The Best of Enemies

Although it takes place in 1971, and depicts white nationalist extremists cozying up to corrupt politicians, The Best of Enemies is not merely a history lesson.

Despite its structural flaws, this true-life drama salutes grassroots activism while providing a powerful if oversimplified glimpse into the fragile nature of race relations that lingers today.

It’s set in Durham, North Carolina, seven years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. You wouldn’t know it by the way the Ku Klux Klan controls local politics and combats any unrest about inequality from the city’s growing black population.

Following a suspicious fire at the city’s black elementary school that renders the building practically useless, community leader Ann Atwater (Taraji P. Henson) rallies her troops behind the idea of moving the displaced children to the white school across town.

That puts Ann at odds, as usual, with local Klan leader C.P. Ellis (Sam Rockwell) and his ardent followers. But city leaders realize the school segregation issue won’t go away, and their solution is to hire a consultant from up north (Babou Ceesay) to stage a “charrette,” which is a 10-day community gathering so both sides can hash out a long-term vision. Getting those involved to set aside their prejudices is another matter.

The embellished screenplay by rookie director Robin Bissell is predictable whether or not you know the details of the real-life story. However, the film captures the period, not just visually, but also in its sociopolitical texture during a volatile time.

Henson is fully committed to another role that showcases her charisma and versatility, while Rockwell likewise brings depth and complexity to a distinctly unsympathetic character. The emotional journey of both Ann and C.P. yields the ultimate example of finding common ground through open-mindedness and compromise.

We’ve seen this territory explored on film before, and this effort is hardly groundbreaking but less heavy-handed than most. It’s also evocative — appropriately unsettling to watch the Klan’s tactics of fear and intimidation, for example — showing how tolerance is a two-way street in a fractured ideological landscape.

The idea behind The Best of Enemies, of course, is that the issues aren’t as black-and-white as first appears, but rather various shades of gray. While it too often lacks the courage to follow through on those convictions, the film is stirring and heartfelt enough to get the point across.

Rated PG-13, 133 minutes.