A sense of political correctness (and a fear of offending non-believers) has given the movies an (at least) agnostic feel to the subjects they've dealt with in the past few decades. Other than the occasional family friendly epic or Mel Gibson extravaganza, movies have steered as far away from Christianity as Donald Trump has from the Mexican border. But in this historical saga of the efforts of British nobleman William Wilberforce, the subject of the slave trade is moralized as England faces the difficult loss of the American colonies. Wilberforce, a slave owner himself, must find his own salvation, and a harsh look at the evils of the trade opens his eyes to the inhumanity of how these scared and abused Africans were treated.
Ioan Gruffudd is the handsome upper class Englishman who really did find Amazing Grace, ultimately writing the beloved hymn that explains the basic Christian theology of being saved. To see all of the hardships that the innocent Africans went through, whether on the voyage from Africa to Jamaica (and then to whatever final location they were sent to), is often psychologically painful to fathom, as it is more disguised than visualized. It is through the memories of an educated former slave that the hardships are described, and the horrifying ship's hull, empty from those who managed to make it to England alive, is detailed and frightening.
Recently done on Broadway (an unfortunately short lived musical), this is the story of the discovery of truth, atonement, considered a traitor for being strong enough to stand up for his beliefs, and ultimately, triumph. I shook uncontrollably during the Broadway production at the visual of the shackled slaves being prepared for the sale. This gets the point across in the narrative, but the horrors must be shown to remind us of centuries old evils and why civilized man must never go down these trails again.
Ioan Gruffudd is the handsome upper class Englishman who really did find Amazing Grace, ultimately writing the beloved hymn that explains the basic Christian theology of being saved. To see all of the hardships that the innocent Africans went through, whether on the voyage from Africa to Jamaica (and then to whatever final location they were sent to), is often psychologically painful to fathom, as it is more disguised than visualized. It is through the memories of an educated former slave that the hardships are described, and the horrifying ship's hull, empty from those who managed to make it to England alive, is detailed and frightening.
Recently done on Broadway (an unfortunately short lived musical), this is the story of the discovery of truth, atonement, considered a traitor for being strong enough to stand up for his beliefs, and ultimately, triumph. I shook uncontrollably during the Broadway production at the visual of the shackled slaves being prepared for the sale. This gets the point across in the narrative, but the horrors must be shown to remind us of centuries old evils and why civilized man must never go down these trails again.