Amazing Grace
Synopsis: An account of William Wilberforce's long parliamentary fight to abolish the British slave trade.
Technical Details
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Review
This film presents an account of the long parliamentary battle lead by William Wilberforce to abolish slavery in Great Britain. The title refers to the hymn written by John Newton, a clergyman from whom Wilberforce sought guidance. Newton lived a life of repent, after being the owner of a ship that transported black people from Africa to be sold as slaves in the west, and witnessing the conditions in which they were treated. Other influential characters in the life of Wilberforce depicted in this movie are his wife Barbara Spooner; prime minister and close friend William Pitt and Olaudah Equiano, an educated black man who after buying his freedom wrote an autobiography.
Although the film tells an important chapter of British history, I have found this movie to be somehow detached from its main subject of slavery. The focus is placed on the political aspect of the slavery situation in Britain with plenty of parliamentary action, but the slaves themselves do not play an important role in this film, with the only exception being Equiano, a short role played surprisingly well by Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour. A secondary theme is Wilberforce’s personal life, mainly his health problems and his married life, but this doesn’t add much to the overall story. Amazing Grace is a technically well made film that unfortunately doesn’t succeed in making a connection with the audience.
©2008 by Miguel Grinberg
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