Deacons for Defense
Deacons for Defense
| 01 January 2003 (USA)
Deacons for Defense Trailers

Inspired by a true story, this drama is set in 1965, not long after passage of the Civil Rights Act. Despite the Act, the African-American citizens of Bogalusa are still treated like third-class citizens, their fundamental rights as human beings persistently trampled by the white power structure, in general, and the local branch of the KKK. The story follows the formation of local black men, particularly ex-war veterans who after the struggles become too overbearing organizes the group, "Deacons for defense", an all-black defense group dedicated to patrolling the black section of town and protecting its residents from the more violent aspects of "white backlash."

Reviews
Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life
Helllins It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.
Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.
Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
Cky4Life Before I saw this picture,I had always thought blacks in general always allowed the white man to terrorize their homes,people,and neighborhoods. I even became ashamed over time of being of black descent. Reason being,I felt and thought that blacks were to frightened to even stand up for themselves the way strong,brave,and courageous people do. I even developed a disdain for the black man which in turn made me a serious threat towards any white with violent intentions towards blacks. I was a ticking time bomb for awhile.Then a friend approached me about a film he thought I would like. And I sure did. It reassured me that some,if not most blacks did in fact have the courage to stand up and defend themselves and their families. Truly a very informative film. I am not a racist,nor do I hate anyone because of skin color. But I now know I am not alone in my mindset of defend myself and loved ones at ALL costs.sincerely,Black Sicilian
panik65 The only nitpick I have with this film is that it is obviously NOT filmed in Bogalusa, LA. It also does not show the poverty of African Americans who lived and worked there - one gets the impression the blacks there were leading perfectly cozy middle class lives, save for racial segregation and oppression. These folks did not live in 3 bedroom nicely decorated, cozy homes. They live in what amounts to shanties and the poverty there is third world. Bogalusa is not some idyllic looking, charming small town. It is a very depressing, gloomy place, centered around a paper mill which smells horrible (and you can smell it all over town). By not showing this it disconnects racial oppression from how bad the economic oppression was (and still is), and it's always there.Other than that, the Deacons rock, and predated the Panthers by several years.
joe robertson while we like to think of a world where violence is not necessary, there are times when one needs to defend oneself. this film mentions an important example: how is it that a man is allowed to fight against strangers in a war on another continent, and yet not allowed to defend his own family at home? we are still not where we need to be. i can think of too many examples of racism that i, as a white man have witnessed against people of color. we should not tolerate hate. one day i hope that understanding will conquer the ignorance that is the source of all hatred. this movie is a powerful reminder that we should not tolerate injustice. we all need to defend against those who allow violence to oppress.we cannot allow the characterization of those different from us in the simplistic terms of being "less than" us. it is one thing to be proud of yourself, but as a race, as the human race, we cannot be proud of ourselves until we truly establish that one of us has no need to defend himself against another.and this message could be just as easily translated into the way we deal with the difference in culture and religion between the west and the middle east. this film shows the true price of civil rights and reminds us that we cannot tolerate ignorance wherever it rears its proud, lazy, and ugly head.
Apryl N Paris This is supposed to be a historical account, and I believe it to be just that..... so the story itself doesn't get points - I'm just glad that the story is getting out. As a viewer, I was truly moved to anger, to passion, to compassion, and finally to tears of victory over an evil that should be brought out to the light. I give the movie a score of 9 out of ten.... but I can't honestly say what I would do to improve it. The performances of every one were excellent. The children weren't cute moppets, nor were they incredibly heroic. I could relate to the feeling of 'don't rock the boat' that was the world of Marcus, and also the "Never again" battle cries once he realized that, though he is one person, every one of us can make a difference. It was entertaining and inspiring