Day, which yielded a best actor Oscar for Denzel. What's funny is, The Equalizer bears an unmistakable resemblance to Man on Fire, a film Washington starred in 10 years prior. Fire also features Washington as a mysterious former CIA operative who acts as protector to a young blonde girl and embarks on a one-man mission of vengeance against the criminal organization that victimizes her - and along the way tortures someone in a car in order to get information as he works his way up the chain-of-command of said organization.
2. The Magnificent Seven
Washington headlines a super-team of Western warriors in this remake -- and upgrade -- of the 1960 classic of the same name.
When the citizens of frontier town Rose Creek are pushed to their wits' end by the local robber baron, Washington's U.S. Marshal Sam Chisolm recruits a quickdraw, a Mexican outlaw, a knife-throwing Korean assassin, a Comanche exile, an ax-wielding mountain man and a former Army sharpshooter to lead the townspeople in a revolt against the murderous gold tycoon.
1. Malcolm X
Based on the ferociously intelligent civil rights leader's legendary autobiography, published in 1965 -- the same year that its subject was assassinated -- Malcolm X is a film that was begging to be made. Though the man was murdered nearly three decades earlier, the years that preceded the movie's release were marked by an intense resurgence in interest in his life.
The movie begins in Malcolm Little's (portrayed by Washington) childhood, a point in his life when his father, a minister, was murdered by members of the Black Legion -- an offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan -- and his mother was committed to a mental institution. From there we get a glimpse of his criminal career, when he was known by the street name Detroit Red in the Harlem underworld. Following a stint as a porter, "Red" makes a living running numbers for his mentor, West Indian Archie. After Archie makes an attempt on his life, Red flees to Boston, where he establishes a robbery ring and that includes his married white girlfriend.
After his Massachusetts licks land him a 10-year prison sentence, Red meets a member of the Nation of Islam behind the wall who inspires him to abandon criminality and to educate himself. His new mentor, Baines, facilitates an introduction to the group's leader, Elijah Muhammad, upon his release. After joining the Nation, the newly named Malcolm X (the "X" symbolizes the unknown African name that was taken from his ancestors during slavery) quickly rises to be the organization's most well known speaker. He preaches self-sufficency, Black Pride and aggressive rejection of white society and institutional racism, the latter of which contrasts sharply with Dr. Martin Luther King's message of peaceful protest. During an appearance at a Harlem rally, X delivers one of his most famous speeches, in which he warns: "I say and I say it again, Ya been had! Ya been took! Ya been hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led astray! Run amok! This is what he does..." He also utters the following line (paraphrased for the film) from his "Ballot or the Bullet" speech, delivered in 1964: "We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us!" X also befriends and mentors boxing legend turned civil rights activist Muhammad Ali.
During an obligatory pilgrimage to the ancient city of Mecca (birthplace of Islamic prophet, Muhammad) , X has an epiphany that transforms his rejection of whites to a more inclusive philosophy. However, his new views conflict with those of Elijah Muhammad, leading to X's departure from the group that he made famous. On February 21, 1965, X is assassinated while giving a speech at Harlem's Audubon Ballroom.
The film ends with a montage of U.S. and African children saying the simple phrase, "I am Malcolm X." After repeating the phrase himself, anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela recites a quote from one of X's speeches: "We declare our right on this earth, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being, in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary."
In 1990, the year prior to the movie's production, Mandela was released from prison after serving a 27-year sentence for activities against the South African government for its practice of segregation and racial oppression against Black people. In 1994, he was elected the first Black president of the country.
Though star Denzel Washington was nominated for a Best Actor award at the 65th Academy Awards (Lee was completely ignored as a Best Director), the fact that the statuette went to fellow nominee Al Pacino as a way to make up for his previous snubs in the category is nothing short of a crime.
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