Film Review - Sidney Poitier

During the height of the civil rights movement, many saw poitier's characters as too measured and restrained in the face of virulent raceism. While limiting, and by no means perfect, the roles played by poitier were a huge step up for the portrayal of blackness and hollywood. The weight of that racial representation was something the actor shouldered throughout his career, and it wasn't a responsibility he took lightly. He became the first african american to win the academy award for best actor for the role he played in lilies of the field.