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‘The Defiant Ones’
Sidney Poitier, one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, has died at the age of 94. It is well-known that Poitier was first black man to win the Best Actor Oscar for his iconic role in Lilies of the Field in 1963, but he was also the first Black man to be nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his work in Stanley Kramer’s The Defiant Ones. In this still powerful film, Poitier plays Noah Cullen, a Black inmate who manages to escape a chain gang while shackled to the white John “Joker” Jackson (Tony Curtis). During their frantic flight, they encounter all forms of racism in the American South. Gradually, the two enemies become friends, by necessity at first, and later, out of mutual respect and genuine compassion for one another. The Defiant Ones is best remembered for the star-making performance from Poitier, who brings his trademark craftsmanship, poise, and intensity to a difficult but groundbreaking role. Progressive for its era, the film, with Poitier’s mighty assistance, challenged racist assumptions and attitudes at a time when the Civil Rights Movement was just getting traction.
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