Higher Learning

This film is pretty much your average college flick with the average stereotypes, times two. However two things about this film always make me give it another look. The great performance from Michael Rappaport and the whole skinhead crew, and the moving ending, where Omar Epps comes out of the building and Laurence Fishburne grabs him and holds him in his arms like a father would. The great Stanley Clarke score in the background really brings out the best in that most poignant scene. That one scene is proof that great music in a film really enriches it.

AN excellent premise is sadly executed in Higher Learning. Singleton tries to use such extreme situations and melodrama to get his point across that the message he is trying to send ends up seeming as ridiculous as his contrived situations. This is only a "wakeup call" to America if you live in a comic book. The dialogue is poor, and dooms this mostly talentless young cast. Omar Epps and Michael Rappaport are decent, but the rest of the cast is painful to watch, especially Laurence Fishburne. He is somehow able to make the poor lines written for his character even worse by delivering them with a ludicrous accent. Only rent this trash so it will make good films about racism like American History X look even better.

I think some of you who criticized the movie for containing harsh stereotypes and being unrealistic missed the point of the movie. I think Singleton was using a college campus as a microcosm of America. Hence Columbus (discovering America) University and the full screen of the American flag at the end. When seen in that context, I believe the film makes more sense. While what was depicted might not happen at a single university, it certainly had happened in America's history and the stereotypes he portrayed can certainly be modeled from real people. And in the past 5 years how many school shootings have there been???? Unrealistic, I don't think so.

Instead of Boyz N the Hood or Menace II Society, which were truly great films, this one focuses not only the black part of society but as well as Asians, Indians, Hispanics, and Whites. Omar Epps gives a great performance and John Singleton, as usual, gives a easy to follow gritty story. Now this isn't the best I have seen on the subject but it does deserve a worthy praise.

Higher Learning is criticism of the American society. It shows how people can be easily effected and used. It also shows the two sides of hatred between colored people and white people. Remy(Micheal Rapaport) is a tremendous character and his only goal in life is to be a part of something. He isn't a real Nazi, his only reason for being a one is that the other members accept him, something that no one has ever done before. He had always felt like a outcast but now he thinks that he's needed. Laurence Fishburne shows a great performance as the professor. The movie effected me deeply, it left something, and I started to wonder how sick the human rage is. This movie is a must see for all you people who like good movies.

So let me get this straight, the only reason why people become skin-heads is because Ice Cube is the room-mate from hell? Trying to fit too much stuff in one movie, this should have stuck to one and not tried to be too many things at once. For a better representation of racism in America, see "American History X."