THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING

US, 1995, 91 minutes, Colour.
Jason Patric, Thandie Newton, Larry Drake, Sam Waterston, Eric Mabius.
Directed by John Duigan.

The Journey of August King is a modest but most impressive film. It is certainly beautiful to look at, filmed in the Carolinas, recreating the period of 1815 in the small communities, the farms, the mountains, rivers and waterfalls. It is also a fine film for its theme. The journey of August King is both an inner and an outer journey. He returns home, widowed, to his farm. However, he encounters a runaway slave, does not report her even though it is against the law, decides to help her and leads her to escape to the north. He is pursued by her owner, who is her father, Olaf played by Larry Drake. He is also confronted by the law, embodied in Sam Waterston, who, at the end, tries to interpret the law more benignly. At the end, August King has nothing but has his nobility and honour, proud of what he had done for the slave.

Jason Patric has an excellent role as August King. Thandie Newton, who had worked for John Duigan in Flirting, is very good also as the slave. The film was based on a screenplay by John Ehle, based on his novel.

1.The impact of the film, its beauty, truth, respect for human nature, nobility?

2.The Carolinas, the opening map, the explanation of the period, the beauty of the mountains, the paths, the rivers and waterfalls, the settlers and the small villages, the farms, the log cabins? Authentic? The atmosphere of the musical score?

3.1815, the people, their language, the settlers, their clothes, farms, the animals? A simple way of life? Yet slavery?

4.The issue of slavery, audience response to the theme? Olaf and his search for his slaves? His possessions, seeing the group of black slaves and their subservience? The law against runaway slaves? Annalees and her running away, her running away with the young slave? The questions about her situation, her being prepared to die rather than return? Her being in the woods, hiding, her dress, language, manner, her fears? August and his seeing her, not reporting her? His help, hiding her, the dangers, the people searching for her, the men and the reward, their sexual predator attitude? The action and the search? The law, Mr Wright and his administering the law? The burning of August’s house, his losing everything but feeling proud? Annalees free?

5.The title, the physical journey and the structure of the film, the moral journey?

6.August King and his type, love for his wife, the pain of her death, the death of the child, his grief? Her drawings? People wanting her to draw them? Their memories? His selling his goods, talking to the village people and their friendliness, his wagon, pig, geese, cow? The respect that people had for him? His being a loner? His return – an ordinary journey through the countryside?

7.Seeing Annalees at the river, not giving the information, his stance? Discussing with himself the issues? With people, the law, his being a law-abiding citizen? Seeing Annalees again, helping her, step by step, the food, the shelter, hiding her, her slipping out to avoid detection, discussions with her, the issue of chewing, the thigh, her explanation about her situation, his character?

8.With Olaf, the searching parties, the dangers for himself? His talking, deflecting people’s search? Eventually telling the truth, to Mr Wright? The culmination?

9.Annalees and her character, the background of her life, her aunt, discussions about love, Olaf and her constant service, his love for his daughter, her escape, using her wits, the discussion about the boy who escaped, going to the log cabin, trying on August’s wife’s dress, the issue of the shoes, the hat, his showing her the path and her going to the north?

10.Olaf and his search, the men and their drinking, the farmers and their talk? Wright, the administration of the law, Ida inviting August to the camp, her hoping to marry him?

11.The issues for August, the audience sharing them, sharing his choices? The finale, his house being burnt, with few possessions, losing everything? But having his honour?