Review: Higher Learning (1995)

People in the Movie:  Laurence Fishburne, Kristy Swanson, Omar Epps, Michael Rapaport, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Jennifer Connelley, Cole Hauser, Tyra Banks

Director:  John Singleton

Pigeonhole:  Drama

The Basics: Written and directed by John Singleton, the film highlights the struggles of students in a fictional institution of higher learning, Columbus University.  The plot focuses primarily on 3 freshmen, Kristin Connor (Swanson), Malik Williams (Epps), and Remy (Rapaport) who find themselves away from home, and how they begin to integrate into the mix of campus life.  Singleton uses the opportunity to address “difficult” topics such as racism, sexual assault, stereotypes, sexuality, as well as a campus shooting.  

Recommendation:  I think this a very good film, and is still relevant considering that all of the “hot button” issues noted are still very much in play in 2012 on college campuses, as well as in society.  ‘R’ rating is for violence, sexual assault, language, and drug use.   

My Take:  While Higher Learning is very good film, and is important for its social commentary, it feels as if some good material to develop the characters, as well as the issues, was either missed or possibly cut. 

**spoiler alert** -Dr. Maurice Phipps (Fishburne) is a professor of political science, and it seems most of the students at Columbus find their way through his classroom.  The character is West Indian, and he speaks with a slight accent.  He seems both scholarly and world-wise and it appears he wants his students to succeed in the class, as well as life.   

-Kristin Connor is a white student from a suburb of LA.  She comes off as somewhat naïve to open the movie, and the audience sees her clutch her purse tightly on the first day, while she is on the elevator with Malik at their dorm, in a racially tense moment.  Ironically, Kristin has a black roommate named Monet (Regina King), and after some initial discomfort of being from different backgrounds, they seem to grow into friends.  Just a short time into the movie, Kristin, after drinking with some frat guys one evening, is date-raped.  After a brief confrontation with the offender, the matter seems to be forgotten, in what I assume is a metaphor about when the crime really happens.  Kristin later befriends a lesbian feminist named Taryn (Connelley), whom she becomes romantically involved with.  Kristin also begins dating Wayne (Jason Wiles) around the same time as she is dating Taryn, which was a little unclear - if Kristin was previously “confused” about her sexuality, or that she is now no longer, and is a bi-sexual.  Kristin also helps put together the rally for “togetherness” at the end of the film.   

-Malik Williams is a black freshman, and was a track star at his high school.  He comes off as arrogant, but he quickly finds out that he is not the big fish in the pond at Columbus U.  In addition, it seems his track performance will be directly related to his scholarship – full or partial – causing some tension with financial matters.  He later begins dating a female track runner named Deja (Banks), who is a touchstone in his connection both track, and his growing up.  Professor Phipps challenges Malik on several occasions to be a better student, comparing his scholastic challenges to training for a track meet.  Malik has several run-ins with Remy, including a brawl with Malik’s friends versus Remy and his “new friends”.  By the end of the movie, I believe Malik has grown the most from an incoming freshman, into an adult.

- Remy is a white student from Idaho, and does not seem to fit in with the other students, either because of background, commonality, or personality.  Out one night by himself, he meets Scott (Hauser) and the two become fast friends.  Scott then integrates Remy into his group of friends, who happen to be neo-Nazi skinheads.  Remy adopts the group’s prejudiced attitude and quickly begins blaming his problems on Jews and blacks, even wanting to drop out of school, to which Scott advises him to remain enrolled.  The group begins escalating violence, attacking some students (which Remy seems to abhor) , and then getting into a fist fight with Malik and his friends.  Remy’s violence towards Columbus University crescendos with a campus shooting during the rally, killing Deja, and several others.  He then kills himself after a fight with Malik, and being cornered by campus security.

- Fudge (Ice Cube) and Dreds (Busta Ryhmes) are “black power” students, who are acquainted with the other black movie characters, smoke marijuana, and seem to have multiple encounters with campus security, but do not seem to go to class even though Fudge has reportedly been at the school for 6 years. Malik, Dreds, Fudge and one other large black guy have a fight with the skinheads.  Sadly, I believe Fudge could have been one of the great supporting characters of the movie, but disappeared for a stretch in between attacking Kristin’s rapist and fighting Remy and Scott.

I have read that there were “significant” cuts made to Taryn’s development as a character, as well as some scenes with the skinheads.  This is unfortunate, because I do feel the movie would have really benefitted from this, as well as some additions to Fudge’s and the other black students developments, especially Monet, seeing that she was Kristin’s roommate and one of the few black students who intermingled with the white students.  While I understand why Singleton used stereotypes to get his message across, I wonder if it detracted from the quality and possibly the response to the film.  For example, the campus security being blatantly racist to the black students, especially during the shooting; the blacks being drug users, or the track stars; the whites being drunk frat boys, date rapists, or the skinheads; the feminist being a lesbian, etc.  The issues Singleton touched on deserve to be out there, and hopefully Higher Learning broke down some walls.  In addition, it is equally important to note the value of these issues as they affect us today, so that we can work as community to prevent said crimes and tragedies, as well as supporting the victims of crime when needed.

I suppose there is also no irony in the school being called Columbus, explorer of the New World, slave trader, and disease spreader to the Native Americans.

 

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  Tupac Shakur was slated for the role of Malik, but he was in jail shortly after being cast, so it went to Omar Epps… The campus shooting is based on the Charles Whitman shootings at the University of Texas… Most of the neo-Nazis were played by Jewish actors…