The Denzel Washington movies Denzel Washington thinks you need to see: “Watch two”
For most people, a career can become a blur of coffee, desks, and computers, flying past at a rate of knots that would make an F-50 jet fighter barf. Equally, much like said jet fighter, there are a few careers that stick out differently, punctuated by moments of pure clarity that lodge themselves in your memory, jutting out as monuments of your time on earth. Actors like Denzel Washington have two or three of these a year.
Or so you would think. Becoming a mainstay in Hollywood is no easy feat, and the legendary Denzel Washington has had to work extremely hard to be as revered and appreciated as he is today. In his long resume, he can count on some of the most decisive and bold characters in cinema, with a range of his performances often hailed as some of the best to be seen in the dimly lit corners of your local theatre. But a lot of work means that what might seem like crystal clear moments of achievement to audiences can be just another day on set for Washington.
With way over 50 movies in the can, Washington is one of the more prolific professionals in his domain, and his performance levels rarely drop. Who can forget his delivery in The Hurricane, the humanity of Flight, the fearsomeness of American Gangster or the iconography of Training Day? The truth is, Washington has rarely dipped below his very high watermark, with most of his movies providing, at the very least, a perfect platform for his talent.
However, just like a shelf stacker or restaurant server, Washington’s days can just pass by him too, with movies becoming just a range of different sets and hours spent in the well-appointed trailer. It’s hard to detach yourself from your day-to-day reality and see the bigger picture. But, if you were to ask him which movies he thinks fans should see, then he has two in the chamber ready to fire out.
Asked what Denzel Washington movie a newcomer should start with during a Reddit AMA, Washington replied: “I would suggest that they watch two. Fences and Man on Fire.”
The first is Washington’s 2016 directorial debut. A film adaptation of a fantastic play by August Wilson, Fences chronicles the difficult socioeconomic circumstances of a Black man’s life in America during the 1950s when race relations were fraught and hatred dominated the cultural climate, and saw Washington pick up an Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Actor’.
The second is one of the archetypal Washington performances. Directed by Tony Scott, Man on Fire is a lesson in intensity, as the actor limbers up for his role in Shakespeare’s Macbeth with a fiery explosiveness that makes ex-CIA operative Creasy feel like a king of yore. Gunfire, grenades and themes of redemption and sacrifice — this is action with a soul, and it perfectly typifies Washington.
If you were Denzel Washington, there is a good chance that you could forget a large chunk of your catalogue, but even if you only landed on some great moments from your great, very few of us would have work as brilliant as those two movies.
