FREEDOM

US, 2014, 98 minutes, Colour.
Cuba Gooding Jr, William Sadler, Sharon Leal, David Rasche, Terrance Mann, Jubilant Sykes, Tony Sheldon.
Directed by Peter Cousens.

Freedom is a bold name and title for a film. The freedom, and the desire for freedom, portrayed here is that of the African- American slaves of the 19th century, the hardships of the transportation from Africa, the sales, the plantations and their owners, often violent and vicious, and the possibilities of escape through the Underground Railroad.

This is a very worthy film, a strong message about freedom, linked with the religious conversion of John Newton, author of Amazing Grace. While many audiences appreciate this kind of film, critics tend to be very cautious, not wanting to be identified with a religious-themed film, expressing over-sensitive remarks about the social and religious messages.

Be that as it may, many audiences would be very interested in the two stories in Freedom, that of the slaves in the 19th century and the story of John Newton in the 18th century. The two plotlines are intercut throughout the film, but brought together at the end where the main slave taking his family to freedom is the great grandson of a boy slave that John Newton gave his Bible to.

Cuba Gooding Jr has a substantial role, (different from the many straight-to-DVD action films in which he has appeared for so many years). He is also one of the executive producers of this film. He plays Samuel, who organises plans for his family’s escape, for his elderly mother, his wife (who is actually the daughter of the vicious plantation owner, mixed-race) and his son. And the film shows in some detail the various steps for escape via the Underground Railroad, the places travel to, the time taken, the wide range of dangers and difficulties even to the Canadian border and freedom, and the reality of legislation against anyone helping the slaves escape, the setting being the 1850s, not too long before Lincoln’s abolition of slavery.

The slaves on the plantation are helped by a Quaker, Mr Garrett, who helped slaves over many decades, to a refuge beyond the plantation, travel by cart and horse, risking road barriers with plantation-hands and guns, to a Quaker house and hiding, to escape on horseback, to hiding on a train in cotton bales, assisted by slaves, to the Mason- Dixon line where they are taken in by a theatrical troupe and helped across the line to meet the famous abolitionist, Frederick Douglass.

Life on the plantation is presented vividly, especially in the anger of the owner and his whipping of one of the slaves who risked his life to let the others go and was caught. Audiences will be moved by watching the experience as well as being informed on the realities of the Railroad.

And, intercut with this story is that from 100 years earlier, the story of John Newton. Newton had been in the Navy, had been flogged, had found himself put in charge of a slave ship – accepting the reality of the slave trade as part of Britain’s life. He is engaged to be married and his fiancee gives him a Bible with an inscription about freedom. We see Newton in Gambia, at the slave market, the branding of the slaves, their being put on the ships in cramped conditions, which leads to a number of deaths and illness. There is an educated slave, Isaiah, who has an influence on Newton and who consoles the young boy whose family had died – the great-grandfather of Samuel, escaping 100 years later.

Moved by the slaves, tormented by dreams and buffeted by a vast storm, Newton has something of a conversion experience and, on his return, after the wedding ceremony, he sings Amazing Grace – as do the descendants of the slaves in the 19th century.

The story of Newton and his influence on William Wilberforce was seen in the film Amazing Grace, a film to be recommended. Another film on Britain and slavery, social and political attitudes, which is worth seeing is Belle.

1. The title? Significant theme? The Underground Railroad? the slave ships from Africa? Amazing Grace?

2. The impact of the film for African- Americans? For all Americans? World audiences? The end comments and the number of slaves in the world at present?

3. The two stories, intercutting, the links? Working well together?

4. The 1850s, slavery in the United States? The Monroe plantation, large, the overseers and their cruelty, the behaviour of the slaves, cowed into submission? The owner and his vicious attitudes? Monroe, his despising his father for softer attitudes? Vinessa as his daughter, mixed race? Attitude towards the runaways, pursuit and payment, summoning Plimpton, giving him the money, relentless. Demanding that the slaves be brought back alive?

5. The runaways, the grandmother telling the story, Samuel as the man in the family, his love for Vinessa, his son Jim? The focus, for the impact of the story, on just one family? The old slave who sacrificed himself so that the others could escape, leading the pursuers in a different direction? His being brought back, being whipped, whipped by Munro also?

6. The details of the Underground Railroad, starting on the plantation, the Quakers and their assistance, walking, carts, horses, the funeral with the actors, the barriers on the road, the Quaker house, hiding? The train and hiding in the cotton bales? Hiding in the theatre? The mock funeral, helped by Frederick Douglass, getting to the border, Canada and freedom? The time taken, the distances? The legislation against any help for slaves?

7. The characters of the family: Samuel, a hard man, not believing in God, care for his family, leadership? Plimpton, the former slave hunter, his killing the wrong man, his retirement? His principles and his perseverance? Garrett and the Quakers, the refuge in the house? The theatre and the performances, the actors, disguises? The spirit of the owner of the theatre, his wife, strong, the singing of the songs? Everyone when in? The performance of British plays in these distant outposts? Plimpton and his associates, whipping the runaway at the plantation, their vicious attitudes in pursuit, wanting to kill but Plimpton saying that Monroe wanted the slaves alive? The death of the grandmother, the pathos of urgently? Freedom The burial, the family moving on, the support of the Bible, Samuel and his reading the Bible, kneeling in prayer? His being captured by, the gardens, his shrewdness, Frederick Douglass and his help? His fame as an abolitionist?

8. The link to the Newton story, through the Bible, the picture of Britain in the 18th century? The slave ships, the slave trade, the traders? Newton, his naval service, being flogged, let go, captaining the slave ship? His relationship with Mary, the caution of her friend, the plan for marriage, the gift of the Bible? The quote about freedom? Newton in Africa, Gambia, the slaves, their treatment? The branding of the slaves? Going on board the ship, the cramped situations, the attempted suicides, illness and deaths, burials at sea? The statistics for survival? Isaiah, his role in the boat, his education, the young boy and his mother’s death, Newton unable to get him to eat food, Isaiah and his influence, teaching the boy to sing? The storms? Newton and the powerful dreams? Isaiah’s death, removing his collar? Landing in America, Newton giving the Bible as a gift to the boy, the picturing of the sales of the slaves? Newton’s return to England, the wedding, his speaking about his experiences, singing Amazing Grace?

9. The family at the Canadian border, Plimpton catching them after the failed attempt with the actors portraying the funeral? The associates, deaths, Plimpton being shot, Samuel tending to him?

10. The overall effect of the film? Message, some considering it too preachy, but audiences being involved in the plot, characters, the emotions of the experience?