Theatre and politics combine in an intense historical drama, which looks upon a nation’s past, and tensions that simmer in the nation to this day. Set in March 1941, The Problem Of The Hero stars J. Mardrice Henderson as Richard Wright, a celebrated black author whose novel, Native Son, is being adapted into a Broadway play by white playwright Paul Green (David Zum Brunnen). The pair are dear friends, with Green expressing sympathy for Wright’s mission to highlight the oppression of racial minorities. However, disagreement over a single scene in the play leads to a rift that dissects creative freedom, and the “right” way to fight injustice.

Every part of a theatre is explored in this wordy but rewarding story, propelled by a smart script and two powerful performances. Slowly growing from a simple dispute over a line to a debate over the future of their country, wealthy moderate liberal Green butts heads with Wright, a man whose suffering has pushed him to more blunt forms of protest. What’s captivating about the feud is that on the page and on the screen, both men clearly still respect each other.

One of the more interesting aspects of the film is the discussion on privilege. Wright points out to Green that he has the luxury of advocating for a slow movement toward understanding, and the minimising of racist actions. When his friend describes an incident of abuse at a hotel as “nonsense”, Wright replies: “There’s a danger in nonsense, Mr Green. Enough people speak the same nonsense at the same time, and it might as well be the truth”. It’s a powerful message which, given the power of misinformation in the modern world, gives this near 85-year-old conversation a contemporary perspective.

Wright is by far the standout of the two, offering a dignity and quiet rage that never threatens to spill into melodrama. Wright is angry, yes, but aware that an outburst by a person colour in that time is punished far more harshly, and so remains eloquently combative. Green is a great dance partner for him, walking into ideological traps set by his contemporary with innocent exasperation.

It’s not perfect from a cinematic perspective – the film is, by its very nature, quite stagey, and few cast members outside of the stars are used significantly. However, as a theological discussion committed to film, The Problem Of The Hero leaves an impression that will last for days after watching.

The Problem of the Hero showed at the San Francisco IndieFest, the Harlem and also at the Naples International Film Festival.