Original subtitles

demonstrations disrupting my school?

I won't have it.

It's pretty scary, huh?

Bunch of blacks whispering in the woodshed.

But that's what they want, man. The race that's

in the biggest. They want to pull us apart.

You could burn a car, though.

But it won't go away.

who stand in

say, darn that darn fog.

Even you should know that, Jim.

What is he doing?

Leroy, give him his line.

I know spirits when I hear them. I know my line, Johnson.

Hey, Miss Grant. What?

Miss Grant. What?

Could I talk to you for a minute, please? Mr. Danforth, I'm right in the

of a tech rehearsal. Can't it wait? No, it can't.

Actually, I like people to be offended by the language of the play.

I see.

Uh -huh.

Why?

What's wrong, Carver?

Don't you know, man?

Man, if you don't like the play and you don't like the part, why'd you take it

in the first place?

I don't know.

Miss Grant was behind it, and it felt okay, but I've been doing it for a while

now, and it ain't okay.

a character who lived over 100 years ago.

And that's the way it was.

That's the trouble.

When I play this part, I get the feeling that's the way it is.

Yo, pass the soap, man. I'm out.

No, no, no, no.

Thanks. Hey, good rehearsal, eh, Bobby?

Come on, buddy. You tell me this stuff doesn't get to you?

No, no, no, no. I mean, your slave Jim can't even finish a simple sentence.

I mean, doesn't that make you feel something in your head?

Yeah, it gives me hope.

Not a man with no education.

He's been a slave all of his life, had the guts to try for freedom.

That makes me feel like I can do anything I want to do with my life.

That sounds good on paper, Johnson.

But life isn't so simple.

Jim's an ignorant, bowing, scraping slave.

Written by a white man.

Take it easy, Carver.

I'm in the way I see a twang shot. It's just a man writing about another man.

And making him seem unbelievably stupid.

I kind of see where Bobby's coming from.

The black people in the book do seem kind of dumb, man. Well, the black

don't seem dumb to me. The only people who seem dumb are the white people. I

mean, they're the ones who act like jerks, right? That is true.

I mean, Hook's own father was a drunk, and he used to beat up on him.

Jim was his real father. He's the one who taught him right from wrong, good

bad, and all of that.

Racist, bigoted book.

And anybody who thinks otherwise is kidding himself.

Yo, man, I think you're turning this into something it ain't. Yeah, and I

you're not seeing the truth, man.

And since when do you know what the truth is? Can't there be two truths?

Why, shut up. Why should I? Because if you don't have an opinion, you should

just keep your mouth shut, all right? Hey, let the guy talk, all right? Maybe

have an opinion. You ain't got nothing to say.

Hey,

hey, hey, let's take it easy here.

Elizabeth, what makes this play disturbing is also what makes it work.

That's why I adapted the play from the book.

But you should have been in my class today.

Kids need some controversy.

Make them think. Wake them up. Come on, work, Elizabeth.

In. 17, 18, 19.

Those kids are in each other's throats.

Well, what are we supposed to do? Just back away? Give them a nice faith play

like Brigadoon?

Brigadoon.

things to each other. They fall in love.

Yeah, no bad language, no sex, nothing that upsets anyone.

Exactly. We're not doing that play, Mr. Derenforth.

Oh, I'm well aware of the play we're doing, Miss Sherwood. One thing to say

about it, fingertips.

Fingertips?

Fingertips.

Knowing instinctively when to adjust that valve that releases the tension of

controversy, just that amount that keeps trouble at bay.

Stimulation we want, ladies, but not at the expense of student security.

The mist of May is in the gloaming, and all the clouds are holding

still. Incredible.

On your knees, let's go.

A hundred dollars for dry ice for one night? Come on, Dwight, please, give me

break. Special effects are expensive, and these days the effects are the

Ask George Lucas. You ask.

All right, Carver, I'm ready. Five, six, five, six, seven, eight.

Remember, this is a dance of joy, Carver.

Joy and gratitude. You're not challenging her here.

Hey, hey, what's going on? Come on, Carver, let's go. We got a show to do.

Hey, you'll be doing it without me.

You heard me.

You're playing Jim.

Me?

I'm supposed to be helping you choreograph this show. That's right, and

these numbers better than anyone. You know them better than he does.

And we don't have none to study.

But, Miss Grant, I'm not even a student here anymore.

I'll make an exception.

We only have one week.

We don't have any choice.

Yeah, but I don't know if I'm ready to do this. Leroy, there's something really

important going on in this school right now.

Can you feel it?

Yeah.

Well, we can't just turn our backs and walk away.

This is something we both believe in, right?

Leroy, Danny, I really believe you were hucking Jim.

I'd like to see what you would do if you were the one being called names every

day of yours.

You know, I'll tell you one thing, man. I'm no quitter.

Besides, no one's calling him names, man. It's just talking a play.

How about that?

Think about it, Amatulo.

If all of a sudden I called you Guinea, what?

Meatball. That wouldn't bother you?

I mean, I can handle it.

Thank you.

You look like you can handle it.

Leroy, wait up.

I mean, I'm glad you're playing June.

Yeah, for the part.

Do you understand why I said that?

It's like me and you are the only ones in this whole school to understand what

this is about.

How come you care so much about this?

B -Rod, I grew up in the Bronx, man, in a rough neighborhood.

When I was a kid, the neighborhood was what you'd call changed.

You know, a lot of black people were moving in.

A whole lot of white people moving out, huh?

Something like that.

There was a lot of tension going on, man, you know?

I think so.

You know, I never had a black friend, man. I never hung out with black people.

Matter of fact, I might have even been a little afraid of black people.

Were you ever afraid of white people?

Nah.

Just mad at them.

Well, listen, man. One day I'm watching this movie on TV, Huck Finn.

Uh -huh. It was a lot of fun, man. It was like an adventure.

But it must have been something more because it got me thinking.

What, that a black man and a white man could be friends?

Yeah, but something else.

I mean, the thing that surprised me was that I was for Jim the whole way.

The next day I went to the library, I got the book out. I mean, I think it was

the first whole book I ever read in my life.

Danny.

Honestly, what are you really trying to say?

Leroy, I guess what I'm trying to say is, if it hadn't been for that book, I

don't know if Danny Amatulo and Leroy Johnson would be friends today.

You know something, Danny? I'm glad you read that book.

Me too.

So the rest of y 'all walk out of rehearsal, and we'll march right over

Deer Enforce's office and get this play pulled.

Bobby, why don't we just go talk to Miss Grant?

Because she sold us out, that's why.

You sold your own self out, Carver.

Now, you already walked. Don't drag the rest of them down with you.

Hey, you talking as a teacher is one of us.

Come on, man, you know better than that.

Hey, brother, I asked you in here because I thought you still had a trace

black pride left.

Look, I'm getting pretty tired of you throwing black pride around here like it

was your private property.

Now, I know what color I am, brother.

Now, if you're finished, Dusty and I have work to do.

Come on, Dusty, let's get out of here.

Hey, boy.

I'm not so sure.

Got my script.

Hey, Huck.

It's pretty scary, huh?

Bunch of blacks whispering in the woodshed.

Who walked out of rehearsal?

We did.

And we're going to stay away until this piece of trash is pulled.

What's this weak thing, man? One at a time. One at a time.

There's no reason why we can't settle this in a nice, orderly fashion.

Mr. Carver, you seem to be the leader of the dissenters. You know it, man.

And we ain't going back, not if I have anything to say about it. Well, you

have anything to say about it. Mr.

Amatulo, be quiet.

You'll get your turn. Mr. Carver.

You have the floor.

This book is racist, demeaning, and insulting to black people.

The play is not any better.

Ms. Sherwood, you adapted the book. Any response?

I don't agree with you, Bobby.

It's a story about a white boy who helps a runaway slave, knowing it's a crime.

It's one of our greatest American novels.

And it shows society the way it was. That's true.

And that society was racist.

Twain showed that in his book. He points out the inhumanity of bigotry. Did he,

Ms. Grant?

Or was he simply a bigot himself, telling the world what he believed?

That's a damn lie, man, and you know it. Don't be telling me what I know.

Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen.

Stop it. It's ridiculous.

Please.

Mr. Johnson, you haven't said anything so.

I gotta admit, some things in the play get to me. I mean, I wouldn't be human

they didn't.

But then there are other things about this play.

Good things.

Like the friendship between a black man and a white boy at a time when things

like that didn't even happen.

So what do you think?

That a good book tells the truth.

Now, if we want to kid ourselves and believe that black and whites were

equal in Mark Twain's time, then what we're saying is that we want books to

to us to make us feel good.

What's wrong with making us feel good, man?

Your brain could die.

Play goes on.

And this meeting is over.

All right, people, let's go.

It's Robbie Sugar and Jimmy Mancini.

What's this?

I'm not going to rehearse today at all.

I'm not feeling so well.

I insist.

Hold it, Danny.

Hell no!

What do you think you're doing, Carver?

Waiting for you, brother.

Waiting for you to join us.

I'm not a part of this little game.

Right now, you're the whole ball of whack.

Carver, step aside.

No way, man.

In my school.

Mr. Carver, Mr. Johnson, did you hear me?

I said, break it up.

I just do a fast.

I have no connection with anything, anything at all.

I'm not political.

All right, the rest of you, don't you have someplace to go?

What are you standing around for?

They certainly are heating up, aren't they?

Yes.

Yes, they are.

That's exactly what I did not want to have happen.

Mr. Sherwood, would you mind getting me a copy of the play you wrote?

I thought you read it.

I did. I want to read it again.

I'm

sorry,

people. I'm not going to try to lie to you.

We have lost a lot of people.

Personally, I hope they would change their minds and come back.

But we're going to continue as if they are not.

I feel very strongly about the production. I feel very good about the

work you all have put in.

And if there is anyone else in this room that feels differently, that feels we

are doing something wrong, you should just leave right now.

I think I agree with them out there.

You must stay out of this, Amatul. This is my business.

Okay, people, let's go back to work.

All right, Dwight, I want to hear the sounds of the river and I want to see

fog.

Let's get it going. Give me the docks.

Maybe I should temper the play.

House lights out!

I could soften the dialogue, change a couple of situations.

I wish by golly I could spread my wings and fly

and let my grounded soul be free for just a little while

to be like eagles when they ride

upon the wind and taste the sweetest taste of freedom for

my soul.

Then I'd be free at last. Free at last. Free at last.

Free at last.

Great God Almighty, I'd be free at last.

To let my feelings lie where harm cannot combine.

And hurt this always hurting heart that needs... I

wish by golly I could spread my

wings and fly and taste the sweetest, taste the greatest.

react.

We're not using our fingertips here, ladies.

We're using our thumbs.

One moment I authorize production of a play based on an American classic, and

the next moment I'm looking down the barrel of a race ride. Oh, please, let's

not blow this. Blow this what, Mr. Sherwood, out of proportion?

You're lucky I don't blow it out of the water.

Okay, so there's been a couple of incidents. True.

Darn right true.

Mass demonstrations disrupting my school? I won't have it.

Now, it may surprise you ladies to know that I actually like... Huckleberry Finn

better than I like Brigadoon.

But my primary responsibility is in the running of this school.

Luckily, I have come upon a solution.

I have rewritten your play.

You've what?

I didn't expect that you would like it, however.

Not like it? I'm appalled. What is this fuss about?

We all want the same thing, don't we?

We want a successful production and we don't want to incite the students to

riot.

So please, before you jump to conclusions,

take a look.

You will find that the word that is causing most of the problem has been

entirely from the text and replaced by Negro.

Mr. Derenforth, that's not what this trouble is really about.

I'm aware of the subtleties, Miss Grant.

You will also find significant changes in attitude, both from Jim and toward

him, giving him more dignity.

Adjustments, ladies.

That's all.

Hear the rats banging pans so the steamboats don't run them over?

This may be surprising to you, but some people in the area actually believe in

spiritual phenomena.

Darn it!

of education these days is epidemic.

Adjustments, Mr. Darren?

I think it's more dignified for everyone concerned.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

I, uh... I hate to interrupt, but, uh... This is your choreography, isn't it,

Mr. Johnson?

Well... Let's put some more of your black pride in there, you know?

I mean, I think Jim needs more stature here.

The man was a slave.

You know something?

I've had it up to here with this play.

Miss Grant, Miss Sherwood, I can't do this anymore.

Y 'all do it.

Yo, Leroy, man.

Yo, man, I know Darren Fultz rewrites things, but Whitney ain't the answer.

answer's getting him to change it back.

And you think he's gonna do that?

Yo, man, we got to try, right? Do we? Why?

Leroy, because that's what they want, man. The racist and the biggest. They

to pull us apart.

Don't you see? If you quit, they win.

Danny, let me tell you something.

They already won.

Yo, man, I'm sorry you feel that way. I really am.

This makes me sick, man.

That's an unguarded missile.

It's not going to take this long.

Mr. Johnson, my man.

Good to see you come around, even if you took your time.

I didn't come around to anything, Carver.

Sure you did, man.

Saw the light, quit the play, came over to the side of the liberated.

Quit the play because they changed it.

They made it a lie, understand?

I didn't do anything for your side.

Or Danny's or anybody's for that man. I did it for me.

Well, it looks like we're going to be doing Brigadoon after all.

I can't believe he really canceled the play.

He's done worse than that, Lydia.

He's taken the book off the shelf.

Don't say a word, Miss Grant. I did what I did for the good of this school.

Banning books.

I did not ban any book. I merely removed it from the curriculum.

Temporarily. Until things quiet down. I have every intention of bringing it

back.

Shame on you.

What you don't seem to understand is that this school was being hurt.

You still don't get it, do you?

I've always been proud of being a teacher.

because it demanded courage, conviction.

I don't feel like a teacher now, because you've turned us into censors. And all

censors need is fear.

I did not expect this to be a popular decision with the faculty. Nevertheless,

it still stands.

And now, rather than ruin your lunch with my presence, I will go and have my

sandwich in my office.

Got to do something, Elizabeth.

What can we do? He's banned the book.

Then we'll just teach them another book.

Since we're no longer allowed to study Huckleberry Finn in this class, I've

up with an alternate assignment to be read in its entirety by tomorrow

This is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

It's about a fireman whose job it is to burn books.

In a society where ideas are the most dangerous thing of all.

It was a pleasure to burn.

It was a special pleasure to see things blackened and changed.

The word intellectual, of course, became the swear word it deserved to be. A

book is a loaded gun in the house next door.

Burn it.

Take the shot from the weapon.

Breach man's mind.

Who knows who might be the target of the well -read man?

Colored people don't like Little Black Sambo?

Burn it.

White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's cabin?

Burn it.

Burn the book, Serenity Montag.

Peace, Montag.

Take your fight outside.

Better yet, into the incinerator.

Dwight? Hello?

Dude!

I've been wondering when you'd get here.

Who are you?

Old Huck.

He didn't want her to come along with me.

Got himself into one powerful lather when I told him no.

I figured this was best left between you and me.

You're Jim.

Now you're catching on.

I reckon it's about time the two of us had us a little talk.

I don't want to talk to you.

Why don't you just do me a favor and disappear?

Son, more than a hundred years now, folks have been trying to make me and

disappear.

We never do.

Now I wonder why that is.

You ever think maybe it's because some people get a kick out of the way you

black people look like fools?

you've proven to be a considerable disappointment to me.

If me and Huck was as distressful about other people's opinion, like you are,

I do believe I'd have never got my freedom.

Besides, I was never no fool.

Truth is,

I had more common sense than anyone I know.

I know that.

Well, I mean, up here I know it.

But when I get up here on the stage and I try to be you,

all I feel is ashamed.

See that right there?

Now that's the difference between you and me.

I have never been ashamed of who I am.

Mr. Twain, he wasn't ashamed of me either.

You might say I was the first multidimensional black man ever to

be put in a book.

Dirt.

He had the guts to show me for what I was.

A good man in a hard world.

Yeah, but a lot of people don't see it that way, man.

Well, then it's up to you to show them.

Because the carvers, And the daring force of this here world, they can't

us.

Not as long as you got the courage to keep on telling our story.

I don't know if I do.

Well, then you think on it some.

And you think real hard.

Me?

I gots to get back to Huck.

We got us a river to cross.

Just like you.

Come on, everybody.

Come on down.

I got the answer to all your problems.

That's right. I finally got it through my...

What does he think he's doing?

Come on, let's go.

Let's burn him.

Come on, let's burn him. Let's go.

Who's going to be the first?

Come on!

I'll be glad to oblige you, Amitullah.

Well, come on down.

Very glad.

Your favorite.

You could burn a carver, but it won't go away.

Take my word for it, people have been trying for over a hundred years.

So this mighty river may rumble and roar.

So far, so good.

It gets better.

What's wrong?

Excuse me, Bobby.

I got a river to cross.