Thomas is an American hero. Born to nothing, he grew up knowing only hard labor and unyielding discipline, episodes of deep faith, years of searing anger and stints as a seminarian and a college revolutionary. Ultimately, he graduated from Yale Law School and earned a seat on the highest court in the land.

And, yet, because he’s a conservative, a sin especially grave to some because he is black, and because he opposes Roe v. Wade, he is reviled by the many who, were he ideologically otherwise, would herald him as a triumph of individual will and grace over seemingly insurmountable odds.

This is the takeaway from a new documentary about Thomas, who granted director Michael Pack full access. The two-hour film, “Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words,” is a distillation of 30 hours of interviews in which Thomas tells his story, up close and personal, as if sitting across a table.