laursene This one got lost somehow in the years between School Daze and Dear White People, but it's well worth rediscovering. Multi-story structure played out by a fine ensemble cast is perhaps a bit too schematic and tries to do a bit too much, but Singleton brings the same empathy he displayed in Boyz in the Hood (and a welcome returning cast member, Ice Cube) to Higher Learning. Plus, his filmmaking smarts have improved, if anything, as several very well thought-through sequences demonstrate (particularly the melded-together love-making episode). What Singleton accomplishes, very movingly, is to convey the struggles that college-age people have figuring out who they are and what they are here for. The pain of being midway between adulthood and adulthood itself is always right there on the surface -- especially for the black characters, of course, since they are adjusting to a world much more directly controlled by the white man than they had previously experienced, but for the white characters too, one most tragically. Higher Learning accomplishes this at least as well as the two films mentioned earlier. Biggest asset: Omar Epps. His performance as Malik has a depth and emotional weight that goes beyond the rest of the cast (who are all just fine) and makes clear how much is at stake for him -- and everybody -- in the drama of college.

dwissba This has to be the most offensive, shameless and Clichéd movie in movie history. What was John Signleton thinking when he made this trash? Let me ask you a question dear reader. What is worse, a white woman getting raped(even though the rape scene was filmed horribly) or a African American woman being called a black bitch? Mr. Signleton seems to think that rape is not all that serious and Racist remarks towards black women are worse than rape. The characters such as they are don't seem to notice either. If the film was trying to explore racism on a college campus by using Ice-Cube and Omar Epps as some kind of victims it fails. Both of these characters come off as boobs who do nothing but whine.John Signleton does his people a dis-service with this film with its absurd character's. As far as I am concerned the biggest racist in this movie was Ice-Cube who plays some pot smoking bum who has been in college forever and lives up to the stereotype of the lazy black male.Was I suppose to feel bad for this poor black man with his foul mouth and bad attitude? No chance. Maybe this film should have been called, "Pick your Cliché" because it has it all.Neo-Nazis, Lesbians,black racists(who seem like some kind of antihero), all white people are bad, Feminists, black power and anything else you can think of. Does not sound like a college I would attend with these types of people. If a movie is going to explore racism than it had better see it from all sides because racism comes in all shapes,sizes and colors. Using a make believe college called Columbus University and stocking it with silly people who think the world owes them a favor will get no sympathy from me. The people in this film are nothing more than complaining jerks who need to shut their pie holes. Should only be viewed on MTV cause that is the only network with it's bonehead viewers that would believe this political correct nonsense.Terrible piece of work...

generationofswine I won't argue with the fact that this is a great movie about racial tension, but I will argue with the fact that the Black Panthers are portrayed as better or more sympathetically than the Skinheads. Anyone that argues different is a victim of a false liberal bias. The fact is, for those of you who watch Higher Learning with an open mind to the facts of life, both sides of the conflict are portrayed as equally repugnant. Higher Learning makes a serious effort to take no sides in its portrayal of racism in America and it is an effort that pays off in spades. It is a solid piece of honest cinema and one with a valid point. Although, the film could have done without a half-hearted homage to the UT Austin tragedy. A movie of this caliber should have had a more original ending.

Sam Sullivan I had never heard of Higher Learning until I saw it on BET during a night of insomnia. So I had no idea what to expect when I started watching it.The film follows the story of three incoming freshman at the fictional Columbus University, both plagued by tragedies. Kristen (Kristy Swanson) is nearly raped, loses her useless friends, and questions her sexuality, or so it is implied. Malik (Omar Epps) faces racial tension, tuition woes, and the realization he isn't sure what he wants in life. Remy (Michael Rappaport) deals with loneliness, and his eventual decline into white supremacism. So it's an upbeat film.Director John Singleton had a unique opportunity to show the reality of racial tensions and the struggles of college life. In some ways, he succeeds. In other ways, the film is extremely dishonest. You won't find a single redeemable white male character. Based on the movie, you would have to conclude most white males are either skinheads, frat rapists, or moronic racist campus police. The only truly positive white female character happens to be a lesbian (Jennifer Connelly), whose place in the film is mystifying for me until I read a lot of her relationship with Kristen is cut out (Could it be sexuality is more scary than race? I don't know why they cut it out, just a possibility). I don't count Kristen as a positive character because she is portrayed as being so weak. The film also dumbs itself down at times, as in the scene where Malik rants about Christopher Columbus for example (Malik doesn't know anything about Frederick Douglass, but he's suddenly an expert on colonial history?). And Remy's descent into white supremacy is laughable (He's becoming racist because his black roommates wouldn't turn down their stereo?). The white supremacists are so poorly acted (aside from Cole Hauser) and so much caricatures, it's hard to see why they should be feared (Real skinheads are much more frightening).And yet, there are some superb scenes. The conclusion of Remy's story was powerful. It would have been interesting to hear Malik's thoughts on Remy after that moment. Does he pity Remy? Does he forgive him? Maybe that's just me though, as I've experienced the anger that comes with having a friend murdered.The moments where we see Professor Phipps (Laurence Fishburne) struggling to reach Malik are also gripping. And any scene with Michael Rappaport is powerful. Despite the ridiculous lack of justification for his transformation, he makes it work well.In the end, the performances are what redeems the movie, starting with Rappaport. Fishburne is excellent, and every scene he is in keeps your eyes glued to the screen, despite an accent that disappears at times. Ice Cube is great as a perpetual senior, who is also the smartest character in the movie. It makes you wonder why he isn't getting more serious roles. Regina King, Cole Hauser, Adam Goldberg, Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks round out the honorable mentions. Although part of me felt Goldberg's role was a stereotype. Kristy Swanson does a respectable job, but her storyline is a mess. At the beginning she is shown being nervous around Malik because he's black. Yet she has no issue with Regina King's character? And she's the one the filmmakers chose to organize a unity rally? I suppose it's the scene were King has Ice Cube and his friends rough up the frat boy that tried to rape her that's supposed to represent her transformation, but I think that should have been explored more. They never really showed her coming to terms with the attempted rape. And the lesbian angle remains unresolved. Her story just didn't make much sense.In the end, this film is worth seeing, if only for the excellent cast. It doesn't treat politics, race, or sex with any real honesty. Films like Do the Right Thing and Remember the Titans are much better at presenting racial issues. If you are homosexual, you are likely to feel slighted. And most races could find something to be offended by. If you went to college, this won't at all resemble your experience. But there are single moments of truth.