A Sumptuously Brutal View of American History

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2002)

Anyone hoping to see an absolutely luscious cinematic historical achievement true to the lurid and awful beauty of slavery and justice, is in for an elevating experience here. The early 1800's, true to their racist culture, crude justice, and the barbaric institution of human slavery, are starkly seen portrayed with dramatic honesty. The brutal drowning of African slaves, dumped chained and naked into the Atlantic to save weight like so much cargo, is an unforgettable image. Then, juxtaposed to the despicable, we see the highest ideals of the abolitionists, personified by the brilliant John Quincy Adams,extraordinary son of the former President, the son a symbol of the best of the American advocate, the father a courageous defender of British soldiers of the Boston Massacre a generation earlier, which almost ruined his life. The times and sights are rendered notably realistic, rare by American film standards compared, say, to typically sumptuous British cinematic evocation of history. But the uniformly excellent acting (shall we start with Hopkins and Freeman?) and the tight writing, cinematography and sensitive direction (Spielberg) make this underrated work a great film about our momentous struggle to achieve human emancipation.