This Oscar-Nominated Denzel Washington Drama Is More Than Just a Sports Movie

Earlier this year, cinephiles everywhere were saddened to hear about the loss of the great director Norman Jewison, a filmmaker who defined the “Golden Age of Hollywood” with many iconic classics. While he may not have become a household name in the same way that Francis Ford Coppola or Martin Scorsese eventually did, Jewison’s filmography is stacked with projects that had a significant impact on popular culture. In the Heat of the Night won the Academy Award for Best Picture, The Cincinnati Kid made Steve McQueen into an icon, Moonstruck became one of the most defining romantic comedies of the 1980s, and …And Justice For All allowed Al Pacino to give one of his greatest performances ever. While some filmmakers tend to experience a decline in quality later on in their career, 1999 saw Jewison teaming up with Denzel Washington for the moving biopic The Hurricane.

Washington had actually earned one of his breakout roles in Jewison’s 1984 classic A Soldier’s Story, which was released right before his performance in Cry Freedom and his Academy Award-winning role in Glory turned him into one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. Washington was in a unique place in the 1990s where he could seemingly succeed within any genre. Between action-packed crime films, romantic dramas, and even a few science fiction projects, Washington quickly proved to be an expert in whatever genre he chose to commit himself to. However, The Hurricane brought to life an important story and succeeded as both an inspirational sports epic and a powerful courtroom thriller.

What Is ‘The Hurricane’ About?

The Hurricane is based on the incredible life of Rubin Carter, a famed middleweight boxer who was falsely accused of murder and imprisoned for almost 20 years. Carter conducted himself with a code of chivalry that made him a hero both in and outside the ring. Despite the waves of public support that Carter received from his adoring fans, he was still a black man in the United States in the 1960s, and thus had to deal with racial prejudice within the law enforcement and justice systems. Carter was convicted of a triple homicide in New Jersey, despite a flimsy amount of evidence provided by the prosecution. The Hurricane shows his incredible fall from grace, and how Carter remained committed to his own truth as he watched the world turn against him.

The Hurricane takes an unusual approach to its narrative that succeeds in showing the profound legacy that Carter’s boxing career had. Although there are several flashbacks to his time in the ring, the film opens by showing the young boy Lesra Martin (Vicellous Reon Shannon) reading up about Carter’s time in the ring as he is taken in by an adopted family. Despite his poor upbringing, Martin quickly proves himself to be a sharp reader with a tremendous sense of empathy. The film examines the parallels between Martin and Carter before the two ultimately cross paths. Convinced that he needs to do something to save his hero from the unfortunate fate that he’s been saddled with, Martin decides to begin collecting evidence that will prove Carter’s innocence. It’s at this point that Jewison is able to deliver a nuanced portrayal of the justice process, and how men like Carter are put at an unfair disadvantage.

‘The Hurricane’ Contains One of Denzel Washington’s Best Performances

Washington received a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Hurricane, and considering that he lost to Kevin Spacey in American Beauty, it’s safe to say that he was snubbed for the top prize. Given that Carter was a figure who was relentlessly covered by the media during the height of his career, it would have been very easy for Washington to simply create an impression that conformed to the more generic biopics out there. The film does contain some archive footage that indicates just how accurate Washington’s depiction is, but it’s a great performance because he shows the personal conviction and ethics that Carter had. Even when he was treated as subhuman by his prison guards, Carter commanded a level of respect, and refused to treat himself as a guilty man. It’s this sense of self-confidence that makes The Hurricane one of Washington’s more inspirational movies.

Washington did a brilliant job at showing the physical and emotional changes within Carter amidst the different stages of his life. While he’s not necessarily cocky in the early scenes in the boxing ring, Carter is aware that the world is at his feet, and that his potential is unlimited. Not being in the ring during his imprisonment doesn’t just prevent Carter from being at the peak of his physicality, but it has severe consequences to his mental health. The jubilation and satisfaction that comes from being in the ring is now lost, forcing Carter to take on new passions. Seeing how willing Carter was to adapt to the unfortunate situations he was placed in makes him even more compelling as a historical icon. Even for the most steel-hearted fans of Washington out there, The Hurricane is a film that’s hard to view without tearing up.

‘The Hurricane’ Isn’t Washington’s Only Great Biopic

Washington has been committed throughout his career to playing inspirational figures that epitomize black excellence. His first Oscar win for Glory was as Private Silas Trip, a Black Union soldier who fought for his country during the height of the Civil War. Between Malcolm X, Remember the Titans, American Gangster, and Unstoppable, Washington had frequently taken well-known figures and molded them in his image.

The Hurricane is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.

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